By Cheri Sicard
Everyone enjoys time outside until mosquitoes show up. These pests make evenings uncomfortable and can spoil your campsite fun. The good news is there’s a simple, safe, and cheap way to control mosquitoes at a long-term campsite using the four corners method. The team from Fancy Plants shares it in the video at the end of this post.
This DIY trick takes minutes to set up and uses supplies you already have or can easily get. The good news? It stops mosquitoes before they become a problem. The bad news? It takes about 10 days to take effect. This mosquito control strategy will be beneficial if you RV in a single spot for several weeks at a time, or for the entire season, but won’t be effective for quick trips.
Of course, you can also use it at home and, in fact, the video was made for those with yards. But it works for campsites, too, for what is a campsite but a yard away from home?
The four corners method is an easy way to break the mosquito breeding cycle without using harsh chemicals. By using four containers placed at the corners of your campsite, you encourage mosquitoes to lay eggs in these traps instead of random spots. It draws them in, keeps them out of trouble, and wipes out their next generation.
Mosquitoes go from eggs to larvae to nymphs, and, finally, to adults. Focusing on the larvae makes the biggest difference because it stops mosquitoes from reaching the biting stage. Interrupting the mosquito life cycle at this point cuts their numbers fast and stops adults from annoying you.
What you need:
• Four sturdy containers (plastic tubs, buckets, or large plant saucers)
• Water
• Grass clippings, leaves, or other easy-to-find organic matter
• Mosquito bits or mosquito dunks (These are people-, pet-, and plant-safe products loaded with natural bacteria that kill mosquito larvae.)
Follow these simple steps to set up your mosquito control traps:
1. Fill each container with a few inches of water.
2. Add grass, leaves, or organic yard waste to the water.
3. Sprinkle in the right amount of mosquito bits or break a dunk into pieces. Follow the label for dosage.
4. Put the containers in the shadiest parts of your campsite—aim for the corners if you can.
Why it works
Mosquitoes love still water packed with old leaves or grass. This is their favorite egg-laying spot because it feels like the puddles they’d find out in nature. Luring them in with organic matter boosts the chances of trapping more mosquito eggs.
The mosquito dunks or bits release a special, non-toxic bacteria that kills mosquito larvae before they grow up. Since the bacteria only affect mosquito larvae, they’re safe for pets and plants, making them better than using sprays. But still, don’t let pets drink from these containers to play it safe.
Make sure containers go in shady areas where mosquitoes already like to breed. Spreading them around the four corners of your campsite covers the whole space, turning your space into a mosquito trap zone and bumping up your odds of keeping them away.
Waiting period and what to expect
Give it 10 days—the time it takes for a mosquito to go from egg to adult. After this, expect a significant drop in mosquitoes buzzing around. Less itching, less hassle.
When larvae die before turning into adults, mosquitoes can’t mature or lay more eggs. The population can’t spike. This “devastating cycle” keeps numbers down, unless new mosquitoes fly in from nearby yards.
This method targets only mosquitoes breeding in your yard. Mosquitoes flying in from nearby land aren’t stopped, so you might still see some pests. However, their future eggs will meet the same fate when they land in your traps.
That said, people report about a 95% drop in mosquitoes after a couple of weeks. After 10 days, dump old water, refill, and reset.
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RVT1266
We had a system similar to this set up at our RV resort in Idaho by a commercial company. Some 40 of those tubs. After a month, no reduction of mosquitos. It did not work.
Thank you for calling attention to the video and summarizing it, Cheri. This seems exactly what our pest company has done to our yard at home. DW uses a variety of things to repel mosquitoes when we travel, chiefly a rechargeable Thermacell (https://amzn.to/4oCcg9K) and Off Mosquito Coils (https://amzn.to/4enXfFb). But, for Alaska last summer, she brought out one more line of defense, Buggy Bands (https://amzn.to/4eW5CrH), which we wore hiking as well as any time we were outside the RV. Have a great week and safe travels!
Tried this at home, did not work