Fathead Minnow Information

Why Use Fathead Minnows For Mosquito Control?

Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) help to control the mosquito population by eating the larvae and pupae before they can emerge as flying, biting adult mosquitoes. The minnows will provide an excellent means of natural control in the waters they are introduced to and should be able to thrive under most conditions.

Where Can Minnows Be Used?

The Department of Health encourages the placement of small amounts of the minnows in large-scale containers on your property such as:

• ornamental ponds
• open-topped rain barrels
• watering troughs for large animals (i.e. horses)
• dormant, unused swimming pools.

In order to use the minnows effectively, they should be stocked in areas that have a minimum of 8 to 12 inches of water. Care should be taken not to stock fish in fishless waters that may be used by amphibians (frogs and salamanders) for breeding. It is not necessary to stock streams and rivers with minnows, as mosquitoes generally do not lay eggs in moving water. It is also not necessary to stock areas that already sustain a thriving fish population. 

During our springtime giveaway, Fathead minnows shall be stocked by Department staff in larger areas of standing water such as retention basins, swamps, and natural ponds*.

*Licensing is required by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to stock fish in any location that has an outlet or can flow into a different body of water. A permit will be provided to those participating in the Department of Health's fish giveaway program and is specific for Rockland County only.

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