How To Easily Repurpose An Old Milk Jug To Help Keep Your Birdbath Mosquito-Free

Mosquito season: Just hearing those words and knowing that these pests are out and about, waiting to bite you while enjoying the warm weather is enough to make you want to skip to the cold months. Having a bird bath is basically the equivalent of an office water cooler for bug socializing. After all, these insects love still water, and your bird bath is a giant source for them to feed and breed. Putting your baths away or getting rid of them entirely means no more feathered friends coming to visit either. So, what's the solution? You make a drip system using an old milk jug with a drilled-out hole, water, and some string, of course. Just by adding a little disruption to the still water in your bird bath, you can deter mosquitoes and save money.

Mosquitoes like to lay their eggs near stagnant water sources, which is why you may notice more around bird baths or puddles in your yard. The clever thinking behind this easy hack is based around keeping constant ripples churning up the water so that it does not draw in pests. While you can invest in water wigglers or fountain style bird baths, it seems silly to replace a perfectly good fixture you already own. This is a clever way to drive mosquitos away naturally using only a few items.

Your supplies will consist of an empty milk jug, rope or string, a tree, pole, or post you can hang the jug from, and a water source like a hose to manually fill the milk container. Start by washing out your jug with warm water. You can also add vinegar to help remove the dairy, as soap could contaminate the water your bird's drink from. Once you've thoroughly cleaned it, use a nail or a sharp point to poke a hole at the bottom of the plastic. To make this easier, hold the handle and tilt the jug diagonally, then find the farthest corner from your hand, so when you hang the milk container by the handle, the water will continually spill out thanks to the tilt. It may also help to cut the top off the jug to create a bigger opening for refills. 

Having a tree branch or a tall shepherd hook near your bird bath is how you're going to hang the drip system. Use your rope or string to secure it, then fill the jug with water. The smaller the hole is at the bottom of the jug, the slower the water will come out, causing just enough of a disturbance to keep mosquitoes away. The only downside of this hack is that you may have to continually refill it since it does not run off battery or solar power. However, for the inexpensive design and the fact that you can recycle a milk jug rather than purchasing anything new does make it worth trying. Who knew a milk jug was one of the household staples that repel mosquitoes?