by 505 Outside | Jul 2, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Home Page, Maintenance, Outdoor Living, Summer, Water Conservation
Over 40% of Albuquerque homeowners use evaporative coolers, while the rest use some type of refrigerated air system. Today’s evaporative coolers (also known as swamp coolers) provide a practical, energy-efficient way to cool air in the low humidity climates found throughout New Mexico. Evaporative cooling isn’t a new concept. In fact, it’s the oldest known method of cooling hot, summer air to make living spaces more comfortable. Ancient Egyptians hung wet material so the wind could blow through it to create a cooling effect. In an evaporative cooler, warm air is cooled as it passes through porous pads that are kept moist by water dripping on their upper edges. A blower wheel pulls outside air through the wet pad, and the cool, humidified air is then circulated through the house. In the process of cooling the air, evaporative coolers provide an additional benefit of removing dust and pollen that can cause allergies and asthma attacks.
Evaporative coolers are very effective, particularly when the relative humidity (the moisture content of the air) is low. An evaporative cooler works best during the hottest time of the day, because relative humidity drops quickly as temperature increases. Studies show that a typical evaporative cooler uses only about one-third the energy of a refrigerated air conditioner,
The big question is how much water do swamp coolers use? Water requirements for an evaporative cooler will vary with the size of the house, its orientation toward the sun, window area, type of landscaping, proximity to hard surfaces and other structures, temperature preferences of the occupants, local climate, how many hours the cooler runs, and water quality.
In an average weather year, a 1,500-square-foot home in Albuquerque might use 7,250 gallons (based on the evaporative cooler running 1,130 hours). In an unusually warm year, these water requirements would be significantly higher. Virtually all models of evaporative coolers now available recirculate the water that drips from the pads, resulting in an efficient use of water. (Older, less water-efficient evaporative coolers might not have a pan to catch and recirculate water. If so, excess water shall be directed to plant material. Or replace the old cooler with a recirculating one.)
Some coolers have a “bleed-off valve” to drain a portion of the recirculating water to prevent excessive mineral buildup on the porous pads. Bleed-off water can increase overall evaporative cooler water use by 50% or more, which could increase total evaporative cooler water use to 11,000 gallons in Albuquerque. A more water efficient alternative to continual bleed-off is a “dump pump,” which empties the cooler pan at regular intervals to reduce mineral buildup.
Waterwise Tips for Evaporative Coolers
- Instead of turning on your cooler when it’s 79 degrees outside, wait until it is 85 degrees. Your cooler will use 50% less water.
- Turn on the water pump a few minutes before turning on the fan to give the cooler pads a chance to become saturated.
- Open a window 1-2 inches in the rooms you want to cool. This will draw cool air into the rooms and give warm air a chance to escape.
- In the evenings or when it’s not quite so hot outside, run your cooler fan without running the water pump. You’ll get nice, cooling airflow without using any water at all!
- Also run just the fan on rainy and high humidity days when your evaporative cooler is significantly less efficient.
- To keep your cooler from wasting water, check it for leaks monthly during the summer season. Take a look at its filters, pads, pump and reservoir. Replace your cooler pads at least once every summer, preferably twice — or aim to clean them with soap and water.
- Install a digital thermostat. Digital thermostats allow you to use much less water than you would otherwise because once your home gets to your desired temperature, it will automatically shut off.
Additional tips to keep your home cool, harvest water and reduce energy use
- Direct any water from a refrigerated air conditioner or mini split condenser toward plants.
- Servicing your refrigerated air conditioner by performing general maintenance such as replacing or cleaning air filters can lower energy consumption by up to 15%. Add a calendar reminder for the first day of spring to check your air conditioner’s evaporator coil. This should be cleaned annually to ensure the system is performing optimally.
- Cooling your home with ceiling fans will allow you to comfortably raise your thermostat 4 about degrees. In the summer, fans should turn counterclockwise so air pushes downward, circulating the cooler air in the room and making the home feel cooler. Make sure to turn off ceiling fans when house is empty.
- Window treatments or coverings such as blinds, shades and films can help reduce the heat when temperatures rise. Close blinds and curtains on the East, West and South sides when nobody is home to keep the sun from heating up the house.
- Air loss through ducts can lead to high energy costs, accounting for nearly 30% of a cooling system’s energy consumption. By sealing and insulating your ducts, you can lower your energy bills.
- Avoid using heat-producing appliances like clothes dryers, dishwashers, stoves and ovens during the hottest part of the day. Use your grill for cooking and hang dry your clothes.
Learn more by checking out these other useful articles:
PNM Evaporative Cooling Rebates
Designing Shade the Right Way
The Benefit of Trees
City of Albuquerque Energy Efficiency Programs
Information courtesy of the Water Use and Conservation Bureau, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. Additional tips courtesy of PNM. Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
by 505 Outside | Jul 2, 2026 | Flowering Plants, Home Page
Damianita, Chrysactinia Mexicana
Type: Evergreen
Exposure: Full Sun
Water Use: Low
Mature Size: 2’x2′
Damianita is a darling of the xeric landscape. This lovely, small shrub fits into narrow hell strip areas, rock gardens, along walkways or massed in groups for dramatic effect. It is compact, rounded in form, evergreen and topped with bright yellow daisy-like flowers that cover the crown of the plant from late spring to fall. It has a delightful, if subtle, fragrance. It should be planted in the spring so it can be established before winter.
Bees and butterflies love this resilient, tough beauty. The deep green foliage and brilliant golden flowers look great when contrasting with plants both large and small that have grey, silver or blue green color. Think lavender, artemisia, ruschia, agave, cacti, leucophyllum or even large accent plants, like Yucca rostrata.
Damianita is drought tolerant and low water, though regular summer drip irrigation helps boost and prolong the blooming season. The tight, evergreen form requires very little maintenance. When the flowering stops, the spent flower parts remain as a dry, golden-brown lacy crown through the winter if you choose to leave them. Otherwise, a light shear over the top of the plant in fall or spring cleans up the form for the next bloom cycle.
This plant is one of those small gems with a big impact. Great in zones 7-11, preferring well drained soil and a hot location, Damianita is an excellent selection anywhere the sun shines in your garden.
by 505 Outside | Jun 30, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Home Page, Outdoor Living, Pollinators and Wildlife, Rainwater Harvesting, Spring, Summer, Watering and Irrigation
Mosquitoes have been so very prominent here in the Albuquerque area over the last five years, and we’ve been learning a lot about how to live with them in our yards. Fortunately, Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque have been studying mosquito lifecycles, treatment and abatement for years.
There are three types of mosquitoes found in our area, including the Aedes vexans (floodwater mosquito) and the Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito). Additionally, the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) has become firmly established in the Albuquerque area in recent years.
All these species are well adapted to the local environment, but they differ significantly in behavior, feeding habits and the types of risks they pose. Southern house mosquitoes primarily feed on birds but will bite humans and domestic animals. They are active at night and during dawn and dusk.
Floodwater mosquitoes prefer to host on humans, livestock and pets. They are highly aggressive and notorious for biting during the evening and nighttime hours. Floodwater mosquitoes are a nuisance because of their painful and frequent bites but not commonly associated with disease.
Floodwater Mosquito
Yellow fever mosquitoes are specifically human-focused biters that actively hunt during the daytime. They are easily recognized by the distinct white, violin-shaped markings on their back and striped bands on their legs. They are the primary transmitters of critical mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika, dengue fever and yellow fever. These diseases have not been found in the greater Albuquerque area and City-County prevention is underway to keep it that way. To learn more about the yellow fever mosquito, check out this useful flyer.
Yellow Fever Mosquito
Local mosquito control is conducted as a combined city-county effort. Mosquitoes are controlled at all life stages through a variety of methods, following the principles of integrated pest management. The goal is effective and efficient control designed to minimize the amount of pesticide released in the environment and to prevent pesticide resistance. Protecting public health and ensuring that outdoor activities can be enjoyed safely and comfortably is the City-County partnerships underlying mission.
Albuquerque and Bernalillo County residents can report mosquito issues by calling 311.
Residents who don't wish to have their property sprayed can register on the No-Spray List by calling 311.
The most important things you can do are reducing mosquito breeding habitat and preventing mosquito bites as per City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department.
What you can do
Prevent mosquito breeding on your property
- Dump standing water found in trays beneath potted plants; used tires; trash, discarded buckets and other containers; children’s toys; and other places.
- Store containers that could hold water upside down.
- Keep your property uncluttered — mosquitoes can breed in the smallest pools of water even as small as a bottle cap.
- Clean pet water dishes regularly by emptying, scrubbing and replacing the water.
- Replace bird bath water regularly.
- Cover rain barrels with a fine mesh and treat with mosquito dunks. Mosquito dunks contain bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Bti is a naturally occurring bacterium found in soils. It contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target the larvae of the mosquito. Bti has no toxicity to people and is approved for pest control in organic farming operations. It has been well tested and based on the studies EPA has concluded that Bti does not pose a risk to humans. The Bti mosquito dunks are sold at hardware, home improvement, and feed supply stores. They can be placed in standing water, and the bacteria will kill mosquito larvae.
- Treat pools with chlorine. If not in use, keep empty or treat with mosquito dunks
- Reduce moist collection areas in your grass lawn as mosquitos like to bread in these small moist spaces. Aim to space your sprinkler watering out so the wet areas dry up between irrigation days.
- Add mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, to ponds and small water features (available free from the City of Albuquerque by calling 311).
- Check flat roofs for pockets of water in shaded areas and clogged rain gutters.
Prevent mosquitoes from entering your home
- Keep door and window screens in good condition.
- Check window screens and doors for holes and repair any holes with sticky screen tape.
Protect yourself when outdoors
Report standing water and high adult populations to 311
Other home strategies
- Set out mosquito traps to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard or home. BG-sentinel traps use dry ice (which can be bought at a grocery store) and/or a scent bait to attract mosquitoes and are very effective. The City uses BG-Sentinel traps when conducting mosquito surveillance. Ovitraps can be used to attract females that are ready to lay their eggs. It is important to maintain ovitraps by adding a mosquito dunk or they will become breeding habitat.
- Repel mosquitoes with smell: Mosquitoes rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate their next meal. They are attracted to certain odors, such as carbon dioxide from our breath and lactic acid from our skin. Mosquitoes hate strong, pungent and herbaceous scents that mask the carbon dioxide and lactic acid humans emit. These can be distributed as sprays, diffused as essential oils or the plants can be crushed and rubbed onto your skin for a natural repellent. The smells they don’t like include:
- Lemon eucalyptus: Approved by CDC and World Health Organization, it is recognized as one of the most effective natural deterrents. It contains PMD(p-menthane-3,8-diol) which is extracted from the leaves of a lemon eucalyptus tree. This scent is known to block mosquitoes from detecting you.
- Citronella: The classic lemon-grass scent disrupts a mosquito's ability to find hosts.
- Peppermint and menthol: The intense smell of mint can overpower their sensory receptors.
- Lavender: Contains compounds like linalool that deter pests.
- Citrus: Citrus smells, such as those from lemons, oranges and grapefruits, are highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. You could place citrus peels in strategic locations to deter mosquitoes from coming too close.
- Rosemary: Rosemary is another herb that mosquitoes dislike. Plant rosemary bushes near outdoor seating areas then crush the leaves to release the smells and oils.
- Basil: Crush fresh basil leaves to release their scent.
- Garlic: Create a garlic spray by mixing crushed garlic cloves with water.
- Lemon balm: Rub crushed lemon balm leaves on your skin for added protection.
- Catnip: Catnip contains a compound called nepetalactone, which is highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. Plant catnip in pots or in your garden or crush the leaves and rub them on your skin for a natural repellent.
- Create DIY sprays: One of the easiest ways to use essential oils for mosquito control is by creating a DIY spray.
- Combine:
- 2 ounces of distilled water
- 1.5 ounces of witch hazel
- 30-40 drops of essential oils (Mix and match based on your preferences; effective options include citronella, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and tea tree.)
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- Repel mosquitos with smoke: Incense sticks and smudge sticks have been used around town by local restaurants and in yards with some success.
- Repel mosquitos with a fan. The breeze of an outdoor fan can make it harder to trace the scents and harder for them to fly near the fan.
- Schedule a yard audit: According to a recent KRQE interview with City of Albuquerque Urban Biology Division Manager Nick Pederson, the city can help residents reduce mosquitoes on private property by performing an inspection. “We like to offer what we call a yard audit or a yard inspection where we’ll come out and actually look at a person’s yard with them and see if we can identify possible sources of mosquito issues,” Pederson said, explaining that these inspections can be requested by contacting 311.
Resources and Photography for this article:
https://www.krqe.com/news/community/dealing-with-mosquitoes-the-city-of-albuquerque-will-give-you-free-fish-to-help/
https://kentuckypest.com/blog/smells-mosquitoes-hate
https://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/mosquitoes/what-you-can-do
https://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/pest-management/integrated-pest-management
https://www.bernco.gov/planning/consumer-health-protection/mosquito-control/
https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control##1
Learn More Here:
How to DIY a Mosquito bucket trap
Yellow Mosquito Flyer
City Of Albuquerque Mosquito Tips
Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
