I am a first timer planning to build a deck. I was going to have the 2x6 joists about 3" above ground level. The yard is sloped such that water will probably sit under the deck for a few days after any heavy rain.

I'm in SE Houston, TX. We have very humid, hot summers so I was thinking (hoping) a small puddle underneath shouldn't make much difference as long as the beams stay dry.

My main concerns are mosquitos breeding under there and water damaging the deck, in that order.

My first thought is to make this into lemonade by 'encouraging' water under there semi-permanently with some 2' diameter holes and use it as a mosquito trap with some BT. If done properly I think this could significantly reduce the mosquito population. It would also help the rest of the yard drain faster helping ensure my fruit trees' roots don't rot. However, from my limited understanding, this could shorten the lifespan of my deck although by how much I don't know. Maybe it will change from a deck to a dock. haha. ::

My second thought is to just fill underneath with sand or whatever so water doesn't build up there. My guess is however, that unless it's a sloping flat concrete slab under there, mosquitos will find some way to copulate. Plus we'd just have little ponds in front of the deck for a few days instead.

My third thought is that putting mosquito screen under the planks and around the sides could also help keep them at bay. I'm guessing it would be hard to ensure a complete seal however, especially in the long run.

Any tips from people who've dealt with this situation would be greatly appreciated,

Scott.

P.S.

My deck will be an L shape butting up against 2 sides of an existing 14'x14' patio concrete slab with the deck made up of a 8'x20' section connected to a 6'x14' section. All the water run off from the slab will unavoidably pour underneath the deck. The other 2 sides of the slab are house. I haven't decided what decking material to use yet.