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Rain barrels

RS67Man

RS67Man

My rain barrel, actually a 40 gallon plastic trash can, is doing its job of providing rain water to water peppers with. However, I have noticed a problem. The water has mosquito larvae in it. I hate the nasty little buggers, and they spread disease too. How do I keep them out of the rain barrel without using pesticides? Aerate the water with a air pump and stone?


Suggestions?
 
Buy a barrel/s (plastic) with tight fitting lids. I'm also using an open, very large bucket (60L), but I have a high usage and when necessary, I use an aquarium fish net to remove the mosquito larvae that inevitably do show up (I dump them on the cement in hot direct sunlight). Cheers.
 
You can put a screen on top of your barrel that lets water in but not insects, or you can add a few drops of soap, or oil like neem which will help suffocate the bastards.
Personally I use a few barrels worth of water on most hot days so there is very little time for insects to reproduce. Just try to use up the whole barrel before it gets re-filled
On a side note, did you know that saving rain-water is often illegal depending on where you live. Never enforced but there is still a law. It was probably introduced so people or companies don't set-up huge water collectors limiting the amount of water that replenishes the aquafirs
Colorado, Utah, and Washington State are 3 places that its illegal in the US
Strange too how you are actually required to practice rainwater harvesting in Santa Fe County, Bernalillo County and the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico.
 
I had no idea that collecting rain water would be illegal! :eek: I guess I better give up on a rain barrel, and take it apart. I will start watering my peppers with a chlorine laced garden hose from now on.

NOT!!​

I may need a refill on the barrel, (err, garbage can) due to no rain lately. I am thinking that a shot from the hose, with the chlorine additive, might do them in. I know the chlorine will evaporate off. I will eventually get a air stone and pump, I would rather not use anything in the water that will end up in the garden. I would love to get a 250 gallon+ plastic tank and bury it underground. (To hell with the state law!) The water collection pipe would have a "S" trap (like whats under your sinks to keep bad smells out) to keep insects out. Have it piped to a hose with a water pump. That would be a ideal setup for me.

Here is a few links I found:

http://newyorkrenovator.com/2009/07/is-it-illegal-to-collect-rainwater.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/lifestyle/80292867.html
 
I kept 2 brim in my water barrel. I fed them dry dogwood they actually grew larger eating that stuff, on a sidetone though you have to have good aeration for the fish. you kill 2 birds with 1 stone. feed fish then fish feed plants.
 
If you put oil (vegetable) on the surface of the water, it cuts off oxygen to the larvae and they die. Not much oil is required.
 
Due to the extreme heat here I ran out of water in my favoured water butts/ rain barrels. As the tap water is too hard and plays havoc in my hydro systems, I had to use the barrel that hadn't been used for some time. You guessed it - mossy larvae. Using 1ml/L of 17.5% Hydrogen Peroxide I added this to the water thinking it would kill them. Nope still fine. Added my nutrients to 1.8ec which pushes the salinity up. Nope still alive. Bubble for 24 hours. Still fine!

Poured them into the reservoir and they don't seem to be doing any harm. There is a fine mesh filter which stops them getting near the plants.

Chris
 
I use an old plastic garbage can as well. I put the lid on every night and when I get home from work I drop a double tube aerator into it and run it for a few hours everyday. Seems to keep the skeeters out and keeps the water from stagnating.
 
to me, the simplest thing is to just put window screen over your rain collection system...it acts as a "strainer" for what goes into the barrel and keeps all the nasties out...
 
I got lucky and snagged nine food-grade, 55-gallon plastic barrels from the Jim Beam factory. I'm using four of them for rain barrels but a couple of the others will become compost bins.

Mike
 
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