Roll out the barrel! (Rain barrel, that is)
By Karey Harris, Local CorrespondentTue, Jul 07 2009 at 7:20 PM EST
Many of us have heard of rain barrels before, and even vaguely know what they do. For those of us that have one, it's great that we can water the lawn and garden with some healthy, chemical-free water, as well as keep the runoff that's harming our waterways on our property. With all the benefits that come with keeping the stormwater on your lawn, there sure are a few drawbacks. (I'm tired of having mosquito bites on my arm!) So for those that are already familiar, as well as for those that don't know much about rain barrels yet, I did some research and creative thinking (for personal benefit) and came up with answers.My rain barrel has turned into a mosquito breeding ground. Now what?
Nobody wants to provide mosquitoes with a place to thrive. If you're like me and cannot empty the barrel quickly enough, you're bound to have the little buggers flying around your yard during the summer. (Darn that standing water!)
Nobody wants to provide mosquitoes with a place to thrive. If you're like me and cannot empty the barrel quickly enough, you're bound to have the little buggers flying around your yard during the summer. (Darn that standing water!)
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Be sure there is a fine screen or a t-shirt over the top of your rain barrel. This will keep the mosquitoes from being able to get to the water, as well as keep out leaves and other organic debris from the roof. This has worked very well for me.
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If that is not sufficient, the Rain Barrel Guide linked above suggests using mosquito dunks. Drop one in once a month, and they claim it's good to go without harming the quality of water to your plants.
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Supposedly, you can put goldfish inside the rain barrel, too. They eat mosquito larvae, and some people have reported them growing quite large! It seems like a cool little habitat, but I have a few concerns. 1) It probably gets pretty warm during the summer, especially if the barrel is in the sun. 2) And on the other end, my barrel freezes solid in the winter if I don't empty it out. 3) Lastly...it means that you cannot empty the rain barrel, especially during a drought in the summer. I have no clue how valid my concerns are, but I'll stick to the screen for now. I'd love to hear your stories about this!
What on Earth are we supposed to do with the extra water?
It rains quite a bit around here, and even one inch of rain can produce up to 600 gallons of water coming down from the gutters of your roof. My 50-gallon drum pretty much stays full, and I cannot seem to empty it fast enough this year. My lawn and garden can't take any more!
It rains quite a bit around here, and even one inch of rain can produce up to 600 gallons of water coming down from the gutters of your roof. My 50-gallon drum pretty much stays full, and I cannot seem to empty it fast enough this year. My lawn and garden can't take any more!
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Consider starting a bird bath. It’s a great way to draw a little extra wildlife to your yard. Drives the cat crazy, too.
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Take an extra step and build a rain garden! You can have the extra water from the barrel drain into the garden, which will be another fantastic habitat for local flora and fauna. It's also another step towards having no runoff leave your property, the way nature intended, albeit a slightly more labor-intensive step.
Those were my two biggest problems with the rain barrel. Hopefully they will help you either decide to get one, or keep the one you already have. If you come up with any more rain barrel questions, feel free to drop me a line!
Photo: The Chesapeake Bay Program
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