There are few things more irritating than the incessant whine of a mosquito and the subsequent itch that it leaves behind as its miserable legacy. 

It goes without saying that we all put ourselves out to prevent the spread of these little blighters, which essentially means eliminating as many of their local breeding grounds as possible. But what if we have an outdoor fountain? Isn’t this just asking for trouble?

A mosquito needs a surprisingly small body of water to lay its eggs in, and an alarmingly short period of time for these eggs to become a fully-fledged, whining, biting nemesis. In fact, eggs can hatch and morph into an adult mozzie in as little as 5 days!

So, what do we need to do in order to keep our outdoor fountains clean and mosquito-free?

A Mosquito-Free Fountain

The good news is that mosquitoes require still water to breed. Females won’t lay their eggs in moving water as the eggs may be disturbed or washed away. Also, the freshly hatched young need a few minutes to let their wings dry and moving water doesn’t allow for that. 

That means that you’ve got no problem if your outdoor fountain has constantly moving water. It’s a good idea to keep your pump in good working order and make sure that there are no areas around the fountain which could create pools of standing water. 

If your fountain allows for it, fish are the best mosquito repellent. Even the smallest of fish breeds will happily gobble up mosquito eggs and larvae which is a win for both you and your fish.

Fountains without fauna or flora would benefit from a few capfuls of apple cider vinegar in the water which makes it inhospitable to mozzie larvae, and also works well on other bacteria which may want to make your fountain their new home. 

It’s really that simple to have a stunning, mosquito-free outdoor fountain. 

For more tips or advice from the pros, please feel free to contact that Pool Spa team.