Will Bleach Kill Mosquito Larva?

Tiny bloodsuckers, mosquitoes will gorge themselves on your blood by inserting a needle-like straw into your body, which will leave a painful and itchy bump that can last for days after the initial bite. One of the best ways to deal with mosquitoes is to kill the larva before they have a chance to grow to full size. Fortunately, various household items — including bleach — will kill mosquito larva.

Found in many laundry rooms, bleach helps brighten white fabric as well as a variety of other household items. Bleach disinfects hard surfaces and kills fungus such as mold and mildew. The relatively inexpensive price tag makes bleach an economical choice during tough economic times. Furthermore, bleach is available in the laundry aisle at most department and grocery stores.

Bleach does kill the larva; unfortunately, it is not the safest method to rid your home of the mosquito larva. Pour the chlorine bleach directly into standing water such as pools to kill mosquito larva. However, chlorine bleach is toxic and can harm any wildlife that drinks from the water. You may want to choose a less toxic alternative to killing mosquito larva. Never add bleach to pet's drinking water or to birdbaths.

Add vegetable oil to standing water. The oil is natural and will not harm wildlife but will cover the top of the water with a layer of film. This film will prevent the mosquito larva from breathing, which will suffocate them. Alternatively, use apple cider vinegar at a ratio of 15 percent apple cider vinegar to 85 percent water. As with the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar is natural, nontoxic and will not harm any wildlife that drinks from the standing water.

Mosquitoes require stagnant water to lay their eggs in. By discarding any standing water, you will reduce the number of mosquito larva in your lawn. Dump water from cans, flowerpots, empty tires, garbage cans, bottles and other receptacles on a regular basis about once a week or sooner if the amount of rainfall is excessive. Furthermore, keep gutters cleaned to prevent clogs and a buildup of water from developing. Once the water and larva are empty, the larva will not survive.