Blog

  • West Nile in DeKalb County: An Appeal for and Review of Certain Sprays and Fogs (but NOT Synthetic Chemical Varieties)

    News is hitting my media sources today about mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile, now in our county if not yet in our zipcode. Our local public schools are now in session. Everyone (including me) will likely pay more attention to preventing mosquito “bites”. This is, as my earlier post on West Nile indicates, not the time to spray, though I expect many will be tempted, even those who have not sprayed before. You will kill lots of insects (up to 1000 species in a typical residential yard, still hard for me to believe), and likely very few mosquitoes, and only adults. But if you have been visiting out site, you know this already. Expensive poison for the pollinators.

    I have only just begun to have Monarchs on my milkweed, finally (I will post a picture if I can get one – they show up most often when I am wrangling dogs; the Swallowtail above for now). It is the Great Southeast Pollinator Census next weekend (August 22-23, 2025). Now is not the time to spray, though counties will likely make that choice; some have already. I know because the residents of one just got more buckets. And, just as a reminder, there are many other ideas on our Resources page, many from our Bee City USA – Decatur, GA (Beecatur) folks.

    So I didn’t think I would find myself in the business of product reviews, but I also never imagined myself in a business at all… I am going to offer some, more positive than my last blog about Thermacells, to tell you about repellents that I use. I can recommend them, in all cases, from years of personal experience with all of these companies. We have all of these in stock right now, and while our focus is buckets, we have decided to stock these in order to share them – quickly. Because sometimes you need something right now and may not want to endorse the express delivery services for political or other reasons. And you may want to just test it. And you can. And you can (sort of) buy local.

    Badger’s Bug Repellent Balm Stick (or Anti-Bug Balm, the name I like better): This is BY FAR my favorite essential oil repellent. It works.

    It is not a spray. Parents, I imagine the significance of that is not lost on you. Kids can apply it themselves, even young ones, and it does not go straight in their eyes.

    Most of the ingredients are organic, which is important to me. It includes citronella, but it doesn’t smell like it. I don’t mind citronella myself, but it is not my favorite. This combination of natural fragrances is pleasant, at least to me. And those who know me know I am fragrance free, even fragrance averse, so for me to really like this one, it has to be good.

    The company also produces a spray, with a slightly different composition. We have that, too, in the small size, as a trial.

    Note: I know folks who get migraines from fragrances can sometimes not use such products. And, it is my understanding and experience, that sometimes it is the chemical composition of the fragrance; natural ones hit us different, at least sometimes. If you are willing to try these, we have testers and individual incense sticks for this purpose, more below. And we bring them to you.

    The Flyaway Sticks by Madison James are our favorite repellent for our yard in my family. Even my husband, who is often at a different point on the chemical-to-natural/non-toxic spectrum, likes and asks for these. And while we have used 4 at a time in the past, we have discovered this summer that 1 will cover our entire backyard. Again, they are essential-oil based sticks (geranium, clove, cedar), all of which repel mosquitoes. In combination, we think they are magic. These sticks smoke for about 2-2.5 hours; they linger for longer.

    The company’s current website is pro-pollinator, which we appreciate. In my memory, the last website indicated that these were developed for horse farms/barns in Texas to repel flies, thus the name. I assure you they work well for mosquitoes, too. They are our choice for late afternoon and evening gatherings in our backyard (and/or oscillating fans), especially this time of year.

    Wondercide: These essential-oil forward products for pets are another top choice at our house. We have two miniature Australian shepherds, and we have used their shampoos and soaps (the latter discontinued, sadly) for years. We also use their spray on our dogs. In years past I have used it primarily when we were in areas with ticks, for added protection. This year I have been using it daily since the beginning of July. [They offer a yard spray, which I have admittedly had sitting in my utility closet for over a year. About the time I ordered it, I learned that these oils can harm lightning bugs (fireflies to non-Southerners), and I have been reluctant to use it for that reasons, without the time to do more research. Perhaps someone who knows more, and/or from the company, will read this blog and leave a comment with research/evidence. In the meantime, I will keep spraying the dogs.] I include a picture of Trace with (we think) an early-evening mosquito bite on his eye before I started the daily routine — because mosquito buckets do a lot, but they do not zero populations.

  • A Tale of Two Neighbors (and an update on the rain barrel)

    I just had a conversation with one of our neighbors from the street behind us, which was heartening and, for me, worth sharing.

    Those of you following this blog will likely remember my post a few weeks ago (July 12) about my consultation with a family new to Decatur and their rain barrel, inherited from previous residents and teeming with mosquito larvae/pupae. They added a dunk to it, and then installed 8 buckets in their yard. They are on a street that I have frequented over the years, mostly for backyard parties with my kids. While my experiences have been sporadic, I have a sense that this particular stetch is quite and consistently challenging for mosquito control, as there is a slope to most of the yards toward a small stream at the back of the properties, which, even when buried or swaled (as is the case for the yard I am discussing), holds fairly constant moisture, inviting mosquitoes.

    I had not realized, when I made buckets for pickup a few weeks ago, that they were going to the property that backs up to this rain-barrel-challenged yard. In any case, in this recent exchange, I learned that the buckets are already working and making a difference and reducing the number of mosquitoes in their yards. I was, of course, glad to hear it.

    We are finding the same in our own yard, where the mosquito activity seemed to increase about a month ago; we had mosquitoes coming in our doors every time we opened them, it seemed – and with two dogs going in and out to our backyard frequently, we seemed to have constant, unwanted houseguests.

    We installed a new bucket outside our back door, about 10 feet away, and moved the one closest to our front door about 3 feet farther from our porch (the bucket was working well – I noticed a lot of activity when I passed it and when I added dunks, but it was so close that mosquitoes could easily come inside with us).

    I checked in with my family yesterday. Those changes, they agree, have resolved the issues, at least for now. Sometimes it is a matter of shifting locations; or adding buckets. It is a trial-and-error process and getting to know your property and watching the rain patterns and accumulations. It is also, as I think this example indicates, helpful when multiple and contiguous yards install buckets. More is more. Two of our adjacent neighbors (but only on one side) have had buckets for years; we’ve all doubled our buckets this summer. We believe they make a difference. And I am grateful.

    Thanks, all! And please reach out if you think we can help look at and think on any challenges in your yards.

  • West Nile? More Buckets!

    One of the B Buckets clients contacted me today to let me know that she is adding more buckets to her yard after the recent news, from mid-July, that mosquitoes in two areas of Atlanta have tested positive for the West Nile virus. Such news has been consistent in recent years, especially entering August, though numbers are rising annually. While the general risk is not great, this news is worth paying attention to for sure, though I am hoping it is not surprising to Decatur/Atlanta residents.

    And great response with more buckets! Thank you!

    Buckets with Bti will prevent approximately 85% of larvae from developing into adults; abatement sprays, often the first reaction to increasing mosquito activity and disease vectors, will eliminate only 10% of adults at the time of application and leave all of the eggs/larvae/pupae. What if we just keep covering Decatur and Atlanta with buckets?

  • Revisiting Repellents & Marketing

    Some of my daily reads, including my go-to news outlet and my favorite design site, have been circulating recommendations for Thermacell systems, especially this week. I want to share again the information from the Xerces Society’s webinar, “The Truth About Mosquito Sprays: Investigating Their Impact on Pollinators” (April 2025) in which the Xerces scientists discussed coils, candles, and other environmental repellents in their Q&A. There was a question specifically about Thermacells, and I have a different perspective after hearing their responses.

    Thermacell systems claim to be safe for people and pets. These systems use the same pyrethroids (class of synthetic pesticides) that abatement companies are spraying. Thermacell systems heat these chemicals and distribute them into the air. While the scientists did not study Thermacells directly (they studied abatement sprays and their levels of toxicity and drift in Decatur in 2023), they questioned the impact of distributing these chemicals into the environment in this way, where they settle in the area and those in their vicinity inhale the pyrethroids as the system is operating, especially concerning as some chemicals increase in toxicity with such temperature changes.

    To hear their response, start watching at 56:00.

    Always gather information, look at safety data (you can ask any company for Safety Data Sheets), and ask questions.

  • Member Summer Evening, Atlanta Botanical Garden

    It was a pleasure to spend time at the Atlanta Botanical Garden at the Member Summer Evening talking about our buckets and pollinators. As I said many times today, there is always an opportunity to reduce mosquitoes; buckets still work at this point in the season. It takes about two weeks to intervene in the populations. And the buckets can be saved and reused and (ideally) reinstalled in February or March of next years, as they are most effective if you can get them into your yard before the season starts.

    It is always gratifying to help people understand the effects of mosquito sprays on pollinators. We will keep spreading that word. We were set up with folks/groups representing native plants (Halley from Garden*Hood and Tony from the Georgia Native Plant Society, N GA chapter). We all have shared and collaborative missions, in many ways. Thanks, all, for the work! And for the invitation, Claudia McDavid: Decatur resident, Beecatur Board Member, B Buckets client, and Membership Manager, Atlanta Botanical Garden.

    new buckets with stickers, made especially for the Member Summer Evening

  • Rain Barrels and Emerging Mosquitoes

    During a recent consultation with Ellen, whose family has just moved to Decatur, we discovered that the rain barrel at their new house was not screened; the fish that had been in it point doing mosquito control had not been keeping up with the emerging populations, likely for several months. There were numerous larvae and pupae in the barrel, which now has a dunk in it and multiple buckets in the yard to start helping to reduce the local populations.

    Dunks and Bits (the latter faster acting but less potent, needing replacement more often, in my experience and understanding) are helpful for any standing water in your yard, such as still ponds and bird baths. Make sure to empty and dry any accumulating water, as from frequent thunderstorms; you have about a week to intervene in the development of mosquito eggs/larvae/pupae. Remember that mosquitoes only need about a tablespoon of water for egg development!

    Thanks, Ellen, for trying this non-toxic method. We’ll check back and report on the progress. Welcome to Decatur!

  • So Many Buckets

    Decatur! We have been placing so many buckets in yards!

    Intown Ace Hardware on Scott Blvd is continuing to stock supplies for mosquito buckets, including black buckets and snap-on hydroponic lids and dunks (notice our instructions on the bottom shelf of the endcap). We are so grateful for the ways they are collaborating with us to spread the buckets. The above pictures are from June 20, when Andy Jones had brought in all the buckets and lids in his warehouses to make sure that Ace had them in stock. Thanks, Andy, for the efforts and the photographs!

    When I was at Ace yesterday, the same shelves looked like this ^^^. They were almost down to single digits (that is a stack of 10 from my special order being returned to stock so that they would be available for those who want to DIY). Don’t worry – I am filling all current orders AND Ace got more today.

    Patrick even told me that he drives around Decatur and sees black buckets and knows exactly where they came from! Thanks, everyone. This is a wonderful challenge, exactly what we hoped for!

  • Record Deliveries

    This weekend has set a record for bucket orders & deliveries. We made & delivered 53 buckets to 10 families. They are now in Capitol View, Clarkston, Decatur/North Decatur, Druid Hills/North Druid Hills, East Lake, Kirkwood, Lake Clare, Medlock, Peachtree Hills, Tucker, and more. Thanks, Decatur/Atlanta! 

  • Pollinator Week Annual Festival

    We were pleased to join the annual festival in downtown Decatur, organized and hosted by Bee City USA – Decatur and thrilled to have a booth in the center of the space with the Peter and Angie/Beecatur. Thank you, Beecatur, for all you do to support, educate, and advocate!

    We sold a record number of Bee-autiful Buckets, even sending one to San Antonio, TX, as well as stickers, repellents, and incense, which we had not offered before.

    This bucket was particularly well chosen, quite a match for a thistle tatoo.

    I was particularly glad to meet Laura @nuture.native.nature, who posted a video of me explaining the bucket method and had a terrific approach to using the stickers for a DIY Bucket (currently only available at festivals).

    Here are some stills of her videos:

  • Happy Pollinator Week!

    It is Pollinator Week, and we’re busy getting ready for the annual festival organized by Peter Helfrich and Beecatur. My social media is blowing up with all sorts of information and advocacy about how we can all support pollinators and celebrate pollinators, including eliminated pesticides and herbicides from our landscapes, making our work with B Buckets feel especially critical. I will try to post some highlights as I am reading posts among festival preparations. For now, here is a preview of the Bee-autiful Buckets in progress.