you want free fish food? grow mosquitos!

[csr mel]

today i noticed some mosquito larvae in the birdbath. i got them out and put them in my fishtank. the fish went CRAZY over them. i was shocked. they never liked flakes this much. the platies were actively hunting and eating them. when the larvae were all gone the fish kept hunting around the tank for more. so now i have some buckets of water outside. i am hoping to grow mosquito larvae and feed them to my fish as a daily supplement to flakes. they really seem to enjoy the larvae, and its free to me and helps reduce the local mosquito population.

but i have a question, are mosquito larvae ok for platies to eat? or could it be bad for them?

 

[steppy104]

some people say you shouldn't do that because there is the possibility of the misquito's transfering disease....but i'm not sure about that.

in the summer, despite the disease thing, it doesn't sound like too bad of an idea....but you better hope they don't get addicted or anything....cuz misquito's aren't a year around thing, and if ur fish start to like them so much, that they refuse other things, then you're kinda out of luck for feeding them....i think that misquito larvae would be a good SNACK though. just not a regular food.

 

[fishdudein]

Frozen mosquito larvae are known as bloodworms in the hobby. Just be sure you are not adding any other "critters" to your tank with the larvae, there are some things that will attack your fish, or cause them to become ill.
Also, be sure you are using the larvae as a "supplemental" food only.

 

[SirMinion]

Where do you live?

With the spread of west nile virus across the US, having standing, stagnant water with mozzies in is an offence now in some states.

 

[Opcn]

Blood worms are the larve of the midge fly and a red maggot that lives in "muck" at the bottom of the water.

Perhaps you were thinking glass worms which are large mosquito larve.

If you want to culture Mosquitoe larve (or blood worms for that matter) you simply place a few inches of old dry thin leaves in the bottom of a bucket and fill it with water. then let it sit. the leaves will be broken down and mosquito larve will begin to eat themocro organisms that result. allso eating the leaves there may be some midge fly larve but they are trickey to get out and smell verry fowl. For those of you who may not know mosquito larve look like eyelashes swimming by bending back and forth and will sit on the surface of he water untill you approach.

 

[endparenthesis]

I've tried but the mosquitoes didn't like my bucket. Oh well.

 

[SirMinion]

So much easier to just go to my LFS and buy live daphnia, brine shrimp & bloodworm for 50p a bag twice a week.

Farmed, fresh, clean & cheap.

 

[blakwidoe]

I agree my concern would be West Nile Virus too much of a risk to take when you can buy these things readily at your LFS

 

[CFC]

I must admit if i lived in a country where mosquitos carried diseases i wouldnt be keen on cultivating my own live food, but luckily i dont and the worst thing a mosquito can give you here is a itchy bump. I have been cultivating my own live foods in the garden during the summer months for years, its better for the fish to be fed live foods and since my collection trays contain no fish the food is completely parasite and disease free.

 

[Phantom Thief]

its an offence here in Malaysia to even have any space where water can collect and mosquitoes will breed.

P.T.

 

[csr mel]

it is not an offence here in south florida, usa to grow mosquitos.

west nile, or any other problem is ultra rare, although nothing is impossible. but it isnt like ill be using my tongue to catch the larvae so no worries

 

[FishDan]

West Nile virus is not so "ultra rare" in FL as you assume it is. At least not according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I admit that 2 cases of human infection in Florida by itself is rare, but when you look at the fact that FL is one of only 8 states that have any reported cases of West Nile that probably makes it worse than you think it is. Personally, I wouldn't risk creating more of a problem. Especially when you also consider you are all but surrounded by states with avian, animal or mosquito infections. I agree that I'd rather spend a bit of money for the piece of mind, both for my fish and for myself.

\Dan

 

[shrks1fan]

I live in San Jose, California and the government (not sure if it was city, county or state) just started spraying for mosquitos to try and get a jump at stopping West Nile Virus in this area. Somehow I don't think they'd appreciate people purposely trying to cultivate them, haha. (I think we are one area you can actually be fined if you don't clear up standing water).

Linda
http/www.pet-emporium.com/files
http/www.cooking-fanatics.com/files

 

[csr mel]

according to the center for disease control, west nile virus is transmitted to a mosquito by biting an infected animal or human. then the mosquito would bite a human or other aminal, and this is how it spreads.

so, mosquito larvae shouldnt contain any west nile virus because larve cant bite anything.

furthermore, by disposing of the larvae as fish food, i am killing off potential mosquitos that would otherwise hatch somwhere else and not be killed?

 

[FishDan]

furthermore, by disposing of the larvae as fish food, i am killing off potential mosquitos that would otherwise hatch somwhere else and not be killed?

In theory, yes. In practice you are not going to be able to harvest all of the larvae. And even if you did, your fish may not be able to eat all of the larvae. In either case, mosquitos will reach maturity and possibly spread the disease. This would have to be a daily process, not once a week. The mosquitoes are not going to breed on a schedule. And they breed in copious amounts. Each female mosquito lays between 300 and 400 eggs. I don't mean to be a "Negative Ned" but I simply think that any unnessary breeding areas for mosquitoes is just that, unnessary. And potentially dangerous, though I admit the numbers tend to be small as to the number of infected people. I thought of using a similar method for feeding my fish. I decided against it for several reasons. My area actively sprays for mosquiotes once per week. My fish "food" would be killed or poisoned. I am uncertain if in my area (it was before I moved, from the suburbs to the city) if it is illegal to have standing water, like bird baths. I don't want to add places where potentially disease born mosquitoes will breed. I find mosquitoes, diseased or not, to be nusance, and I am nearly certain my neighbors would be less than thrilled to have a bucket(s) of "mosquito farms" next door. Giving them breeding grounds on purpose, knowing full well that I could not feed my fish mosquito larvae daily and that my fish would not eat sufficient amounts even if I did harvest all of them, was irresponsible in my opinion. Just my two cents, take it or leave it.

\Dan