Organic Answers Column - August 17, 2022 - Mosquito Traps

Mosquito Bucket Traps

I have tried may techniques for controlling mosquitoes. Most of them don't work. One of the main reasons is that mosquitoes are highly adaptive and can become immune or at least get used to just about anything you throw at them.

Mosquito trap: black bucket with stagnant water and Bti

That's why for some time I recommended changing the mosquito spray application each time. It worked fairly well to spray garlic, then next time spray cedar oil, then liquid Bti, then one of the essential oils. Doing a variety of granular applications also helps. Broadcast dry garlic, then cedar flakes, then essential oil-soaked granules. This alternating program works so-so but is a lot of trouble.

What works much better and is a lot less trouble is the use of mosquito bucket traps.

Any buckets or other containers will work, but 5 gallon buckets are my favorite. Black ones are the best since they blend into the landscape so well, but any color is okay. They can be put behind things and in utility and greenhouse areas and show up even less. Fill the buckets with water and add several handfuls of leaves, twigs, weeds, grass clippings, food waste, etc. forming a stagnant bucket of cruddy water. This will cause it to attract female mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

Mosquito dunks or bits go into the bucket

Into the buckets of stagnant water toss a small handful (jigger full or so) of Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis 'Israelensis.' You can break off pieces of one of the Summit Mosquito dunks or just use the Mosquito Bits granular product. Larvae die from the Bti as they hatch.

Our back yard is about half an acre of dense landscaping and the rear third is a bamboo forest sloping down to a mostly wet but not always running creek. The ideal habitat for mosquitoes. I had tried the bucket traps in the past but only used one or two. The results seemed minimally effective. This time 6 bucket traps were used. I’m holding my breath but so far the reduction of mosquitoes and mosquito bites has been substantial.

Now, when feeding the koi at the end of the day, Judy (the world's strongest mosquito magnet) is getting only one bite at the most. Before she would be covered. I usually don't get bitten much, and now only see one or two of the little beasts while I'm out.

There are several size packages of these bits available

Hopefully more people will try this system, so we can figure out how often the Bti needs to be added to the stagnant water. For now I am adding a little more on a weekly basis. That's probably more often than needed.

You can break off a piece or drop whole Mosquito Dunks into the trap

For the mosquito control techniques I don't recommend, here's some strong advice: Toxic chemical sprays are expensive, kill a lot of beneficial insects and are toxic to the wildlife, pets and the family. The automatic misting systems are even more problematic. No matter what choice of ammunition, these systems kill many beneficials and give you some bad stuff to breathe for much of the day.

Of course, organophosphate insecticides such as Malathion and Naled should never even be considered, but the synthetic pyrethroid insecticides like Prallethrin, Etofenprox, Permethrin, Resmethrin and Sumithrin are just about as bad. Even the natural pyrethrin and pyrethrum products cause allergy problems including asthma. I would never use any of these things.

Plus – the Bti in buckets of stagnant water appears to work better and save money. For on-skin repellents, skip the DEET products and try lemon eucalyptus or the essential oil product from Mosquito Steve.

  Search Library Topics      Search Newspaper Columns