Bromeliads / Neoregelias - do they encourage mosquitos??

[Delilah]

Hi

I've been thinking about our Neoregelias - the type of Bromeliads that have little pools of water in the centre... They must act like little mosquito breeding stations, no??

Has anyone noticed an increase in mosquitos due to Neoregelias? Got a solution for it, other than not growing them?

Thanks

[Kisal]

I haven't grown broms outdoors, but yes, any standing water is fair game as a mosquito breeding ground. They prefer shallow water, in fact. The water in a brom would be plenty, sad to say.

[a0c8c]

The plant doesn't secrete something into the water does it? Most plants that pool water secrete a chemical that either poisons an insect or causes it to get trapped and drowned. It then uses the insect for food.

[Kisal]

To the best of my knowledge, broms are not carnivorous plants. Even among the carnivorous plants, I have not heard that they secrete any chemicals into the water in the chambers. I think the insects just drown, because they are unable to escape. I'm certainly no authority on carnivorous plants, however.

I have read, that using running water to flush out the cups of broms every few days can prevent mosquito larvae from developing. In some areas, tiny frogs live in the broms and eat the mosquito larvae.

[thanrose]

I have tree frogs living in my five different genera of bromeliads. Okay, probably not actually living in the Vrieseas and the Tillandsias. I always have mosquitoes, but I don't attribute that to the broms. Just a fact of life here.

Cultivated broms don't need water filling their cups at all times, at least not in humid gardens. The special scales on the leaves will draw moisture from the air. I have used a garden hose to wash out the accumulated water and debris in the cups or to top them off in drought, but now I just let the frogs do their magic unmolested.

I'm sure my tree frogs and anoles feast on mosquitoes and mosquito larvae in my broms.