Watering holes

I have a few watering holes one is just a natural drainage that in a low spot in a field edge of mine it's maybe 10'x10' but only about a 1 foot deep and for the most part it stays that way all summer,and has alot of green aquatic growth in it. so here is my question my main goal is to keep the water safe from larvae like mosquitoes and such. So is there something i could add to the water... When i was a boy on the farm my father used to have me throw lime into low lying water to kill off the larvae but is that harmful to the deer? or would mineral salt blocks do any thing for the water and help out the deer herd in general. I hate to think that water treatment chlorine tablets is the answer...

I have two small rivers on this ground but i see more deer at this pond then at the river. Thanks up front.

 

Not sure about chemical treatments, but the frogs and tadpoles see to keep mine pretty clear of the wigglers. Maybe transplant a few into your water holes. Just a suggestion.

 

Maybe try something with an old windmill to keep the water moving. The deer at my place would rather drink the skunky water than fresh water

 

About four years ago we had blue tongue on this ground, found a couple bucks in the small pond that has all kinds of fish,frogs ect. but wiped the deer heard out and the deer are on a comeback just trying to figure this out before it happens again. This small water hole worries me because it so shallow and a mosquito breeding haven but i was thinking mineral water hole by putting a mineral salt block in it. just throwing this out there

 

I think the Blue Tongue is caused by a fly larvae and not by mosquitoes. we had it here in Md some years back. Not sure on how to prevent because the deer could be drinking from other ponds as well.

 

I do not know of any product that you could put into your pond to do what you want. I do not put minerals in any of our ponds, instead I like to make mineral sites near the ponds.

 

This water hole has a lot of foliage and frogs i wonder if the minerals/salt would harm them?

 

It should not harm them, but It might depend on how much salt you are talking about. I dont believe in using much salt.