Just Say No to Mosquito Fogging

This summer has been quite wet so far in Austin. Everything is green and lush, and it’s great for our water bills, but mosquitos abound in these conditions. Many homeowners fall prey to the idea of an “easy fix” by paying a commercial outfit to disperse a chemical mist in the landscape around their house. But it isn’t really a fix at all. The chemicals that are used kill adult mosquitos. That means adding this chemical load to your home environment doesn’t kill the larva or the eggs. But it does poison a large number of beneficial insects, including bees, moths, butterflies, and ladybugs, and the animals that feed on mosquitos, like toads, anoles, and bats. People and pets are also exposed to the toxic chemicals when they spend time in the yard. Soon enough, the future generations of mosquitos hatch, and the pest control company gets a repeat customer. A win for them, but a loss for you and the delicate web of life in our home landscapes.

But there is a better way. First, get rid of any source of standing water outside your house. Next, be mosquito smart. That means avoid spending time outside near dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active, using natural mosquito repellent spray, and wearing clothing to cover your arms and legs. Finally, if you want to greatly reduce the number of mosquitos around your house, use mosquito dunks.

But what is a mosquito dunk? It looks a bit like a small donut and contains a naturally occurring bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) that mosquito larvae consume. This bacteria is deadly to mosquito larvae but not other insects, frogs, lizards, bats, you, or your pets. You can place one of these in a bucket of water in key locations around your property. They work for up to 30 days and are approved for organic gardening. And the good news keeps coming because each one costs less than $2.

On my local neighborhood discussion board, I was heartened to see that someone was offering to help others in the neighborhood adopt this wildlife-friendly option instead of paying someone to spray chemicals. Apparently, the homeowner purchased mosquito dunks in bulk and posted pictures of how to use them along with their pickup address. It’s a small act of generosity that could make a big difference for wildlife.