I wanted a focal point in my garden and I found this trash can lid, so what I decided to do was create a little frog sanctuary. I placed the lid in the ground and filled it with a big rock and water. Next to this makeshift 'pond' I placed some more rocks and shells, I also placed some terra cotta pots that had been broken in half to give them a little hidey-hole. They have plants and a little bamboo, the only problem is I forgot that I have hunters, posing as cats. My husband was sweet to point out that instead of a frog sanctuary I have now created a mosquito breeding ground (we live in S. Fla.) I was checking it out the other day, still no frogs or toads, but yes we do in fact have a mosquito breeding ground. So my question is , I know finally, right? Can I put a little bleach in the water to kill the mosquitoes or is there another way to keep them from the pond? any suggestions would be okay with me but I do tend to lean towards more natural and environmentally friendly. thanks. me.
Look on the net but also in the library for examples of fish ponds that can incorporate frogs as well. http://www.environment.gov.au/education/publications/frogpond.html http://www.consciouschoice.com/2005/cc1805/pondperfect1805.html Goldfish apparently are not suitable to have in frog ponds to control mosquito larvae as they eat the tadpoles. I was unable to find a suitable US site re fish species that might be safe and are allowed to be kept in a pond. Liz
There is a biological mosquito control available here, and I have used it very successfully. It's branded as "Aqua-Bac" here, based on a special strain of Bt bacteria. Sprinkle in your little pond every week or so, the container will last all year. It's available in the garden section at Home Depot up here.
I'm no expert on creating a frog habitat, but I did catch a lot of them as a kid, and I have to question whether creating such a habitat is as simple as filling up a garbage can lid with water. It would seem a bit ironic if we were to destroy the mosquito larvae, only to find that this (along with other creepy crawlies) might be a major food source for frogs. I applaud your intentions, but I just think that sometimes we under estimate the complexities of the web of life. That said, I honestly hope this works for you. It should at least provide a positive learning experience - best of luck.
In my internet wanderings, I happened across some information that might be of value. A suggested solution to the mosquito/fish/tadpole conundrum is the use of a nursery tank for the emerging tadpoles for a couple of weeks, while they are most vulnerable to predation by the fish. Here's the link: http://www.lensgarden.com.au/frogs.htm
What kind of frogs do you have locally? I found a website that suggests first to research what your local fogs like. http://frognirvana.com/biuld-frog-pond.php The garbage can lid may be too shallow for the frogs. A pond with goldfish and shelter for fish would still be attractive and interesting. You might get dragonflies and damselflies.