Q: I leave my dogs at home in my yard when I go to work. I leave a kiddie pool partly filled with water for them to drink. I generally dump the water out and replace it every three days. Would standing water like this become a breeding area for mosquitoes? I’m worried because of all the recent publicity about diseases spread by mosquitoes.
A: Mosquitoes need more time than that to breed in standing water. If you’re changing the water that regularly, there shouldn’t be a problem. Water left for horses to drink also has to be changed every three days, too. If you’re interested in having a pond as part of your landscape, you can keep it free of mosquitoes as well by stocking it with mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis), which feed on mosquito larvae.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home-building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
