Waterers May Be A Breeding Ground For Mosquitoes EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.) Since the outbreak of West Nile Virus (WNV) in 1999 there have been over 15,000 confirmed cases of horses in fected with WNV in the Unit ed States and Canada. Health officials have been warning people to remove standing water so the mosquitoes will not be able to reproduce. One possible source is the large open stock tanks that live stock, including horses, drink from. Large stock tanks in the pasture are the perfect breed ing ground for mosquitoes. Many of these tanks are filled automatically with an attach ed float and valve so that even though horses are drinking out of the tank, the water is never completely drained thus allowing for the “egg to hatch” cycle of a mosquito to be completed. Birds are attracted to these tanks as well; if they are in fected, they can pass the WNV to mosquitoes where they breed. Horse Unlimited English Saddlery * Horse Supplies • Gifts Breyer Horses • Miller's Dealer fcwhflwy • tarftowCcMitt UPS Delivery Available Mon-Thurs 10-6 • Fn 10-8 • Sat 10-2 D |,nno 1149 Telegraph Rd. (Rt. 273) I VISA • Discover I, . , . Rising Sun, MD 21911 Master Card bSB-41/b 2 Miles West of Route 272) <Onl] Sofscape paver is an alternative to hardscape surfaces such as cement, brick, and asphalt. Some Applications Feed/Tack Rooms Aisle Ways Stalls/Wash Stalls Around/Under Water Troughs Walk Ways Veterinarian Facilities May Pose West Nile Virus Risk For Livestock Studies have shown that when the surface of the water is disturbed the larvae of the mosquito will swim to the bot tom of the water tank. So even though a horse may be drink ing, the mosquito larvae will not be removed from the tank at that time. And in a large tank of water, the agitation of the water created from the au tomatic valve is not enough to disturb or remove the larvae. It is being recommended that these large open tanks be drained and cleaned every third day to break the “egg to hatch” cycle of the mosquito. This can be cumbersome, time consuming, and a waste of water. However, there are some good alternatives to large open stock tanks that will greatly reduce to elimi nate mosquito breeding in your horse’s source of water. The first choice is an auto matic waterer where the sur face of the water is completely covered at all times so the Sofscape pavers MANUFACTURED BY REIFEN RUBBER CO. 199 W. STIEGEL STREET MANHEIM, PA 17545 717-665-1428 FAX: 717-665-1430 www.reifenrubber.com mosquitoes cannot lay their eggs. These waterers have a ball or elliptical float that the horse pushes down to get to the water. The elliptical float tends to work much better for horses since they are designed to take little pressure to move, only has to be moved a small distance, and does not jump back at the horse as the ball does. These waterers are made of tough polyethyleen plastic that can withstand a lot of abuse and because of the slick surface are very easy to clean. They tend to be well insulated and in most cases when in stalled to the manufacturer’s recommendations, will work Some Advantages Light Weight Slip Resistant Easily Cut To Fit Good Sound Insulator Provides Permeable Surface Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 10, 2003, Boarder & Trainer-El5 throughout the winter without any other source of heat. In the summer they will keep the water cooler and re duce or eliminate any algae growth that is typically seen in the large open stock tanks. When looking at this type of automatic waterer remem ber, you get what you pay for. There are some cheap wa terers of this type on the mar ket that tend to be poorly con structed, have little insulation, and are not sealed so the insu lation becomes saturated with water and loses it’s insulation properties. Also, the plastic tends to be thin and will not stand up to this type of envi ronment. The better automatic water- MAHINDRA TRACTORS ers of this type are more ex pensive than an open stock tank, but in comparison to a lost horse, it is a good invest ment. The second alternative is to install an open surface, auto matic waterer that has very shallow water and a quick fill valve. In this case the shallow er the better as long as the valve can replenish the water quickly. These waterers will hold as little as two gallons at a time and can water up to 40 horses. They are constructed out of plastic, stainless steel, or a combination of both. They are easy to clean and because of the shallow water and the agi tation caused by the high fill valve; it is difficult for the mosquitoes to use this as a breeding area.
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