mosquitos and baby pools

[kshaw]

Can anyone tell me what I can safely put in our childrens pool that will kill mosquito larva but not harm my babies? The pool is too big to dump after each swim so the water usually stays in for a week or two (covered).

Thanks!
Karen

[Enzyme11]

You could try a small amount of vegetable oil in the water. It doesn't require much, but how much will depend on how big the pool's surface area is. I suppose you could skim the oil off before each use and replace it afterward if you are concerned about its leaving a veg oil residue on the children. A small amount of detergent reportedly will work also, but your application probably would lean more in the direction of a no-tears baby shampoo. One assumes that it would work as well as dish detergent on mosquito larvae, but I don't know that for a fact. I also don't know how a detergent would act when left in that sort of water for an extended period. Those aren't the only choices, but they are among the milder ones.

kshaw wrote: Can anyone tell me what I can safely put in our childrens pool that will kill mosquito larva but not harm my babies? The pool is too big to dump after each swim so the water usually stays in for a week or two (covered).

Thanks!
Karen