mosquitos

[kei9th]

i have a terrible mosquito problem, hopefully you all can help. i live in a duplex with a shared back porch. the porch floor is wooden and there is about 6 inches under the porch where the water from the washing machines from both our houses drain. i have a 3 year old and he has 3 kids living with him so our washers do get used daily, sometimes 3 or 4 washes a day between us. i dont know if letting the washer water just drain onto the ground is the way it is supposed to be but all of the duplex are the same way. i just happen to be lucky enough to have a porch for the water to go under. is there anything we can pour under the porch or through the washer drain that will kill the mosquito larvae? its to the point know that the porch is getting unusable.

 

[JB]

Re: mosquitos

Oil floated on the surface of the water will kill larvae. I used canola oil in my rain barrels. Worked great.

You may need to replace it regularly because the detergent in the wash water can dissolve it.

 

[lncoop]

Re: mosquitos

A couple or few of these http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/(depending on the size of your porch) strategically placed might do the trick. I've never used them but they're supposed to be miraculous. It's not entirely clear, but it sounds like there's no way of reaching the problem area under the porch directly. If I'm wrong about that there are products that can be placed in the puddles to kill the larvae. http://www.mosquito-zapper.com/mosquito_larva_killer_bti.html Lots of other options too, not the least of which is re-routing the washer drains.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: mosquitos

Mosquito Dunks (pucks)
http://store.thepondreport.com/products/Mosquito-Dunks.html

 

[robert graham]

Re: mosquitos

I read recently that Listerine in a spray bottle helps get rid of mosquitoes...guess you just spray it or pour some down under there. Dollar General has their brand of Listerine mouthwash a whole lot cheaper...might be worth a try! Good Luck!

 

[JRJ]

Re: mosquitos

Draining the wash water out on the ground isn't the norm in America :facepalm: Good luck with the oil.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: mosquitos

Draining the wash water out on the ground isn't the norm in America :facepalm: Good luck with the oil.

I'm glad some one made that statement ... I was wondering about that myself... WTH !!?? All that soap and nastiness removed from clothing is a form of .....um....sewage, isnt it ?

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: mosquitos

I'm glad some one made that statement ... I was wondering about that myself... WTH !!?? All that soap and nastiness removed from clothing is a form of .....um....sewage, isnt it ?

It's considered "grey water". Some states actually allow the re-use of grey water for irrigation (supposedly it contains nutrients from the soap), or for flushing toilets and re-use in a washing machine. It all depends on the states attitude towards it. Some outright consider it to be "Black water" AKA sewage. If I were the OP I would check into Florida's laws about the disposal of grey water and go from there. If it needs to be disposed of properly, I would say call his landlord (if he isn't the land lord) and tell him whats going on and what the law is. If Florida has lax laws about it, maybe either have the drain pipes routed into a cistern to be used for lawn irrigation, or put in a dry well where the water will drop into the ground much like a septic system.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: mosquitos

I'd be pulling up some deck boards up and extending that drain out to where it would drain onto the dirt in the sun so it could evaporate, or be easily accessed for placing mosquito dunks. Then I'd carpet the porch with outdoor carpeting wall to wall.

I know you probably don't to spend much money on this, but it's the cheapest and best way I can think of right now.

 

[sasto]

Re: mosquitos

That's Fort Liquordale for ya! Get a bag of water softener salt and spread some under the porch. They won't breed in salty water.

Good Luck!

 

[Fireman431]

Re: mosquitos

In Florida, the mosquito is the new state bird. They're huge down here. I've seem them stand flatfooted and have sex with pigeons!

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: mosquitos

In Florida, the mosquito is the new state bird. They're huge down here. I've seem them stand flatfooted and have sex with pigeons!

In Maine, the mosquito has always been the state bird...

View attachment 95343

 

[JB]

Re: mosquitos

I woke up at a fish camp in Ontario to find two mosquitoes arguing about whether to eat me there or carry me back to their babies.

AK Has the biggest, meanest skeeters on the planet.

It would not be difficult to drain the washers into a small underground leach field. That is what most of us in rural TX do with grey water.

 

[wifisher]

Re: mosquitos

AK Has the biggest, meanest skeeters on the planet.

Agreed!

Depending on the layout of the yard, I would think that it would be pretty easy to extend the drain out from under the porch.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: mosquitos

In Florida, the mosquito is the new state bird. They're huge down here. I've seem them stand flatfooted and have sex with pigeons!

My wife (from Georgia), calls them "mosquito hawks"

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: mosquitos

Our Minnesota Skeeters will kick all your Skeeters arses !!! We saddle ours and ride em' Sorry, gettn off track on this post. :facepalm:

 

[Art Bernard]

Re: mosquitos

In florida sewage and greywater are supposed to be disposed of in either a septic tank or the public sewersystem. If your place has it draining on the ground than it's probibly the landlord trying to reduce the ammount of flow into the septictank or a broken line.

Art

 

[kei9th]

Re: mosquitos

In florida sewage and greywater are supposed to be disposed of in either a septic tank or the public sewersystem. If your place has it draining on the ground than it's probibly the landlord trying to reduce the ammount of flow into the septictank or a broken line.

Art

im sure this is why all the duplex owners are doing this. thanks for all the help im gonna try the water softener salt. i think that is the least chemical way to do it.

 

[mommicked]

Re: mosquitos

Sad but true much to often.Not good for any surface waters.:facepalm::facepalm:

 

[foodfisher]

Re: mosquitos

Biodegradable soap, some pvc and you've got a thriving garden.