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Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

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Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#131

Post by AngryData »

nicolaslem wrote: post #57

I ended up building this entirely by accident. Last summer I wanted to have aquatic plants in my garden, so I made a small container pond. As you can imagine it quickly got invaded by mosquito larvae. By the time I realized I was getting raided by mosquitos each night, much more than previous years. After getting hold of the bacteria (not sure if it's completely allowed here, only Amazon would sell it to me) mosquito…

I would be surprised if it isn't allowed anywhere. This bacteria has been known about and well studied for many decades and the cry toxin it produces has been bred into numerous crops starting 40 years ago.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#133

Post by pavel_lishin »

BurningFrog wrote: post #91
JohnFen wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've gotten nothing but benefits from living in neighborhoods with HOAs. I'm happy somebody has. Except for you, I have never heard anything but nightmares from the people I know who suffer under HOAs.

No one is going to rant about how their HOA is pretty OK. My building has an HOA, and the worst I can say about is that's it's pretty boring.

There's a vast difference between the HOA for a building, and one for a suburban neighborhood.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#134

Post by pavel_lishin »

VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #86
JohnFen wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've gotten nothing but benefits from living in neighborhoods with HOAs. I'm happy somebody has. Except for you, I have never heard anything but nightmares from the people I know who suffer under HOAs.

I question the motivation of people choosing to live in a place where they are constantly at odds with the agreed-upon standards of the community. They should leave if it is really that stressful and onerous.

The problem is that those standards can change based on who's elected or chosen to run the HOA.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#135

Post by bitbasher »

8organicbits wrote: post #115
bitbasher wrote: post #108

Does this even cull the population down? If you're creating a perfect nesting area and then killing off the babies, you haven't really culled any of the active/dangerous mosquitos. Am I missing something?

yes, the lifecycle of the mosquito is quick so the adults die off with age and the next generation dies in the bucket before they become adults. It doesn't help if you are at a camp site for two nights, but it does reduce population at your house.

I see-- but by providing a possible breeding ground, are you not inviting more adult/dangerous mosquitos into your home vicinity? It seems like this would be ideal if your neighbors did it, but you didn't.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#136

Post by AceyMan »

adamgordonbell wrote: post #82

Ok, now what is the solution for hornets?

Obligatory, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamethrower?wprov=sfla1

More seriously, Hornets vs Spray Glue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCLCewL5NVg

(note: he's still wearing a full bee suit—so hornets are probably best left to pros—unless you're properly equipped & very brave!)

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#137

Post by throwup238 »

michaelbuckbee wrote: post #113
bob1029 wrote: post #101

I recently moved ~70 miles from a relatively open plain to a hilly forest biome and the reduction in mosquito density is shocking to me. I suspect predation is the biggest factor given the climate is virtually identical. I make a very strong point to not kill arachnids and similar creepers. I'm not a fan of gigantic spooky looking spiders and their homes, but I recognize they are much more efficient at killing my ene…

We moved into a new home recently that backs up to some woods and there is a stunning number of huge dragonflies in our backyard (and very few mosquitos). It just seems like luck though, I wish there was a way to better support the dragonflies as they seem so helpful.

The best way to support dragonflies is to dig a small pond (2ft deep with shallow edges) and plant supporting flora in and around it.

Add aquatic plants like water lilies, cattails, or submerged plants like hornwort that provide egg laying sites and habitats for dragon fly nymphs. Around the pond plant native plants like tall grasses, sedges, and wildflowers - dragon flies use these as perches for hunting and resting. They especially like plants that grow 3-4 feet tall. You can also plant tall stakes, bamboo poles, or dead branches around the pound and other water features which the dragonflies use as perches for ambush hunting.

You’ll also want to maintain some algae and organic matter in the pond to provide food for the nymphs. It’ll take a year or two to establish themselves, but once they’re going a single dragonfly can eat up to a hundred mosquitos a day so they’re excellent pest control.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#138

Post by zeta0134 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #129

One question - how does this prevent mosquitos from breeding in other bits of standing water that I can't locate? I have no idea where ours are coming from; I suspect they hatch somewhere, and then migrate to the shaded areas of my yard, which is where I typically get bit. Adding a bucket will prevent some mosquitoes from laying eggs elsewhere, but not all, right? Or is the bucket so attractive to mosquitoes that the…

My intuition is that you are correct: the bucket doesn't eliminate all breeding grounds. It's a numbers game: you want to lower the population as much as possible. If you reduce the population enough, nature has the opportunity to handle the rest, since mosquito reproduction is also a numbers game: mates have to locate one another. This also frustratingly means it won't be an instant solution even if it eventually works. It takes a few generations to realize the benefits of the lowered population.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#139

Post by hangonhn »

fanatic2pope wrote: post #54

Note that instead of the mosquito dunks you can also buy "mosquito bits" which are the same thing in granular form. Last time I bought one they were cheaper per unit cost and they easier to use because you don't have to break them up.

For some reason mosquito dunks can be shipped to California but not mosquito bits, according to Amazon. They look to be the same thing to me. Anyone know the reason? Maybe it is an Amazon data error?
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