Question
Jack,
Need your advice. Since I live in the desert Southwest,I use a rain barrel to catch the water for use in my garden. Even though the barrel has a screen over the opening, mosquitos are getting in and breeding. Is there anyway to treat the water i.e. bleach and kill the larva but still use the water on my garden plants?
Respectfully
James Teschler

Answer
James,

You can treat the water with a special bacterial insecticide called Bti, see http://www.livingwithbugs.com/mosqui_2.html for info. The bacteria are very specific against mosquitos and safe to use. They are usually made into "cakes" that are placed in the water container. They are widely used to treat even cattle troughs.

Jack DeAngelis