That's a pretty smart approach, especially if you get a lot of debris. I've been thinking about something similar, but I'm a little worried about mosquitoes breeding in the water. Did you have to take any extra steps to keep bugs out, or was the fine mesh enough on its own? I've heard some folks add mosquito dunks or something similar...just curious if that's necessary or overkill.
I've set up a few rain collection systems, and honestly, the fine mesh alone usually isn't enough to completely stop mosquitoes. A while back, I had a barrel with just mesh, and after a couple weeks I noticed larvae swimming around...not exactly ideal. So yeah, mosquito dunks became my go-to solution. They're pretty straightforward—just toss one in every month or so, depending on rainfall. They're safe for gardens and pets too, which was a big plus for me.
Another thing that helped was making sure the mesh was super tight-fitting. Any tiny gaps around the edges can let bugs sneak in. I ended up using silicone caulk around the edges to seal it better, which made a noticeable difference.
In short, mosquito dunks aren't really overkill if you're serious about preventing breeding. They're cheap insurance against having your rain barrel turn into a mosquito farm...definitely worth it from my experience.
"mosquito dunks aren't really overkill if you're serious about preventing breeding."
Fair point, but personally, I've found that keeping the water moving slightly can also do the trick. Mosquitoes prefer stagnant water for laying eggs, so adding a simple solar-powered pump or aerator might be enough to deter them without needing dunks. I'm not against dunks, just skeptical about adding anything extra if a mechanical solution can handle it naturally. Worth considering, anyway...
Fair point, but personally, I've found that keeping the water moving slightly can also do the trick. Mosquitoes prefer stagnant water for laying eggs, so adding a simple solar-powered pump or aer...
I get the point about moving water, but from experience, even a small aerator doesn't always cut it. Last summer I set up a solar fountain thinking it'd solve all my mosquito problems. It worked great...until we had a cloudy week and the pump slowed down. Mosquitoes took full advantage—little opportunists! Now I toss in half a dunk every month or so just to be safe. Not saying pumps can't work, but they're not foolproof either.
"Mosquitoes took full advantage—little opportunists!"
Haha, yeah, mosquitoes are annoyingly resourceful. I've noticed the same thing with solar pumps—great in theory, but cloudy days can really mess things up. Your dunk idea is solid; I've used them too, and they're pretty reliable. Another trick I've tried is adding a fine mesh screen over openings to keep mosquitoes out entirely. Not perfect either, but every bit helps...
