Q/A #50 - Is Permethrin Safe on Carnivorous Plants for Mosquito Control?

QUESTION:
Hey, so I have this as my current bog setup. I’m starting to breed mosquito larvae in the water and I was wondering if a small concentration of Permethrin would be safe to treat the water with? Or will it destroy my precious bog garden? I did buy and download your carnivorous plant guide but I don’t think this pesticide was mentioned.
(Submitted in March 2019.)

RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS:
Permethrin is safe on carnivorous plants when used as a spray on plants for aphids and other pests, and is used as directed on the package. It also has the advantage of being pretty safe for mammals. However, for mosquito larvae, this would be a bit like using a nuke when all you need is is a bow and arrow so to speak. Instead, use mosquito dunks. These are very safe to use on carnivorous plants, pretty harmless to anything not in the fly family, and are available in most garden centers. We use these all the time in Spring and Summer to control larvae in our Sarracenia pools.

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