Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
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Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#2Be sure there’s something in there to eat mosquito larvae. In larger ponds there are little fish that you can get that do this.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#3I really want to make a tiny pond at my house, but I'm afraid of the mosquitoes.
My native plant supplier encouraged tiny ponds, saying that while you may need mosquito dunks to kill the larva at first, once wildlife is established in your pond e.g. dragonflies will control the mosquitos just fine. I believe him (or at least that it worked for him), but I feel like I would need to do more research before putting it to the test.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#4I really want to make a tiny pond at my house, but I'm afraid of the mosquitoes. My native plant supplier encouraged tiny ponds, saying that while you may need mosquito dunks to kill the larva at first, once wildlife is established in your pond e.g. dragonflies will control the mosquitos just fine. I believe him (or at least that it worked for him), but I feel like I would need to do more research before putting it t…
Apparently there are some types of plants (like lavender, mint, rosemary or catnip) which mosquitoes don't like being around for whichever reason. Having some near the micropond could be a pretty elegant fix if it works.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#5I really want to make a tiny pond at my house, but I'm afraid of the mosquitoes. My native plant supplier encouraged tiny ponds, saying that while you may need mosquito dunks to kill the larva at first, once wildlife is established in your pond e.g. dragonflies will control the mosquitos just fine. I believe him (or at least that it worked for him), but I feel like I would need to do more research before putting it t…
Apparently there are some types of plants (like lavender, mint, rosemary or catnip) which mosquitoes don't like being around for whichever reason. Having some near the micropond could be a pretty elegant fix if it works.
Lemongrass too, not sure it could be grown on a window sill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citronella_oil
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#6I really want to make a tiny pond at my house, but I'm afraid of the mosquitoes. My native plant supplier encouraged tiny ponds, saying that while you may need mosquito dunks to kill the larva at first, once wildlife is established in your pond e.g. dragonflies will control the mosquitos just fine. I believe him (or at least that it worked for him), but I feel like I would need to do more research before putting it t…
Get some White Cloud Mountain Minnows (usually just called White Clouds). These small fish love to eat mosquito larvae and tolerate cold water quite well (down to 41F/5C). If you later decide to remove them they shouldn’t be too difficult to catch. They’re also quite beautiful and come in a variety of colours.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#7One of the delights I discovered over the last few years is constructing and maintaining sweet water "jarrariums"; I take whatever glassware I fancy - pots, jars, glasses - collect some soil and plants from an interesting pond I find somewhere, put it in and just let it do it's thing - don't interfere, just wait.
It's amazing how much life lifts in with just that bit of soil; I have a few jars from three years ago (that I leave mostly closed) which have shown multiple generations of woodlice, water snails, little mussels, spiders, water fleas, beetles, worms. Sometimes, the whole pot turns opaque green for a few days, and then a few days later it clears up and I find some new life in there I have never seen before.
Highly enjoyable to have on your desk or in the window sill!
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#8One of the delights I discovered over the last few years is constructing and maintaining sweet water "jarrariums"; I take whatever glassware I fancy - pots, jars, glasses - collect some soil and plants from an interesting pond I find somewhere, put it in and just let it do it's thing - don't interfere, just wait. It's amazing how much life lifts in with just that bit of soil; I have a few jars from three years ago (t…
And of course there's a reddit for that: https://www.reddit.com/r/Jarrariums/
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#9I really want to make a tiny pond at my house, but I'm afraid of the mosquitoes. My native plant supplier encouraged tiny ponds, saying that while you may need mosquito dunks to kill the larva at first, once wildlife is established in your pond e.g. dragonflies will control the mosquitos just fine. I believe him (or at least that it worked for him), but I feel like I would need to do more research before putting it t…
a simple solution is to put a small submersible fountain pump in or even one of those floating solar powered ones. mosquitos prefer standing water so if you agitate it enough it will cut down on their breeding. please do make every effort to prevent them from breeding, your future self and your neighbours will thank you.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#10The article is correct in my experience. If you build a pond, wildlife will come. I would only add that having a simple pump to create a little flow and oxygenation really helps reduce algae and mosquitoes. If the pond is deep enough (18"/50cm), it will frustrate raccoons.
I've done two small fish ponds using heavy duty rigid plastic liners expecting only the fish (koi and shubunkin) would enjoy it. We live less than ~10 miles/~15 km from downtown Boston.
We were surprised to see the second pond, which is next to the north side of our basement and on a small hill, gets all kinds of animals and birds coming to drink. Racoons, possum, fox, squirrels, and many types of small birds. Without fail, one or two tree frogs find it every summer and settle in on the water plant we put out there (taro) in a semi-submerged pot.
The frogs disappear in the early autumn. Before the first hard frost, we bring the taro plant inside in a bucket, and place it next to a sunny window for the next 6 months. By mid-December the pond freezes over except where we have a small pump running. The fish go dormant at the bottom, under the ice.
Then in spring it starts back up again. The ice melts, the fish come back to life, and the animals return to drink. I am going to put the taro plant back out in May, and once again the pond will be the center of life in our side yard.