The Rutgers Center for Vector Biology reported on several tests of mosquitofish in various situations. Due to the harm to native wildlife, mosquitofish are regulated in many states, where they may only be stocked in enclosed ponds or pools that have no outlet to streams or rivers, so the fish can’t escape into the wild. People have tried stocking gambusia to control mosquitoes in various areas of the United States since the early 1900s, with varying success. Hint: crumble the dunks and spread them around the water for better coverage.” “Drop a Bti mosquito dunk in a pond or rainbarrel and it will kill larvae with a natural bacillus that targets mosquitoes, not fish, pets or people. There is also a related species, Gambusia holbrooki, the eastern mosquitofish, which is sometimes used for mosquito control too. They’re not always successful at controlling mosquitoes, with unpredictable results. These little fish are controversial because they’re aggressive, also eating the eggs, larvae and young of native fish and amphibians and competing with them for other food. The gambusia fish ( Gambusia affinis), also called the western mosquitofish, eats mosquito larvae. Two natural predators which attack mosquito larvae in the water are mosquitofish and dragonflies: Mosquito-eating Fish One of the most effective natural enemies is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or Bti, a bacterium that only targets mosquito larvae plus a few very closely related species, without affecting fish, frogs or other desirable species, including people. Fish, insects and other creatures that feed on larvae are another possible form of control, though still only effective in certain circumstances. Mosquitoes make up only a small part of their diet. Maybe purple martins and bats won’t eat anything, but their choice of bugs is large enough that mosquitoes make up only a small part of their diet.īats, birds and dragonflies which kill adult mosquitoes are some of the most obvious predators, but the least effective, according to the book Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Some predators eat enough to noticeably reduce the population, while others get rid of so few that one can barely tell any difference.Ī lot of the predators that you actually see out catching bugs are the least useful, specifically, when it comes to mosquitoes. Scientists have studied what eats them in the wild, in hopes of finding enemies that can be introduced to get rid of mosquito problems near where people live. Mosquitoes have a variety of natural predators, from bats to fish to dragonflies. Well, what would you ask Clay Thompson, our resident guru of random knowledge? E-mail your questions to and check back at for his often hilarious responses.Gambusia fish swimming among mosquito larvae. You've heard of Reddit's Ask Me Anything. It's what they have to do to get things lined up properly.ĭragonflies don't always mate on the wing. This is known in the dragonfly Kama Sutra as the wheel formation. A certain amount of contortion is involved. There can be a lot of biting or scratching involved.ĭragonfly anatomy does not really lend itself to an easy match-up of their fun parts. The male sneaks upon the female from behind. You see them near the pool because dragonflies gather around water to hunt. Is one steering and the other providing the propulsion?ĭo you spend a lot of time watching dragonflies mate? Don't you think they might like a little privacy? What if a bunch of dragonflies gathered around to watch while you were making love?ĭragonflies mating habits are a bit complicated, and I'm not sure if I have room here to give you the entire rundown.įor starters, water isn't what turns them on. Does anyone know what the mating times for dragonflies is? Is the water a sexual stimulant? While they are together they still move in erratic directions and changes of elevation. They seem to be coupled for five or 10 minutes, sometimes longer. My yard is a little lush, and the pool seems to be an attraction for them. I seem to have two or three times more dragonflies than usual.
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