Q: After making several rain barrels we bought mosquito donuts to put in each one. Now we are unable to easily find them; the hardware stores are having a hard time keeping them in stock. Since birds and animals would not have access to this rain water but it will be used to water my garden and flowers, is there something else we can “concoct” to do the same job?

A: If you can seal the pipe openings through which the rainwater enters the containers, mosquitoes won’t have any water upon which to lay eggs. An old time solution is to pour a tablespoon of mineral oil onto the water in each barrel to prevent larvae from breathing at the water surface.