Mosquito Briquets in rain barrels?

[dogginfox]

I just picked up a pack of Larvicidal Briquets from my local fire station for a low spot in the yard. On the package it says to use them in rain barrels, ponds, unused swimming pools and other places where water might stand for a while. I cant find what they are made of anywhere on the website www.athensclarkecounty.com/mosquito . Might these be safe to use in my rain barrels I use to water my garden?

 

[1acrefarm]

I have often wondered if those were safe and what they were made of myself. I would prefer to use small fish in a rain barrel instead. (like goldfish) I know they are safe and actually give the plants nutrients.

 

[dogginfox]

I found a Patent No. On the package and googled it. This is what I found http://www.summitchemical.com/labels/MOSQUITO DUNK LABEL.pdf

I think im going to give it a shot.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

My DW works for the local county enviormental health dept

They actually give them away for that very reason. I also have a very good friend that put them in a couple of half whiskey barrels that he had at his house that were used for drinking bowls for his dogs. It never seemed to bother them either.

I do like the gold fish idea though, I wonder if you could do it with little bluegill or standard pong fish? or would you have to put in a areration system so they would get enough oxygen?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti.) is what is used to kill the mosquitoes in this product and many others like it.

Bti, Btk or Bt is usually sold in tablets like this or in commercial sprays under brands like Foray and Dipel.

It is a live bacteria that kills insects by means of spreading their spores internally. It's basically a really bad infection given to the insect. It is commonly used for most caterpillars on fruit trees and vegetable applications. It is considered a certified organic and is used in a wide variety of organic applications. It has little if any known effect on other animals (including beneficials and pets) and only poses a serious health threat to any pets when injected. It is considered one of the safest pest control products out there and usually can be applied up until a few weeks of harvest.

I've used Bt for many years now and have never had any problems. We use it in ponds with fish and ducks, rain barrels, bird baths and use sprays on almost all of our fruit trees and cucurbits.