My ponds dilemma: frogs, snakes and mosquitos OR medaka and no mosquitos

[TheNoNamedOne]

I have a dilemma. I have two ponds.

One has medaka (kinda like guppies or minnows) that keeps all the mosquitos under control by eating any larvae of mosquitos that happen to hatch there. But, they also eat the eggs of frogs that leave them there, too. So, in that pond no frogs ever come about.

The other pond has no medaka, but has lots of tadpoles that turn into frogs. Unfortunately, frogs eat algae, so that pond is a mosquito breeding ground. But also, snakes are always coming to our yard to hunt for frogs. Thing is, I really like hearing the frogs chirp away at night. The sound can be very pleasing. Love it.

What would you do? Would you keep the frogs for their nice sound and accept the mosquitos and snakes as something to have to put up with for that enjoyment of their chirping, OR would you transfer some medaka over to the frog pond to clear up he mosquito problem? Keep in mind, that would be the end of the frog population as the frog eggs are eaten, and once the frogs leave or are eaten by the snakes, no more chirping. But then snake visits would be fewer.

I like the frogs, want to keep them. So, what would you do?

http://www.shizenhaku.wakayama-c.ed.jp/wmnh.files/medaka-m.jpg
Medaka (2X actual size)

[socalheart]

I'd ditch the frogs. I don't like mosquitoes, frogs and snakes. You can always buy Kermit's greatest hits album. :)

[TheNoNamedOne]

I'd ditch the frogs. I don't like mosquitoes, frogs and snakes. You can always buy Kermit's greatest hits album. :)

Man, but they sound so sweet when they getta goin'.

I found almost an exact picture of my medaka pond on google images. Here it is with water plants in it like mine. Same shape. Mine is perhaps a little bigger. It has a waterfall, too, but I don't have it hooked up to work. Also, moved some of the rocks away on the ledge because snakes would hade in there. But still enough rocks to make it look nice:

http://www.naturewideimages.com/resources/pond-web.jpg

[DoctorP]

I'm not sure what you should do TP. I have plenty of frogs, with no pond. They hang around just beyond my fence. I also keep two turtles roaming freely. We really don't have a mosquito problem, but then I do not have standing water, which you do obviously with the ponds.

hmmm?? Perhaps spray for the mosquitos?

[okisteve]

Sounds like you have a regular food chain goin on there TP>

Maybe if you fired up the waterfall, the moving water would stop the mosquitoes from breeding.

[Daniela]

What would eat the snakes?

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

Can't you move the fish in and out of the pond when you need some cleaning? You could keep the fish in an aquarium until they have "skitter" patrol, let them gorge on fresh larvae, and move them out when it's froggy time. Control nature, before it controls you.

[TheNoNamedOne]

I'm not sure what you should do TP. I have plenty of frogs, with no pond. ...

hmmm?? Perhaps spray for the mosquitos?

Yeah, I counted 3 different types of frogs that hang around the pond. One type is always on the vegetation in the pond. The other two types are often further from the pond or on trees and foliage nearby.

The ones that stay in the pond on the plants there are really small. No bigger than 2 centimeters.

We do the katorisenko, and that works reasonably well for as long as we have them lit. But right before we light them, or after they go out, the mosquito army brings it on.

[TheNoNamedOne]

What would eat the snakes?

Akamata, a kind of snake here, will eat habu snakes. And, early one morning I did see a hawk swoop down and pick one up in our yard, but I couldn't see if it had gotten an akamata or a habu.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Can't you move the fish in and out of the pond when you need some cleaning? You could keep the fish in an aquarium until they have "skitter" patrol, let them gorge on fresh larvae, and move them out when it's froggy time. Control nature, before it controls you.

Oh, Lordy, E. That sounds like a lot of work.

And I doubt once those fish breeded in that pond that I would be able to scoop all of them up, short of investing hours and hours trying to do so.

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

OK. Transfer frog eggs to some aquarium hatchery, and reintroduce them once they are big enough to fend off the fish. Or, get some cool backyard citronella tiki torches.

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

Dragonflies play an important role in the control of the mosquito population. When they are nothing but dragonfly nymphs, they prey upon mosquito larvae, and when they reach adulthood, they eat mosquito adults. This behavior has earned them the nickname of "mosquito hawk".

Maybe introduce some dragonflies to your little ecosystem...

http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/WEtlands/Dragonfiles/DragonFlies.html

[TheNoNamedOne]

Yeah, we already have them. They hover around the ponds. Haven't seen any yet this year. Should be appearing very soon.

And boy, right before and after a typhoon or major storm, there is just a huge swarm of dragonflies. Lots of bats in the area, too, which hang sometimes from the trees above the ponds.

But still, the mosquito onslaught is merciless.

[TheNoNamedOne]

OK. Transfer frog eggs to some aquarium hatchery, and reintroduce them once they are big enough to fend off the fish. Or, get some cool backyard citronella tiki torches.

@underline:

Kinda like that idea. I think they sell cheap ones at Makeman. Will it increase my carbon footprint?

[Bones]

Keep everything as it is, get rid of TP. No problem.:old::D

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Bones

[dk]

Buy a frog CD and get rid of the frogs.

[Sex Wax]

I wish that was all i had to worry about. Have you checked to see if there was an "earth friendly type of baby mosquito control? Something that kills the bugs but makes you feel earth conscious about it? Or give the mosquito babies "soybean blood" or something?

[DoctorP]

I wish that was all i had to worry about. Have you checked to see if there was an "earth friendly type of baby mosquito control? Something that kills the bugs but makes you feel earth conscious about it? Or give the mosquito babies "soybean blood" or something?

There is a treatment that you can use for the water, but not sure if it harms the fish or not.