I Tried Making This Homemade Mosquito Trap and It Really Works

Earlier I shared the good news about mosquito traps that prevent mosquitoes from breeding in standing water. For the third year in a row, I have used mosquito traps to create what is sometimes called a “mosquito bucket of doom,” a trap that entices mosquitoes to breed in standing water that you (muhahaha) have poisoned against them.

Not only is the death bucket easy to make—it took about five minutes, and my elementary school-aged daughter did most of the work—it’s also more effective than other mosquito control methods, like foggers.

Why the ‘bucket of death’ is more effective than other mosquito control methods

There are three main ways to combat the mosquito problem in your yard:

• Keep mosquitoes away from you personally , using fans, bug spray , and barriers like screens. They’re still there, but at least they won’t bite you.

• Kill adult mosquitoes , such as with foggers. These individual mosquitoes will no longer be able to bite because they are dead, but the small number you kill will not reduce the mosquito population much. This is the least effective strategy.

• Kill the larvae or prevent breeding . This is where the kill bucket comes in. You will eliminate breeding sites in your yard, except for this special bucket. The bucket will kill the baby mosquitoes before they grow up.

The first and third options are the ones that will make a difference: fans and bug spray for you, mosquito breeding control for your yard. If you’re interested in trying to kill adult mosquitoes, look into adult repellents . These can be toxic to other insects, like bees. They also don’t help with mosquito problems unless you manage to kill a lot of adult mosquitoes, which can be difficult and expensive.

A bucket of doom is a simple and effective form of breeding control, but keep in mind that it works best in areas where there are no other mosquito breeding sites. If you live next to a swamp, a bucket may not help. On the other hand, if you and your neighbors do a good job of cleaning up standing water, a bucket will be more effective.

How does a mosquito bucket with death work

First, you need to understand the mosquito life cycle. (There are different species with different preferences for who to bite and where to breed, but the basic facts are the same for them.)

Just as butterflies have a larval stage (caterpillar), mosquitoes also have a larval stage and an adult flying stage. The females lay eggs in or near water, and the larvae are aquatic. If you’ve ever looked into a bucket or pond and noticed squirming worms near the surface, those are mosquito larvae. They hang upside down, breathing through a tube in their butts ( I promise I’m not making this up ), but can swim to hide or to look for microscopic bits of food to eat.

They pupate (like caterpillars) and emerge from the water as adult mosquitoes. Adult males and females drink flower nectar (!!!), which is enough to keep them alive, but when the female is ready to reproduce, she needs protein. That’s where the biting comes in. She needs a “blood meal” to be able to build those little baby mosquito eggs. So she bites you, drinks a drop of your blood, and then a few days later lays eggs. Then the cycle can start all over again.

The entire life cycle takes only a few weeks, so mosquitoes will breed (and bite) continuously throughout the season. We’re going to disrupt this process by poisoning the water the larvae live in. The eggs will hatch, but the larvae will die.

Is a mosquito bucket safe?

One of the things I like about the Death Bucket is that it works on mosquitoes and not on most other insects, humans or animals.

The “poison” we use is actually just a naturally occurring bacteria with the scientific name Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (often abbreviated as Bti). This type of bacteria produces a toxin that can kill mosquitoes, fungus gnats, and midges, but Bti is non-toxic to mammals, birds, and fish. Insects that don’t breed in water aren’t affected by the danks, so butterflies and bees are safe .

A bucket of water can be dangerous for small children and animals, simply because they can fall in and drown. If your death bucket is in a place where children, pets, or wildlife can access it, consider covering the bucket with a barrier. Chicken wire is an easy DIY covering, but if you want something more discreet, use a hydroponic basket that attaches to the top of the bucket .

How to Make a Mosquito Death Bucket

First, gather everything you need:

• Bucket ( the 5 gallon ones sold at Home Depot work great)

• Pack of mosquito repellent tablets or granules containing Bti

• Some organic matter, such as leaves or hay.

• Lid as described above (optional)

I have an area in my yard where we often put a bucket or two, and those buckets tend to fill up with rain. Of course, I empty them when I notice them, but every now and then I’ll see mosquito larvae in one of those buckets. Gross. So I decided to put my first bucket of doom there.

I’ve seen larvae even when there was no obvious nutrient source in the bucket, but instructions on college websites usually mention adding hay, straw, or other organic matter. I had my daughter collect some dry leaves from the corners of the yard and driveway. Then we filled the bucket halfway with water before adding the magic ingredient. Here are the steps for you to follow:

1. Add plant material (hay, straw, leaves) to the bucket.

2. Fill a bucket with water to create a cute little mosquito pond.

3. Add ¼ drop of mosquito repellent or the amount indicated on the package.

How to Keep Your “Doom Bucket” Alive All Summer Long

My package stated that a quarter of a donut was enough to control mosquitoes in a one-square-foot area, so we used a quarter of a donut for our bucket. (Some photos online show people using a full donut per bucket; that’s probably overkill.) You’ll need to add a new donut monthly .

I got my dunks for a little under $20 for a 20-pack, so let’s say I’m paying 25 cents a month to reduce the mosquito population. Add in the cost of the bucket ($4.99 if you don’t already have one at home), and that’s less than $7 for summer mosquito protection.

Make more than one bucket if you have a large yard or just want to cover multiple spots (maybe one in the backyard, one by the porch). And remember, you still need to dump all your unpoisoned standing water . A bucket of doom works best when it’s the only option for mosquitoes.

People who use these buckets tend to report that they notice far fewer mosquitoes in the following months, and I’ve definitely found that to be true. Mosquitoes go through their life cycle in a few weeks, so don’t expect instant results – but if you keep an eye on your bucket and take care to eliminate other sources of standing water, you should notice that there aren’t as many mosquitoes this year as usual.

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