Rid Your Yard Of Mosquitos Without Damaging Good Pollinators. Here's How

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Nobody likes spending warm evenings hanging out in the backyard swatting mosquitos, but if you live in an area with hot, humid summers, you're no stranger to the buzz and bites of these annoying pests. Chemical repellants and fogging treatments are sometimes used in yards to help control mosquito populations, but can inadvertently kill helpful pollinators as well. If you're looking for a more environmentally friendly way to banish mosquitos from your property, the answer could be as simple as DIY-ing a mosquito bucket. Made with ingredients like water, dead leaves, and a naturally occurring soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), this bucket can attract mosquitoes and provide the perfect habitat for them to lay eggs. But thanks to the addition of Bti, mosquito larvae will die off, keeping the mosquito population in check.

While you may have previously tried some household staples that repel mosquitos like magic, a mosquito bucket can do more than repel; it can stunt the population. And since it only affects mosquito larvae, blackfly, and fungus gnats, you can safely use it without worrying about harmful effects on butterflies or bees.

The mosquito bucket, also known as mosquito tea, couldn't be easier to make. All you need is a five-gallon bucket, water, dead leaves or grass clippings, and a package of Mosquito Dunks (these contain the larvae-killing Bti). Fill your bucket two-thirds full with water, mix in some old grass clippings or fallen leaves to make the water murky and stinky, and then drop one-fourth of a Mosquito Dunk into the bucket. If you're worried about small animals or young children falling in, add a piece of wire mesh with large holes over the top so that mosquitos can access the bucket, but small hands or critters cannot. Leaving standing water outside is normally one of the mistakes that are attracting mosquitos to your yard; however, with the addition of Bti, it becomes a mosquito-banishing tactic.

If you have a large yard, you can create multiple buckets and place them at intervals. Other simple DIY mosquito traps and repellents to try in your home and garden can also be effective in keeping these insects out of your entertaining areas. Employing these tactics together will keep mosquitos at bay without harming the insects you'd like to keep around.