Mosquito Dunks

How and why they work

Mosquito dunks aren’t new to begin with – they have been around for about half a century now. They are designed to kill off mosquitoes at their larvae stage, and they do so efficiently. Mosquito dunks can last as long as a month and will kill of every mosquito larvae it comes in close contact with.

The female mosquito when she wants to lay her eggs would do so on a standing body of water. That means without water, it would be difficult for their life cycle to be maintained. This is why it is easier to control mosquitoes at their larvae stage than at their adult stage. To kill of larvae mosquitoes, you need to feed them with something that is poisonous to them and at the same time safe for animals and the environment. This is exactly what mosquito dunk does – when placed in water, it would release a chemical known as larvicide which instantly kills off any mosquito larvae it comes in contact with. Mosquito dunks are so effective that they can effortlessly clean up mosquito larvae from an area spanning 100 sq. ft.

How it works

Mosquito dunk is made of bacillus thuringiensis, insecticidal toxins and host of other compounds that are lethal to mosquito larvae. Physically, mosquito dunks have the shape of a donut as the small hole at its center is used for fastening the dunk lest it gets washed away. For mosquito dunk to work, it needs to be placed on the surface of water with a pin driven through the hole at its center to the bottom of the water body. If properly secured, it would release a lethal bacterium which kills mosquito larvae the instance they make contact. The dunk can last for up to a month without any need for replacement. Good enough, the bacterium which mosquito releases is perfectly safe, and does not pose any threat to aquatic animals. Like earlier mentioned, mosquito dunk can last for a month while still being effective.

Aside mosquitoes, mosquito dunk works well on other pest insects like flies, moths and beetles.

Direction for use

Since mosquitoes breed mostly on water surfaces, mosquito dunks need to be placed on the surface of standing water around your home for it to work. Look around for flower pots, birdbaths, containers left untouched for long, barrels, old tires – mosquitoes love breeding in these places. Then add mosquito dunk to them. It won’t take so long before all larvae there gets killed off.

Ensure the dunk is kept away from the reach of pets and children because they might be tempted to have a taste of it. Of course, it would do them no harm, what you are trying to avoid is replacing the dunk every now and then.

When using mosquito dunks, protect your eyes and open wounds if any. Also, keep it away from drinking water. Do bear in mind that mosquito dunks only works on newly hatched larvae, and so should must be placed before the rains come.