Today I’m sharing how to kill mosquito larvae with “Buckets of Doom” so you can enjoy your outdoor space all summer long!
I am a mosquito magnet—seriously, they love me. If there’s even one mosquito around, I’m guaranteed to be their target. Since we spend so much time outside during the summer, I’ve tried nearly every mosquito repellent gadget, spray, sticker, and candle out there. But the most effective solution we’ve found is killing the larvae before they have a chance to hatch.
To prepare for mosquito season, I put together my own Mosquito Buckets of Doom. While you can buy these from mosquito or pest control companies, I’ve found it’s way cheaper (and more satisfying) to make them myself. Plus, I couldn’t resist a good pun!
Find my video tutorial HERE!
Why We Love Mosquito Buckets of Doom
- A safe alternative to pesticide sprays that protects the insects you don’t want to kill like fireflies, butterflies, ladybugs, bees, etc. It is also safe for your pets.
- Inexpensive and easy to make at home with just a few supplies — a bucket of water, a handful of leaves and a mosquito dunk/bits.
- They are EFFECTIVE!
How To Kill Mosquito Larvae with Buckets of Doom
These eco-friendly traps prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard. As the straw/grass/leaf litter begins to rot inside the bucket, the “stew” becomes a highly attractive nesting ground for mosquitoes ready to lay eggs. Once the eggs are laid, they will hatch within a few days and the mosquito dunk kills them, preventing no new mosquitoes.
Mosquito Buckets of Doom Supplies
- 5 Gallon Bucket: Depending on how big your yard is, you may want to make several mosquito buckets for a larger mosquito-free area. I prefer the green color buckets so I can camouflage them in the yard. If you can’t hide the bucket, you can drop it inside a large planter or any container with a wide mouth for a more discreet look.
- Yard Clippings: These can be grass clippings, leaf litter, hay, or straw.
- Mosquito Dunks: Organic donut-shaped disks that contain Bti, a bacterium that occurs naturally in soil and is toxic only to mosquito larvae (and fungus gnat larvae), and are non-toxic to wildlife, pets, fish, and humans. A dunk lasts for 30 days and treats 100 square feet of water, so you can use any leftover dunks in standing water around your yard including rain barrels, bird baths, rain gutters, etc.
- Mosquito Bits: Even though the dunk is sufficient, I like to add a layer of mosquito bits to my stew to make it extra strong. I also sprinkle these bits around my yard where standing water likes to collect after it rains. Mosquitoes only need 1/4 inch of standing water to lay eggs.
- Plastic Wire + Zip Ties (Optional): While the dunks are safe for insects and animals, you can cover your buckets with a plastic wire lid to keep curious animals (pets, birds, squirrels, etc.) and kids out of the bucket. Just drill a few holes around the bucket and attach with zip ties.
How To Make Mosquito Buckets of Doom
Step 1: Fill your bucket halfway with water. Then add a few handfuls of grass clippings, straw, leaf litter, yard debris, etc. As the organic matter begins to rot, it will produce carbon dioxide which attracts mosquitoes ready to lay eggs.
Tip: If you’re adding a wire cover, make sure to drill your holes before you fill with water.
Step 2: Add a layer of mosquito bits and top with a mosquito dunk. You will need to pour in more bits and add a new dunk every 30 days.
Tip: I like to write the date on the back of the mosquito dunk package so I know when I last added a new dunk.
Step 3: While the dunks are safe for insects and animals, you can cover your buckets with plastic wire or a similar screening to keep curious animals (pets, birds, squirrels, etc.) and kids out of the bucket. Just drill a few holes around the bucket and attach with zip ties.
Step 4: Place your buckets in areas around your yard where mosquitoes like to hang out, ideally in a shaded area.
Note: You do not need to change the water in the bucket. However, if the water evaporates below the halfway mark, you can add more water to it.
Prefer printable instructions? See below!
How To Kill Mosquito Larvae (Buckets of Doom)
An eco-friendly, inexpensive, and effective way to eliminate mosquitoes from your yard!
Materials
- 5 Gallon Bucket: Depending on how big your yard is, you may want to make several mosquito buckets for a larger mosquito-free area. I prefer the green color buckets so I can camouflage them in the yard. If you can’t hide the bucket, you can drop it inside a large planter or any container with a wide mouth for a more discreet look.
- Yard Clippings: These can be grass clippings, leaf litter, hay, or straw.
- Mosquito Dunks: Organic donut-shaped disks that contain Bti, a bacterium that occurs naturally in soil and is toxic only to mosquito larvae (and fungus gnat larvae), and are non-toxic to wildlife, pets, fish, and humans. A dunk lasts for 30 days and treats 100 square feet of water, so you can use any leftover dunks in standing water around your yard including rain barrels, bird baths, rain gutters, etc.
- Mosquito Bits: Even though the dunk is sufficient, I like to add a layer of mosquito bits to my stew to make it extra strong. I also sprinkle these bits around my yard where standing water likes to collect after it rains. Mosquitoes only need 1/4 inch of standing water to lay eggs.
- Plastic Wire + Zip Ties (Optional): While the dunks are safe for insects and animals, you can cover your buckets with a plastic wire lid to keep curious animals (pets, birds, squirrels, etc.) and kids out of the bucket. Just drill a few holes around the bucket and attach with zip ties.
Instructions
Step 1: Fill your bucket halfway with water. Then add a few handfuls of grass clippings, straw, leaf litter, yard debris, etc. As the organic matter begins to rot, it will produce carbon dioxide which attracts mosquitoes ready to lay eggs.
Tip: If you’re adding a wire cover, make sure to drill your holes before you fill with water.
Step 2: Add a layer of mosquito bits and top with a mosquito dunk. You will need to pour in more bits and add a new dunk every 30 days.
Tip: I like to write the date on the back of the mosquito dunk package so I know when I last added a new dunk.
Step 3: While the dunks are safe for insects and animals, you can cover your buckets with plastic wire or a similar screening to keep curious animals (pets, birds, squirrels, etc.) and kids out of the bucket. Just drill a few holes around the bucket and attach with zip ties.
Step 4: Place your buckets in areas around your yard where mosquitoes like to hang out, ideally in a shaded area.
Note: You do not need to change the water in the bucket. However, if the water evaporates below the halfway mark, you can add more water to it.
Good luck Dooming-It-Yourself!
Cathy
Monday 21st of April 2025
Hi! I’m so excited to try this. Quick question - can I add things like weeds, sticks, etc to the bucket as well?
Ann
Tuesday 15th of April 2025
We’re been using this for 3 years now and very effective. We lived in country and up hill. Lots of mosquitoes. So my husband his been searching what is the effective way for anti mosquito. Then he found this. We put a 5 buckets of 5 gallons and I used it for my outdoor garden too. There’s no more mosquitoes flying around.
Edith Hardcastle
Tuesday 18th of March 2025
thank you for spreading the word!
Sarah
Monday 3rd of February 2025
Fascinating! I live in central texas where it’s humid and the mosquitos and noseeums torture me during the summer months. Do you think these buckets would be just as effective in humid places?
Kathleen Herman
Wednesday 11th of September 2024
Do the mosquito dunks and bits need to be "in the water" to do the job? The picture shows the mosquito dunks and bits on top of the leaf debris but I am assuming they will settle into the water once the decay starts to happen?