FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Reused Bucket Vs. Mosquito Fogging: New National Campaign Offers Wildlife-Friendly Alternative
Homegrown National Park launches “Mosquito Bucket Challenge” as Americans look for safer ways to control mosquitoes
As mosquito season ramps up across the United States, a new national campaign is encouraging homeowners to rethink how they fight back—without harming pollinators, fireflies, and other beneficial wildlife.
The Mosquito Bucket Challenge, launched by Homegrown National Park, promotes a simple method that targets mosquitoes where they start: standing water.
The approach is straightforward. A reused bucket filled with water, organic material, and a mosquito dunk containing Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) attracts mosquitoes to lay eggs—then stops larvae from developing.
It’s a sharp contrast to mosquito fogging, a common but short-lived solution that kills adult mosquitoes while leaving the next generation untouched—and can harm non-target insects.
“People are frustrated with mosquitoes, but they don’t want to harm pollinators and wildlife or expose children and pets to unnecessary chemicals,” said Tim Snyder, Executive Director of Homegrown National Park. “This gives homeowners a simple step to reduce mosquitoes while protecting the life in their yard.”
Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on mosquito control, much of it on repeated spraying that doesn’t address the root of the problem.
“People hate mosquitoes, and understandably so,” said Doug Tallamy, ecologist, bestselling author of Nature’s Best Hope, and co-founder of Homegrown National Park. “But many mosquito control methods also kill beneficial insects that support birds and healthy ecosystems. The Mosquito Bucket Challenge gives homeowners a practical way to help reduce mosquito breeding while protecting the insects that wildlife depends on.”
The campaign encourages people to build a bucket, then challenge neighbors and friends to do the same—turning individual action into neighborhood-scale impact.
Organizers emphasize the method is not a silver bullet, but part of a broader approach that includes eliminating standing water, using fans or protective clothing, and supporting natural predators.
“The goal isn’t to eliminate every mosquito,” Snyder said. “It’s to give people a smarter, more targeted option so they don’t feel like spraying is their only choice.”
Participants can learn how to build a mosquito bucket and join the challenge at:
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/mosquito-bucket-challenge
ABOUT HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK
Homegrown National Park catalyzes people to plant native and remove invasive plant species at home and in their communities—one of the most impactful actions anyone can take to restore and protect the natural habitats that support all life.
Grounded in the science of renowned ecologist Doug Tallamy and co-founded with Michelle Alfandari, Homegrown National Park demonstrates how restoring native plant communities supports the insects, birds, and other wildlife that keep ecosystems—and people—healthy. This work is essential to safeguarding the natural systems we all depend on: clean air and water, food production, and climate stability.
Through our Biodiversity Map and practical tools, we support individuals, organizations, and communities in taking meaningful, science-backed actions as part of a growing, collective movement to make native habitat restoration mainstream.
Learn more at: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/
Media contact:
Jessie Eagan
Communications Coordinator
jessie@homegrownnationalpark.org
317-488-7349