How To Get Rid of Mosquitos
Who would’ve thought I’d ever be writing a post about mosquitos. But after our backyard ADU and backyard landscaping, we waltzed out to enjoy our new space only to be irritated by mosquitos. This summer, we’ll have no mosquitos, however, because I’ve discovered THESE – and here’s how to use mosquito dunks!
How to use Mosquito Dunks
Mosquito dunks have a funny name, but they work wonderfully, so who cares?! Not us.
What are they? They’re densely packed circles made of dried BTI – a bacteria harmful only to mosquito and gnat larvae. You can read more about BTI here from the ETA. They aren’t harmful to other animals and they last for seemingly ever – just as productively.
Mosquito dunks are easy to use. You place them whole, cut up, or in powder form in standing water. the larvae hatch in the water and then eat the BTI and never turn into biting adults.
For big areas and lots of water, you can leave the dunks whole. For our small backyard, I cut up a dunk into 4 parts (as instructed) and placed 3 in the backyard – one in the front. See what it looks like here:
Do you have standing water? So, no, we don’t have standing water (e.g. pools, water fountain, gutters, leaky spot). Instead, I created standing water with just a few inches in compostable cups and pots without holes. Just a couple inches of water, the cut up dunk, and we’re good to go.
Do They Work?
So here’s the real question, right? They’re easy, non toxic to humans and pets, and all the things – none of which would matter if they didn’t solve the mosquito problem…
BUT THEY WORK! We’ve had them in our garden for just over a month and none of us have been bit in the back yard – we haven’t even seen a mosquito since I put them out. They’re supposed to last 4-6 weeks, so it’s good to just set a reminder so you don’t have that lapse. They do start working within a few hours (according to the website), so you’ll be good to go in no time.
So now we’re ready for all kinds of planned and unplanned summer activities back there, including planting in my raised cedar beds and al fresco dinners with outdoor table decor!
Wow! So glad I stumbled upon this post. We have a big issue with mosquitos in our back yard so I will definitely be purchasing these. I had no idea they existed.