One Redditor shared their frustrations last year when a neighbor's wading pool became a mosquito breeding ground.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains, when mosquitoes reproduce, they lay their eggs in standing water, meaning water that doesn't flow or dry out. Most pool owners use treatments like chlorine to keep the water fresh and kill any mosquito larvae inside. However, if a pool is allowed to get too dirty and full of algae, it becomes the ideal environment for mosquitoes to multiply.
Judging by the picture this Redditor shared of their neighbor's yard with its murky brown swimming pool, they're well past that point.
"My neighbors won't clear the dirty water in the pool," the original poster complained. "Tried telling them, but they find it too gross to clean."
The outcome of that choice was inevitable. "Now I can see mosquitoes sitting on the water, reproducing," said the original poster.
One commenter chimed in with a similar story. "My neighbors did the same about a month ago," they said. "I couldn't go in my backyard to water my vegetable garden without being eaten alive!"
However, they said they had a happier ending. "Luckily, she just didn't realize that mosquitos breed in standing water, and when I showed her my bites all over and told her where they came from, she felt bad and took care of it right away."
"Is it common in first world countries for people to just not give a **** about mosquitoes?" asked one user.
"No. OP just has terrible neighbors," replied another Redditor.
Other commenters had suggestions to protect the original poster from mosquito bites. One user said: "You might have the option of reporting them to your city. Here in the Bay Area … they fine you hundreds of dollars if you're creating mosquito breeding grounds."
Another Redditor suggested: "While you wait for the neighbor to take care of it … you should pick up some citronella plants for your own backyard."
Mosquito-repellant plants like lavender, basil, citronella, and others are an eco-friendly way to minimize bites in summer.
Homeowners looking for a more direct solution can try Mosquito Dunks. Instead of pesticides, this product uses bacteria that target only mosquitoes and biting flies, making them safe for the environment and for people.
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