While there are ways to keep the bugs at bay, professional treatments are often expensive and can harm other living creatures. However, there’s a DIY method that’s both safe and effective — it’s called the “mosquito bucket of doom.”

It’s a Trap!

The “mosquito bucket of doom” is a trap that takes advantage of the fact that pregnant female mosquitoes are drawn to standing water. It’s their ideal environment for laying eggs, which is why you’ll often find them near puddles, ponds, birdbaths, and other stagnant water sources. While adding more water to your yard may seem counterintuitive, this hack comes with a twist that eliminates the pests rather than breeding them.

Fill a dark, 5-gallon bucket with water and organic materials — such as weeds or grass clippings — to attract mosquitoes. Then add a mosquito dunk, a pest-fighting product containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), a bacterium that kills mosquito larvae. Even better, Bti poses no risk to pets, pollinators, or the other creatures you actually want in your yard.

Place the bucket in a shady spot where mosquitoes will be drawn to lay their eggs. While Bti won’t kill existing adults, it eliminates their offspring, preventing future generations. You should notice the population diminish within a week or two as the adults die off and their babies fail to reach maturity. Since mosquito dunks are effective for only 30 days, be sure to swap in a fresh one once a month. There’s no need to replace the water — the older, the better, as far as mosquitoes are concerned — or fish out the old dunk, as it will slowly dissolve on its own.

Waiting a week or two may seem difficult, especially since traditional pest treatments offer immediate results. However, those chemical sprays don’t just kill mosquitoes — they also harm bees, butterflies, and pets. The bucket is a much safer alternative that will leave your backyard virtually mosquito-free in just a few weeks.

Reusing Wine Bottles for Watering

If you need help watering your plants, look no further than your next empty bottle of pinot noir. You can create a self-watering system using nothing more than a standard wine bottle. Simply rinse the bottle and fill it with clean water. While holding the opening shut with your thumb, flip it upside down and then plunge the neck into the plant’s soil, roughly 2 to 3 inches deep. Once the mouth of the bottle is buried, the soil will naturally “sip” the water as needed. After a few minutes, double-check that the water isn’t rushing out; if everything looks stable, just refill the bottle once it’s empty. This irrigation system typically lasts three to seven days, depending on the plant’s thirst, pot size, and soil density.

Why Does It Work?

This method works well because the narrow neck of the wine bottle creates a small vacuum as the soil blocks the water from rushing out. When the soil dries, tiny pockets of air enter the bottle through the neck, breaking the vacuum and releasing a bit of water. The vacuum then reseals, and the water stops dripping once the soil is adequately moist. It’s best to test this hack with damp soil, which makes it easy to insert the bottle and triggers an immediate vacuum seal, allowing you to confirm the water isn’t draining at an uncontrolled pace.

Alcohol-Free Alternatives

Don’t have a wine bottle on hand? No problem. You can also use a thick plastic bottle, provided the mouth is narrower than the body of the container — for example, a 2-liter soda or mouthwash bottle. If you’d prefer something more decorative, you can find self-watering vessels online, such as these multicolor watering globes or these cute iridescent mushroom inserts.

Between hoeing, grubbing them out by hand, and applying toxic herbicides, the traditional methods all have obvious downsides. Mulching is a much more promising form of weed control, but buying it by the bag adds up quickly. Fortunately, there’s a low- to no-cost alternative that’s just as effective at keeping your beds weed-free.

A Versatile, Effective, and Mostly Free Mulch

We’re talking about plain, brown corrugated cardboard. Surprised? Those boxes that seem to accumulate so rapidly are actually a great tool for fighting weeds. Think of them as your ounce of prevention.

Here’s how it works: In the fall, while preparing your garden for next year, lay flattened cardboard over any existing beds where weeds have been problematic, or any new beds you have planned. Once the cardboard is down, water it well to start the decomposition process, then add a layer of organic mulch to hold it in place and deter slugs. (Your autumn leaves make a great, free mulch for this, by the way.) Over the winter, the cardboard smothers the weeds as it decomposes. By spring, it will be soft enough for your plants’ roots to penetrate easily.

Tips and Cautions

Look for freebies: If you don’t have enough plain brown boxes, check local ads for free supplies left over from moves or spring cleaning. Many stores will also happily give boxes away for free.

Avoid full-color printed boxes: These inks may contain unwanted chemicals. White cardboard is acceptable but is typically bleached; while it’s fine for flower beds, you may want to avoid it in vegetable gardens.

Protect your plants: Don’t put cardboard over beds containing perennials or biennials, or they will be smothered along with the weeds.

Spring is an option: If you miss the autumn window, you can still use this technique in the spring. Lay the cardboard down first, then soak it well for a day or two. After removing any slugs that have taken up residence underneath, cover it with a suitable mulch. You can often punch through the softened cardboard with a trowel to plant your transplants or seeds.