3 min read
The official arrival of summer means three things: grilled dinners, late sunsets, and at least one person slapping their ankle every 45 seconds and saying, “Are the mosquitoes bad tonight or is it just me?”
Friends, it is never just you.
And while there are plenty of ways to make your patio more mosquito-resistant, one of the simplest tricks starts with something you might already have in the garage: a five-gallon bucket. A basic Homer bucket from Home Depot is currently $3.98, which feels pretty reasonable for something that can haul mulch one day and help cut down on mosquito larvae the next day.
The trick is to turn that bucket into a mosquito larva trap. Female mosquitoes look for standing water where they can lay eggs, so the idea is to give them a very tempting little spot to do just that. The catch? You add a mosquito dunk, which contains Bti, a larvicide that targets mosquito larvae before they become the tiny flying pests that ruin porch sitting, gardening, cookouts, and all the other good things about warm weather. According to experts, the mosquitoes lay eggs in the bucket, the eggs hatch into larvae, and the dunk kills the larvae.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
Fill the bucket about halfway with water, add the organic material, then let it sit for a day or two so it gets good and swampy. That part sounds gross, because it is! Then add the mosquito dunk according to the package directions. The CDC says larvicides can be used to treat standing water that cannot be dumped out, and to always follow the label instructions.
Bti is widely used for mosquito control. The EPA says Bti does not pose a risk to humans when used as directed, and the CDC says it does not harm people, pets, aquatic life, or other insects, including honeybees. That said, this is still a pest-control product, not lemonade—so keep the bucket where curious kids, dogs, and ranch cats won’t turn it into their personal watering hole.
One mosquito dunk can typically release Bti for about 30 days under normal conditions, so mark your calendar and replace it as needed. You’ll also want to keep checking the rest of your yard, because one bucket won’t help much if there’s a kiddie pool, saucer, wheelbarrow, or forgotten flowerpot sneakily raising a mosquito family behind your back.
Is this going to make every mosquito disappear from your yard forever? Sadly, no. If it did, we would all be writing love songs about buckets. But it can be a smart, inexpensive piece of your summer setup, especially when you pair it with the basics: dump standing water, use fans on the patio, wear repellent when you need it, and keep an eye on all those sneaky little places water collects after a rain.
Now if only there were a $4 bucket that could keep flies away from the potato salad, we’d really be in business!
Kelly O’Sullivan is the senior editor for The Pioneer Woman and manages the website’s social channels, in addition to overseeing content strategy and news.
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