Happy Wednesday, Winstigators!

If you’re anything like me, you love spring and summer around here. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, the yard starts looking alive again and there’s finally a reason to sit outside, grill something, drink something cold or pretend you’re going to weed the garden before immediately deciding it can wait.

But outdoor life comes with a price. And that price, for me, is bug bites.

No matter what I do, no matter how much bug spray I slather on (and I’ve tried them all), mosquitoes and no-see-ums absolutely feast on me. I’ve campaigned several times to have our yard professionally nuked but my wife continues to point out that spraying insecticide can also wipe out pollinators and the natural predators that actually help keep mosquitoes under control.

Annoyingly, she has a point. My bite-covered legs would like to enter a formal objection, but still.

So the other day when I read this Washington Post article about a neighborhood mosquito-fighting effort in D.C., I paid attention. The group is called the Itty Bitty Mosquito Population Committee and it started on Capitol Hill with one simple neighborhood listserv post in March. Within a week, more than 1,000 households had responded. It appears that even in our divided times, everyone can unite on hating mosquitoes.

The idea behind the group is simple but effective; instead of spraying everything and hoping for the best, they’re using a neighborhood wide approach…get rid of standing water, treat the water you can’t remove, use traps where mosquitoes gather and get as many neighbors as possible doing the same thing.

And that’s the absolute crucial element of it all; you can do everything right in your own yard, but if your neighbor has a trash can lid, tarp, planter, bird bath, clogged drain, old bucket, or random plastic toy holding water, you still live next to a mosquito factory. Mosquitoes don’t need much water to breed. Some can breed in a tiny amount of standing water, even in the size of a bottle cap.

The D.C. effort was inspired in part by a community mosquito control program in University Park, Maryland, and by larger mosquito reduction projects used in places like the Maldives and the Philippines. In those places, researchers combined aggressive standing water management with traps that attract mosquitoes and remove them. The D.C. version is now up to more than 1,800 households and 220 block captains across the city. That’s not just a few people complaining on Facebook., it’s a legit grassroots mosquito rebellion.

And I’m in. I’m totally in. After reading the article, I made my own black bucket of death. The slightly more official version is called a “bucket of doom,” but I prefer mine because it sounds like something from a low budget 1980s horror movie.

Here’s the idea: you take a dark bucket, fill it with water and some organic material like leaves or grass, then drop in a Bti mosquito dunk. The bucket attracts egg-laying female mosquitoes because it looks like a great place to breed. But the Bti kills the larvae before they can grow into mosquitoes and ruin your cookout. You can find Bti dunks at most hardware stores, and they’re designed to target mosquito larvae without torching the rest of the ecosystem.

I’d seen them in stores before and always assumed they were probably hype, but I’ve already seen some casualties in my bucket, so things appear to be moving along… swimmingly.

The big takeaway from the D.C. effort is this: mosquito control works best when it’s boring, consistent and done by a lot of people at the same time. It’s not glamorous, it’s not complicated…it’s just useful.

So here’s the simple summer plan:

Walk around your yard and dump any standing water you find. Check buckets, toys, tarps, gutters, planters, trash can lids, wheelbarrows, bird baths, plant saucers, and anything else that might hold water.

If you can’t dump the water, treat it with Bti. Build a bucket of doom. Skip the yard-wide insecticide spraying if you can, because it can kill the good bugs too. And then, tell your neighbors. Because if one house does it, that’s nice…but if a block does it, now you might actually be onto something.

I’m also considering ordering a few mosquito traps like the ones used by the Itty Bitty Mosquito Population Committee. Some of the better traps mimic human scent, attract mosquitoes, and then capture them. They require some maintenance, but if they help make the porch usable again, I’m interested.

So consider this my official mosquito-season public service announcement: forward this email to a friend, neighbor, HOA president, garden club member, backyard griller or anyone else who gets feasted on the second they step outside. If enough people reply with interest, maybe we can put together our own Winchester version of this.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of surrendering my yard every summer to legions of flying vampires. Mosquitoes may have picked the wrong hill in D.C.,..maybe around here, they picked the wrong Valley.

Shawnee Springs Market & Cannery, Winchester - Beer Tasting at Shawnee Springs Market, Senseny Road, June 19, 8pm - 11pm

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester - Quilt Discovery Day, June 20, 10am - 4pm

Warren Heritage Society Inc., Front Royal - Haunted Front Royal Ghost Tours, June 19, 8pm - 9pm

Weird Brothers Coffee, Leesburg - Family Movie Night, June 19, 4pm - 6pm

Piccadillys Public House and Restaurant, Winchester - James Austin, June 19, 7:30pm

Cacapon Riverfest, Capon Bridge - The Cacapon Riverfest 2026, June 19 - June 20

Cams Quick Lube, Romney - 6/19 Classic Truck Night | Friday Nights at Cam's, June 19 - June 20

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester - Stuffed Animal Sleepover at the MSV, June 19, 3pm - 5pm

Winchester Little Theater, Winchester - The Three Musketeers-multiple dates and times available

Spanky’s Shenanigans, Leesburg - USA vs AUS World Cup Watch Party !!, June 19, 3pm

Royal Cinemas, Front Royal - Soft Opening Party, June 19, 12:30pm

Coco Loco Nightclub, Inwood - Banda Los Recoditos in Inwood, June 19, 9pm - 11pm

Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club, Front Royal - 2026 Plastered "Open ", June 19, 9am

Great Meadow Foundation, The Plains - Jump To The Stars Jumper Show, June 19, 3pm - 9pm

The Homestead Farm at Fruit Hill Orchard LLC, Winchester - Speed Dating & Ice Cream Social, June 19, 5pm - 9pm

Screaming Goats Farm and Brewery , Amissville - Nashville Recording Artist:: James Tamelcoff at Screaming Goats Farm & Brewery, June 19, 7pm - 10pm

Bing Crosby Stadium, Front Royal Va, Front Royal - FREE Night at the BALL PARK with State Farm!, June 19, 6:30pm

The Amp at Sam Michaels Park, Shenandoah Junction - Levitt AMP Shenandoah Junction Music Series featuring Empire Strikes Brass, June 19, 6pm

Martinsburg High School Varsity Cheer, Martinsburg - WV Day!, June 19, 4pm - 9pm

James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletic & Events Center, Winchester - Hoops Through Life Girls Basketball Camp - Week 1, June 15 - June 19

Franklin Park Arts Center, Purcellville, - Candlelight: Vivaldis Four Seasons And More,

West Oaks Farm Market, Winchester - Friday Night West Oaks Farm Concert! Souled Out, June 19, 5pm - 10pm

The Hall, Boonsboro - The Hall Presents: DaBaby Live in Concert!, June 20, 9pm

Hollywood Casino, Charles Town - Charley Crockett at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

Winchester Brew Works, Winchester - Summer Of Love Scavenger Hunt For Charity, June 20, 4pm - 6pm

Morgan County Observatory, Berkeley Springs, WV - Celebrate the Solstice, 1-3 PM (Rain or shine)

James Charles Winery & Vineyard, Winchester - Corks & Cakes, June 20, 1pm

Hope Lane Foundation, Winchester - Hope Lane Foundation Pickleball Tournament, June 20, 11am - 3pm

Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium, Winchester - Front Royals Cardinals @ The Royals, June 20, 7pm - 10pm

The Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester - Author Event: David Randall - Kelsey's Crossing, June 20, 11am - 1pm

The Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester - Author Event: Cara David - Felix, Dunjee and the Big Wild World!, June 20, 2pm - 4pm

Washington County Agricultural Education Center, Boonsboro - Quad State Wine & Music Fest 2026, June 20, 12pm - 6pm

Blooming Hill Lavender Farm, Purcellville - Yoga and Charcuterie at Blooming Hill Lavender Farm, June 6 - June 20

Stone Ridge HOA, Aldie - Stone Ridge - Dads versus Sons Nerf Battle, June 20, 12pm - 3pm

Hagerstown Speedway, Williamsport - Dad's night out Fathers Day weekend with IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars, June 20, 4:30pm

Quad State Wine Fest, Sharpsburg - Shake The Room returns to SHAKE Quad State Wine Fest in support of The Reagan Years!!!, June 20, 1:30pm

Bright Box Theater, Winchester - Matthew Curry, June 20, 8pm

Bear Chase Brewing Company, Bluemont - Rowdy Ace Band 10th Anniversary Brewery Jam, June 20, 1pm

Great Meadow, The Plains - Summer Solstice Dinner at Great Meadow, June 20, 6pm - 9pm

Byron Memorial Park Williamsport Md, Williamsport - Williamsport Carnival sponsored by Downsville Ruritan Club, June 17 - June 20

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg - Bruce Springsteen tribute-The E Street Shuffle, June 20, 7pm

Star in the Valley, Strasburg - Shenandoah Summer Wine and Music Festival @ Star in the Valley Winery, Strasburg VA, June 20, 12pm - 6pm

Leesburg Animal Park, Leesburg - SUMMER UNLEASHED - School is out for SUMMER!, June 13 - June 20

Tarara Winery, Leesburg - Delta Spur - Country Music Favorites, June 20, 6pm - 9:30pm

N Charles St, Charles Town, - Start of Summer Plantapalooza, June 20, 4pm - 8pm

Harpers Ferry Brewing, Purcellville - Growlers & Golf, June 21, 12pm - 2pm

Rocky Point Creamery, Tuscarora - Goat Yoga at Rocky Point Creamery, June 21, 10am - 11:30am

Orlean Market & Pub, Orlean - Father's Day Bikes, Cars & Coffee Show followed by BBQ & Seafood Festival, June 21, 10am - 8pm

4Js Farm and Brewery, Warrenton - Father’s Day at 4Js!, June 21, 12pm - 6pm

The Historical McFarland House, Martinsburg - Fathers Day BBQ & BREWS, June 21, 1pm - 3pm

Weaverton Cliffs Md, Knoxville - Father’s Day Crawl, June 21, 12pm - 4pm

West Oaks Farm Market, Winchester - Six Strings & Bourbon Live, June 21, 1pm - 4pm

Middletown Community Park, Middletown - Middletown Community Park Hot Rod Cruisers Father's Day Car Truck Show, June 21, 9am - 3pm

Bear Chase Brewing Company, Bluemont - Mark Dunn Plays Father’s Day at Bear Chase, June 21, 5pm

Bear Chase Brewing Company, Bluemont - Father's Day Celebration at Bear Chase!, June 21, 11am - 5pm

E. Wilson Morrison Elementary, Front Royal - The VA250 Mobile Museum Exhibit, June 18 - June 21

Black Draft Farm & Distillery, Martinsburg - Wildflowers Wine Glasses Painting Event @ Black Draft Distillery WV, June 21, 1pm - 3pm

Play The Par Social Club, Leesburg - Fathers Day Lesson Package Sale

Bluemont Station Brewery & Winery, Bluemont - Father's Day at Bluemont Station!, June 21, 10am - 8pm

Beverly Equestrian, The Plains - Sunday Polo - Opening Day, June 21, 8pm

Archwood Green Barns Farmer's Market, The Plains - Archwood Green Barns Main Farmers' Market Season, May 24 - June 21

The Catamount Lounge, Front Royal - Tarot Night, June 21, 5pm - 10pm

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Have fun out there!