Would ducks help?

[mkpovak]

We have a serious mosquito problem here. Pat of the issue is that there is a small pool of water year round right next to our backyard and the buggers breed there all summer long. At the height of mosquito season our backyard is almost unusable because there are so many. We are getting chickens soon and I am thinking of getting a pair of ducks as well (we also have a serious slug issue as well in our garden and I would love to be able to let the ducks wander in the veggie garden at times to clear up the slugs) so I am wondering if they would help with our other bug issue as well. If that is the case then we are DEFINITELY getting ducks

Thanks for your help.

 

[Amiga]

I have been told ducks eat mosquito larvae and mosquitoes. I bought eleven runner ducks because of slugs (and because I want the fertilizer and eggs and cuteness).

Today, in fact, one of the black runners ate her first slug. Sweet victory!!!

I am not sure I am picturing your setup, but some things to work out include understanding that ducks can pull at plants, so the timing of their garden trips, depending on what you are growing, matters. Also about that small pool. Is it something you have access to? Or do you need the ducks to eat the mosquitoes that hatch in there because you cannot (legally) do anything about the water?

Ducks love water, and within minutes make it muddy and poopy (pardon the technical term here).

In my case, I have some temporary three foot high fence that will go around different parts of the garden at different times, sort of a rotational foraging setup. There will be a regular day pen (about 150 square feet), a very secure night pen (32 sf), and about 500 square feet of garden space for them to poke around in.

Ducks are very susceptible to predators - make sure they have really secure shelter.

Oh! and

 

[mkpovak]

Thank you!

Right now our plan is to house them with the chickens and let the ducks out when we are in the yard (I am out in the yard most of the day really, when it is nice). They would have access to the water (kind of a smallish very shallow pond) part of it is on our land and part is on the neighbors land but I have no doubt they would be ecstatic if the squito population was reduced. We were planning on getting some temporary fencing to use in the garden to keep the ducks in the areas we want them to concentrate on when the slugs are at their worst. We would also use the fencing to let the chickens in the garden in the fall/spring before we plant and to let the chickens have restricted access to areas of the yard.

 

[Amiga]

Sounds nice! You may want to watch closely with their access to the pond. If it doesn't have fresh water flowing in regularly, that water could get very rich very quickly if the ducks have unlimited access.

In my case, I am going to receive a roughly 5 ft diameter 10 inch deep fiberglass pond liner. I plan to siphon or manually pump the water onto the garden beds every day or two and refill with fresh.

I have heard that some put their chickens' water out of reach of the ducks because the ducks go through so much (drinking and splashing), and rinse their bills in it, making it murky.

 

[ConchRepublic]

Quote:
Oh yea. That's true. I housed my ducks with my chickens for a little. I had to have 4 1 gallon water fountains that I would have to refill twice a day for 5 chickens and 5 ducks because the ducks would splash it out so fast. Booted the ducks out into there own pen and dropped to one water fountain and have to refill it mornings in the chicken coops.