As part of the Children’s Summer Garden Program, the Historical Society invites community presenters to discuss various topics relevant to gardening and a sustainable environment.

At our recent session we were pleased to host Cheryl Vargas, a member of Green Oakwood, to present Mosquito Buckets, a non-toxic way to reduce the number of mosquitos in your yard. She fit in with the theme of the day: insects and pollinators.

While working in the garden the students were thrilled to find pollinators at work. Fortunately, they found no mosquitos! Vargas brought information about the life cycle of the mosquito and how to use the bucket kits in their own yards. The children added straw from the garden to the buckets then took home the kits to activate with water and a piece of mosquito dunk.

Reports from community members have been very positive about how well these kits work.

The dunks slowly release a bacterium that is toxic to mosquito larva. They are not toxic to people, pets, wild animals, or beneficial insects.