The Mosquito Bucket Challenge: A Smarter Way to Fight the Bite

Ditch the fog. Keep the pollinators.

Let’s be honest—mosquito fogging is like using a flamethrower to kill a fly. Sure, it knocks out a few mosquitoes… but it also wipes out bees, butterflies, birds, and pretty much anything else with wings.

Enter the Mosquito Bucket Challenge, a gloriously low-tech, pollinator-safe alternative that’s catching on across the country. I first heard about it through Homegrown National Park (big thanks to them for making this easy to replicate), and now I’m seeing these clever buckets pop up in backyards, at trailheads, and in my social media feeds with a message: there’s a better way.

What Is a Mosquito Bucket?

It’s exactly what it sounds like: a 5-gallon bucket turned mosquito trap. You fill it with water, a bit of leaf litter or alfalfa pellets (to mimic the standing water mosquitoes love), and add a Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) dunk—a naturally derived larvicide that only targets mosquito larvae. Bti is easily found at most hardware or garden stores.

No fog, no poisons, no damage to the rest of your backyard ecosystem. Just mosquito control that works, quietly and effectively.

Why Buckets Beat Foggers

Fogging is a blunt instrument. It temporarily knocks down adult mosquitoes—but it also kills pollinators, beneficial insects, and the birds that feed on them. And mosquitoes? They bounce back. Often stronger.

Buckets interrupt the life cycle where it starts: in standing water. They’re cheaper, safer, and smarter—and you don’t need a hazmat suit or a pesticide permit to use one.

Let Your Bucket Start the Conversation

Want to spread the word without preaching? Homegrown National Park just launched two great resources:

The Official Mosquito Bucket Sticker

It features a QR code that links directly to the setup guide. Stick it on your bucket, and it becomes an educational tool for anyone walking by.

Available as:

• A free print-at-home version

• A weatherproof 8” x 8” vinyl sticker

New One-Page Handout

Perfect for community events, garden clubs, or that curious neighbor who always stops to ask questions. The handout explains the what, why, and how in one easy-to-read sheet.

Field Tip: If you don't already have a bucket on hand, you don't need to purchase one. Check out the FAQs at Homegrown National Park for ideas on where to get free buckets (and save them from a landfill).

Little Buckets, Big Ripple

You don’t need to be an expert or an activist to make an impact. Just set out a bucket. Every bucket is a quiet win for biodiversity—and a small step toward smarter, more sustainable neighborhoods.

Stick a QR code on it. Snap a pic. Share it. And the next time someone brings up fogging, you’ve got a better idea ready to go.