How To Water Your Garden To Prevent Mosquitoes

With a red weather warning for extreme heat set for parts of the country this week – and an amber warning already in place in others – gardeners may be finding it tough to keep their plants hydrated.

This is especially true of potted plants, whose soil is less able to retain moisture. Plants in unsealed terracotta pots and thin, dark plastic containers may be at greater risk of drying out, too.

But no matter what its material, if your pot has a saucer, the University of California’s Agricultural and Natural Resources (UC) site explained that a watering mistake could leave you vulnerable to mosquito visits.

“Don’t forget to empty plant saucers after watering… emptying the saucer helps cuts down on the mosquito population,” the UC site said on its page about heatwave plant care.

Mosquitoes are attracted to, and breed in, still water. And they seem to do so at a much faster rate during hot weather.

While some of the 30 species available in the UK only breed in specific environments, like salt marshes and wet woodlands, the government explained that many of them are more than happy to reproduce in the standing water in your garden.

Additionally, an expert from Smith’s Garden Town gardening centre said in a TikTok video that “if you leave water in your saucer for days on end, you’re actually going to oversaturate your roots and this is the easiest way for you to give your plant root rot”.

He advised leaving water in your saucer for a maximum of 30-45 minutes before tipping all the liquid out of it.

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society said we should aim to do a “dump patrol” at least once weekly to prevent mozzies from breeding in standing water.

That involves checking and emptying bird baths, pet water bowls, and unused planters, as well as potted plant saucers. The RSPB recommends changing bird bath water daily and cleaning them at least once a week to prevent the spread of disease.

The UK government added that clogged gutters, rain collected in bins and wheelbarrows, open water butts, and paddling pools can also be a hotspot.