Mosquito Culture?

[GuppyGirl20]

First off has anyone ever done a mosquito culture before? Any tips???
 
Secondly, I've been trying for about 2 weeks now. Mom said that she thinks the water was too clean (it is just a critter keeper with declorinated water in it) so about two days ago I put an algae covered rock in there to "dirty up" the water a bit (I also read on line that algae is what mosquito larvea eat so hopefully that will attract them). Mosquitos were the most cost effective for me since all you need is some still standing water and voila! mosquitos (or well that's how it has always happened everytime I never wanted mosquitos lol).

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Just take a wide container filled with water and a little sugar (to attract them further) then cover it with a very fine mesh (with holes enough to fit a needle but not as fine as a woman's stockings). Then place it somewhere like your kitchen corner. (Never a pitch black cupboard or else it'll attract ants or roaches.) The water should be standing still as much as possible too.

I've only bred them once. But they're too slow to propagate. Not to mention that malaria and dengue fever are still prevalent here lol. Might as well go culture some fruit flies.

 

[DrRob]

Round here (UK climate) they make for a good live food source in summer. I have a large bucket in the garden, it fills with leaves and rainwater in spring and them blooms with mosquito larvae in summer.
 
A shallower bowl tends to fill up with bloodworm with the same care. Just keep them slightly shaded but not in darkness, the slight shading also stops the other half complaining about random buckets in the garden.
 
Worth noting though that the other half also complains if you don't harvest them and feed the fish whenever they get bitten, although what you're harvesting generally isn't a biter anyway.

 

[GuppyGirl20]

Thanks for the tips. I think when I get home today I'm going to move the water to in front of my window in the front yard. I think where it is placed now it's getting too much direct sunlight or something. The algae I was trying to grow for my snail was doing really well on my window sill (it was the wrong kind of algae so I can't use it but it still was thriving lol).

 

[FishOut-O-Water]

Where in the states are you?  When I lived in southeast Texas mosquito larvae could be found in just about any standing water left outside.  Just look around outside your house for the wrigglers.   If you are having trouble finding mosquitoes you might consider yourself lucky.  In the absence of the annoying bugs you should still be able to get some source of food for whatever is you are trying to feed.  Anyways, good luck.

 

[GuppyGirl20]

I live in the south so mosquitos are EVERYwhere (so annoying bc I get bit everytime I go outside it seems like). That's why I'm thinking the problem is that I have the container in an les than ideal spot.

 

[FishOut-O-Water]

THEY WILL COME..