Once you learn about the importance of native plants, you develop a different mindset about insects. Insects play in important role in our food web as many animals feed on them. Therefore, those holes on the leaves of your plants are to be celebrated!
That being said, mosquitos and ticks can be disease-carrying. In an extremely healthy ecosystem, their natural predators would keep them in check. Unfortunately, human development has disrupted this natural checks-and-balance system.
You have probably seen the signs and trucks advertising “healthy spraying.” However, all sprays that are designed to kill mosquitos and ticks also kill most other insects, no matter how “healthy” they are described to be. This contributes to the loss of insect species and endangers our food web.
Read on to find out how you can keep your family safe from ticks, mosquitos and pesticides.
Helpful strategies:
- Plant lots of native plants, shrubs and trees to encourage natural mosquito and tick predators.
- Get rid of English ivy, as it is a favorite dwelling place for white-footed mice who carry disease-laden ticks.
- Empty out standing water on your property and use mosquito dunks in ponds.
- Place mosquito buckets and tick tubes around your properties (instructions below)
Mosquito Buckets
Mosquito buckets are extremely effective in ridding your property of mosquitoes without killing our valuable pollinators. They work by enticing adult female mosquitoes to lay their eggs in your bucket due to the presence of fermented plant material. Mosquito dunks then kill the emerging larvae without harming any other creatures.
Materials:
- Spackle bucket or large earthen pot
- Straw, hay or grass clippings
- Mosquito dunks (available in local hardware stores and online)
- Stick or chicken wire (optional)
Set Up:
- Add approximately four handfuls of your plant material to your bucket so that it is approximately ⅓ full
- Fill your bucket halfway with waterLet the mixture ferment for three days
- Add ½ of a mosquito dunk to your bucketPlace in area in which mosquitoes are a problem, but not too close to sitting areas
- You may want to add a stick or cover your bucket with large-holed chicken wire to prevent small critters from drowning in the bucket
Maintenance:
After a heavy rain, you will want to pour out some of the extra liquid. Some people drill holes in the top third of the bucket so that this happens automatically.
Once a month (June, July, August, September), empty your bucket of water, retaining the plant material. Fill it up again with water and add another ½ of a dunk.
Tick Tubes
Tick tubes are available to be purchased online or you can make your own.
Monica Zenyuh, a treasured NNGI member, was kind enough to share her experience with tick tubes:
“This is the perfect time of year to place tick tubes on your property. Bunnies, moles, squirrels and chipmunks are making new homes. Place some tubes near holes they use, wood piles, and under bushes they hide by. They will take the stuffing to their home and sleep in it. The substance on the stuffing will kill the ticks on their bodies. It will not harm the animals, only the ticks!!!”
DIY Tick Tube Instructions:
A member of our NNGI community shares how she makes her own tick tubes:
"I collected paper towel tubes (cut in half) and/or toilet paper tubes and dryer lint. Next, I saturated the dryer lint with permethrin and then stuffed it in the tubes and placed around the perimeter of the lawn."