Mosquitoes can bite your pooch and cause diseases like heartworm, which can be fatal for him. Let’s find out how to keep mosquitoes out of dog water below in this article.
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Dogs are covered with fur. So many people think that mosquitoes cannot bite their best friend. But no, mosquitoes can bite your dog and mainly in uncovered places like the stomach, ear, and nose. If you have a dog with less fur, he is at greater risk of a mosquito bite.
Mosquito bites are not only painful for human beings but also for your dog. Unfortunately, some species of mosquitoes can transfer heartworm disease to your furry friend. Heartworm disease can cause lung disease, heart failure, and even cause death.
The article discusses a few ways to keep mosquitoes out of dog water. So, keep on reading the article for more information.
Why is Standing Water A Breeding Ground For Dog Diseases?
Dogs need to drink a lot of water, especially in the summer, to prevent dehydration. So you always keep a water bowl near their kennel. But these water bowls become an excellent place for the mosquitoes to survive.
A female mosquito usually lays 300 eggs at one time, and it takes almost 48 hours for hatching. The larvae remain in the water for almost seven to ten days and develop into the pupal stage.
The larvae are not harmful to your dog, but they will become a fully grown mosquito if you don’t change the water regularly. If an adult-grown mosquito bites your dog, he can have heartworm diseases that can fail his heart lungs and lead to death.
How Can I Keep Mosquitoes Away From Dog Water?
#1. Add Apple Cider Vinegar
You can add apple cider vinegar to the water bowl of your dog. It kills the larvae of mosquitoes and prevents your dog from heartworm and mosquito-borne diseases. Moreover, adding vinegar to the water bowl will not cause any harm to your pooch.
#2. Empty your Dog Water Bowl Regularly
A bowl filled with water can be a breeding place for mosquitoes. The mosquitos will lay more than 400 eggs on standing water, becoming larvae within one or two days. So, more larva means more mosquitoes and greater chances of having mosquito-borne diseases in your dog.
So, you need to change the water contained in your dog’s bowl from time to time. In this way, water will not remain stagnant, and you can discard all the eggs laid by mosquitoes.
Moreover, don’t simply rinse the water bowl.
You can make a paste containing equal amounts of water, baking soda, and salt. Take a sponge and wash the outside and inside the bowl with the paste.
Then rinse the bowl with clean water. It will help remove all the germ, bacteria, and eggs of mosquitoes that may be present on the bowl’s surface but are invisible to the naked eye.
#3. Add Mosquito Dunks
You can place mosquito dunks in water. It contains an ingredient known as BT-israelensis, which has the ability to kill larvae of mosquitos without causing any harm to your dog. But replace the mosquito dunk with a new one every 30 days.
#4. Add Garlic
- Take three garlic bulbs and crush them in a blender for a few seconds.
- Put the mash in a muslin cloth and squeeze it to remove garlic juice.
- Now add one gallon of water to the garlic juice.
- Pour the mixture into your dog’s water bowl or any standing water in your yard. The garlic helps in killing mosquito larvae.
#5. Use Mosquito Safe Bowl
You can purchase a mosquito-safe water bowl from the market. Some bowls create a film over the water surface that kills the mosquito larvae within 24 hours, whereas other bowls contain Methoprene, which stops mosquito larvae growth.
#6. Buy Gambusia Fish
If your dog drinks water from the troughs or ponds, you can purchase gambusia fish. The gambusia fish eat the larvae of mosquitoes and protect your dog from heartworm disease.
But the fish cannot survive if the water temperature goes below freezing point in winter.
#7. Add Dish Soap Or Oil
If your dog drinks water from the small ponds in your garden, you can add a few drops of dish soap or oil into the water.
Soaps are salt of fatty acids, particularly vegetable or mineral oils, and are mainly used for cleaning purposes. Whenever you add soap solution to a water body, it reduces the surface tension of water. Consequently, the adult mosquito will sink on the water and fail to lay eggs on the water surface.
Don’t add a high concentration of soap solution in water because it will kill the larvae of mosquitoes but is harmful to the plants and animals that reside in water.
#8. You can Use BTi Products
Bacillus thuringensis(Bti) occurs naturally in soil and is not harmful to humans, pet dogs, and aquatic life. The spores in these bacteria produce toxins that can kill mosquito larvae. So, add the BTi products to the standing water to get rid of mosquitoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What to put in standing water to prevent mosquitoes?
Add oil to the water which will form a layer at the top and prevent mosquitoes.
A drop of dish soap or oil to the standing water can kill the mosquito larvae within a few hours. These annoying mosquitoes will drown in the water instead of floating.
#2. What can I put in water to kill mosquitoes?
Apple cider vinegar will kill them
You can add apple cider vinegar into the water to kill mosquitoes. But add 15 percent vinegar with 85 percent water to protect your dog from mosquitoes.
#3. How do you keep mosquitoes from breeding in still water?
Add a few drops of vegetable oil to the water. It will reduce the surface tension of water and prevent the newly hatched larvae from feeding food deep inside the water.
You can add gambusia fish to the stagnant water. The fish feeds on the eggs of mosquitoes and help in controlling mosquitoes.
You can use Bti products to eliminate the larvae of mosquitoes.
A Few Final Words
I have discussed above a few ways to stop the breeding of mosquitoes in standing water which will help you protect your doggo from mosquito-borne diseases.
Thank you for reading, we hope we have answered all your queries. If not, drop us a word and we will revert back to you. You might also like to read how to protect your dog’s kennel from mosquitoes.