(Doom-it-Yourself) Mosquito Bucket Styles

After I posted the Do-It-Yourself Mosquito Bucket of Doom (link), I realized two things:
1) I should have called the project a “Doom-It-Yourself,” and
2) Not everyone is excited about displaying an ugly bucket in their yard.

But, now I know that a Mosquito Bucket of Doom need not be ugly. Or even be a bucket.
Nearly any water-tight, wide-mouthed container will do.

Personally, I’m fine sharing my yard with an ugly bucket that still advertises the 30 pounds of kitty litter it once contained:

And, I admit that my favorite Bucket of Doom is not just ugly, but gross: a see-thru Utz Cheese Ball barrel that I display *on top* of a table. Why?
The clear plastic gives me an aquarium view of the contents: the water, the BTi dunk, the escape ramp, mosquito eggs, and all the (doomed) mosquito larvae.
I can see the Bucket working.

(the BTi means these larvae are doomed: they’ll never become adult mosquitoes)

But, for people who prefer buckets to be less hideous or simply more discreet, I offer examples below.
I made these from stuff I already had, and I made this photo shoot for your inspiration.

The more neighbors who choose a Bucket of Doom over a Yard Pesticide Spray, the better.
Remember, a Bucket of Doom only dooms mosquito larvae, but a yard spray dooms us all.

For full Doom-it-Yourself details, please see the original post: Mosquito Bucket of Doom.

Bucketing friends are sending me feedback, so I’m making a list of Frequently-Asked-Questions. Coming soon.

And let’s remember:
Eliminate ALL standing water, EXCEPT in the Mosquito Bucket of Doom.
One bottlecap of water can host hundreds of new mosquitoes…

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Bio:
Joanna Brichetto is a naturalist and writer in Nashville, the hackberry-tree capital of the world.
She writes about everyday marvels amid everyday habitat loss, and her essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Brevity, Fourth Genre, Hippocampus, The Hopper, Flyway, The Common, Stonecrop Review, The Fourth River and other journals. Her almanac of local urban nature stories is forthcoming.

3 thoughts on “(Doom-it-Yourself) Mosquito Bucket Styles”

  1. The photos make for a priceless Mosquito Bucket List. I’d bet that Dubble Bubble and Ba-Tampte have never before been so close.

  2. I am looking for a solution for the top of my rain barrel. It consistently holds water that I can’t seem to get rid of, except by physically taking it out by hand. I am afraid that I shouldn’t use the BTI in the reservoir since it might be contraindicated for watering anything but flowers. Do you have a suggestion? I’ve put cardboard in underneath a plant container. That soaks up some of the water, but not enough. I’ve moved the bucket of doom near it. (yes, the larvae are plentiful!) Thanks!

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