Raise Mosquito Larvae for Fish Food - wikiHow


How to Raise Mosquito Larvae for Fish Food


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Some fish require live food to survive; some require live food to breed. Raising mosquito or midge larvae for this purpose is free, simple to set up, and requires minimal work. All it takes is a bucket, water, and some sun.

Steps


  1. Find a bucket or plastic barrel. A 5 gallon bucket will work, as will a 50g barrel. It is possible to collect 30-40 larva per day from a 35g barrel.A black bucket will get warmer earlier but it may get too hot in mid-summer. When the temperatures reach a high of 80F, move the bucket to a place that is in shade all day. The indirect sunlight will still allow the algae to grow. Algae is the main food source for the larvae.Alternatively, you can use a 5g or 10g fish tank so you can see the larvae better and reach the ones that escape to the bottom of the tank. An acrylic tank will be more suitable for outdoor use.
  2. Put the bucket outside and allow it to fill with rainwater. Or, if it's wintertime, fill it with snow to melt in warmer weather. If you fill it with water from the garden hose, be sure to use a dechlorinator to neutralize chlorine and chloramines. Chlorine will prevent algae growth, which will deprive the larvae of food.
  3. Put the bucket in the sun. This will warm the water and allow algae to grow. You want your water to look like green pea soup. Algae growing on the sides of the bucket is not what your larvae eat. They need the algae that makes the water green.
  4. Wait until the midges and mosquitoes lay tiny rafts of dark brown eggs (about the size of a sesame seed) on the surface of the water. If you can find the tiny, 3mm football-shaped, dark brown egg rafts, you found a bonus! Put these in your tank and the fish will eat the wigglers as they hatch into the water, usually within 48 hours.[1] If you don't move them to the fish tank, they'll hatch and the larvae (aka "wigglers") will grow and eat the algae. As the larvae mature, they become comma-shaped with two tiny antenna. When they reach this shape, be sure to feed them to your fish.
    • Remember, wigglers go from egg, to water larvae, to pupae ("tumblers"), then to flying adult. Whatever you do, do not let them reach the flying adult stage as mosquitoes and some midges are not only a nuisance, but they can transmit diseases to animals and humans alike. See Warnings below.

  5. Walk quietly when sneaking up on your bucket. Larvae breathe air through their tails and will float at the surface, where they can easily be netted, but they will wiggle quickly downward if they sense any vibration, including your footsteps. Do not cast a shadow on the bucket, as the larvae can sense the shadow as it moves over the water.
    • Net the larvae every few days to prevent them from developing into pupae (and then into mosquitoes or midges). The warmer the weather, the faster they'll develop. While you're at it, look for other sources of standing water where larvae might be developing (old tires, driveway puddles, unfiltered fish ponds, empty flowerpots, and any item that can hold water for more than a few days at a time). Net out the larvae and dump the water so that mosquitoes don't breed there anymore.
    • Net out larvae using a brine shrimp net. The netting is very fine and looks like t-shirt material. A regular fish net will not work because the larvae will slip through the holes.



Tips


  • Sometimes you will find little hollow mosquito shaped floaters. These are the skins. They are not dead larvae. Larvae need to shed their skins just like other insects.
  • Adult mosquitos and midges look exactly alike. The larvae of midges and mosquitos look exactly alike. It takes a microscope and highly trained biologist to tell the difference. Some midge larvae float on the surface like mosquitos, some midge larvae are red and sit on the bottom of the bucket.


Warnings


  • Be responsible. Allowing mosquitoes and midges to reach maturity poses dangers to you, your family, your neighbors, your pets, and wildlife. Some threats to be aware of (and avoid):[2]
    • encephalitis: humans
    • West Nile virus: humans, horses, birds, and other animals
    • Malaria: humans
    • Heartworm: dogs and cats

  • Use a new or clean food grade bucket. Do not use one that has held paint, tar, or other chemicals as the chemicals will poison the algae or larva. Even if you clean it, traces of the chemicals will still be there.


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Sources and Citations


  1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito

  2. ↑ http://www.glacvcd.org/HTML%20Pages/Mosquito%20Section%20of%20Website.htm



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