It's only been a week since the big rain, and today the mosquitoes hatched out. I hadn't moved gambusias (mosquito fish) into all the tanks thinking my grandson (age 12) could do it when he arrived today.
He worked industriously for hours catching them from the tank that I had kept them alive in (via a small puddle at the bottom, bought and hauled in, of course). Since the tank is now full (12' of water at the deepest part), I figured the fish would have so much space to spread out in that they'd be hard to catch, but they obviously had multiplied fast in the last week and he had no trouble catching lots of them. He seeded all the other full tanks with them, but experience has taught me that I'll have mosquitoes for at least 2 more weeks before the fish multiply enough to keep them under control. Oodles of butterflies and dragonflies, but I didn't have time to photograph them to help me ID them. One of these days I will.
One big soapberry tree that I was sure had died is leafing out, but the hackberry trees that I was sure were dead are still dead.
More pictures soon. I'm pretty overwhelmed right now, what with company, helping Kelly band hummingbirds the next 2 days, trying to get the water all pumped into tanks that hold better than the dirt tanks, and drying the rest of the peaches. Whew!
Have you considered putting up some bat houses near the open tanks? I welcome them wherever we go as they can really do a number on those little buggers. And it doesn't take a very big house to keep several dozen of them.
ReplyDeleteChris Miller
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I have put up bat houses but the bats never use them. I do have bats though. In a couple of weeks the gambusias will have multiplied enough to keep the mosquitoes down. This happens every year (that it rains) for a couple of weeks. I just endure with lots of clothing and deet.
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