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What are Swimming in My Rainwater?

  • Thread starter TENroaches
  • Start date
I was just refilling my plastic jugs with rainwater, and I thought I saw some weird things in my first jug, but I kept fillin', but when I finished filling my second jug, I knew for sure something was up. So I dumped the water out to check, and saw these things swimming around.

I took a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQiOcMCARqc

I'm sure someone here knows what these are!
 
Mosquito larvae, probably.
 
yup 100% sure they are mosquito larvae
 
Do I need to worry about anything, or can I just keep them in my water I water my plants with? I don't need to go in my water with a knife and cut 'em in half to make sure they die, or get them out so they don't rot in my water, do I?
 
they won't harm you're plant, however when they molt into adults they'll look for yer blood.
 
Get some "MosquitoDunks" at Home Depot if you want safe, effective biological control.
 
I just leave my mosquito larva alone..they do no harm, and they wash out when it rains..
if I know a good rain storm is coming, I dump out my rain barrel, the larva will die in the grass, they cant become adult mosquitos outside of water..

I saw an awesome video..I think its a BBC or Nova-type documentary about carnivorous plants..(I have the VHS tape around somewhere..not sure where at the moment..)
anyway..the video shows a mosquito emerging from its pupa stage right at the water's surface..
in a small pond or puddle..
its comes out of the "cocoon"..sits around for a few minutes to dry its wings..takes its first ever flight, and immediately flies into a sundew leaf that is 2 inches away!
brilliant..

Scot
 
I try to dump my water trays every few days, preferably before a storm like Scot says, and, if water is scarce, I'll slowly pour it through one of the other pots to filter out the creepy crawlies. I forget which one it is, but one of the worst disease-carrying mosquitoes is especially fond of breeding in containers, ranging from discarded tires and rain collection systems to (probably) CP water trays.
 
  • #10
its comes out of the "cocoon"..sits around for a few minutes to dry its wings..takes its first ever flight, and immediately flies into a sundew leaf that is 2 inches away!
brilliant..

Scot

Hahahahaha. I love it.
 
  • #11
Me too!
 
  • #12
Scotty that's the "Death Trap" episode of the PBS Nature series. I have the official Time Life vhs version with sleeve. Check ebay I think I only paid $0.99 for it plus shipping.
 
  • #13
Do I need to worry about anything, or can I just keep them in my water I water my plants with? I don't need to go in my water with a knife and cut 'em in half to make sure they die, or get them out so they don't rot in my water, do I?


Buy a package of Mosquito dunks and keep a quarter of one in the bucket. Kills the larvae.
I use them, they work.
 
  • #14
I had those in my water trays a few times this summer...and since I don't always have a whole lot I just take 5 mins to pick them out using a pipette...then throw them on burning hot cement and watch 'em writhe as they melt before your eyes :D

Haha, no but i do throw them out.
 
  • #15
I just take 5 mins to pick them out using a pipette...then throw them on burning hot cement and watch 'em writhe as they melt before your eyes :D

Haha, no but i do throw them out.


I sometimes worry about some of the people here, but figure growing plants is at least as good as psychotherapy and possibly better.
 
  • #16
Yo-Dawg-YO-DAWG-I-HERD-YOU-LIKE-GROWING-WEIRD-THINGS-SO-I-PUT-SOME-WEIRD-THINGS-IN-YOUR-WEIRD-THINGS.jpg

~Joe
 
  • #17
Scotty that's the "Death Trap" episode of the PBS Nature series. I have the official Time Life vhs version with sleeve. Check ebay I think I only paid $0.99 for it plus shipping.

Hey, me too‼ :)

Ripped it to DVD as well. Easier to loan to friends and co-workers to view.
 
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