Peaches & Dreams

trying something new this year called the Mosquito Bucket Challenge!

it's an initiative being pushed by Homegrown National Park as an alternative to mosquito spraying and pesticides

the key concept is intentionally attracting mosquitos to buckets with standing water, but adding mosquito dunks to prevent them from successfully reproducing

mosquito dunks are a product containing a bacteria called Bti, which prevents larvae from developing into adult mosquitos

Bti does not affect most other animals/insects, and is thus safe for wildlife and pollinators! you can find mosquito dunks easily online or at home improvement stores

so basically, you fill the bucket up with organic material like leaves, add water and a quarter of a mosquito dunk once a month....and that's about it! you also use a wire cover or a "rescue stick" to prevent other creatures from falling into the bucket and not being able to climb out

Homegrown National Park is encouraging people to decorate their buckets to help spread the word, but i am lazy so Lowe's logo and a tumblr post it is

we can talk about the important role mosquitos play in ecosystems, but the reality is that many people won't tolerate high numbers of mosquitos in their yards. this is an easy and low-cost alternative to much more harmful control methods – a bucket, mosquito dunks and some chicken wire cost me a total of about $20!

every year around spring, being outside becomes intolerable because of the mosquitos, which also get into my house when i take my dogs out

so i'm REALLY excited to say that my outdoor spaces are actually usable this year! i think i've been bitten by one mosquito all season and i'm outside gardening pretty much every day 🙌

* head

* neck/shoulders

* torso (front)

* torso (back)

* arms

* hands

* crotch/butt

* legs

* foot

* all over

* I feel fine actually

* see results