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Keep Mosquitoes Away: Attract More Birds with moving Water Features
If you’re anything like me you love summer! I love the later evening sunsets, the sound of cicadas singing their song and if there is a body of water within 100 miles, I’d like to be in it. Picture this, it’s a hot summer Saturday, you’re sitting poolside with a margarita in hand at a family BBQ and suddenly you find yourself swatting a long needled pest sitting at a country buffet of your blood, a Mosquito. It’s the gross reality of summer. Not only do mosquitos leave behind ichy and sometimes large welts, they also carry with them illness-causing diseases that can wreak havoc on your immune system.
Never fear, NATURE IS HERE. Birds are a GREAT all-natural option to help keep mosquitos to a minimum in your yard this summer. Various species of birds are known for their nack of ridding yards across the United States with my summer time enemy.
- Purple Martins – The Mosquito Slayer. These guys are known for their incredible ability to hunt these pesky insects. They come in large families that make them really effective in controlling Mosquito populations.
- Chickadees & Titmice – Tiny but Mighty. They may be small in size, but pack a punch when it comes to keeping mosquitos in check. Trust us, you’ll want them on your side.
- Swallows – To-Go Order. These guys are remarkable. They can catch mosquitos mid flight, making them excellent hunters you’d love to see in your yard.
You’ll want to attract several of these heavy hitters if you’d like to keep mosquitos out of your yard this summer. The best way to attract birds in summertime is by providing food water or shelter. In this case, lets take a look at water. Providing your feathered friends with a cool space for them to splash around in water is absolutely paramount. In the heat of summer there’s simply no better way to entice friendly fliers than with moving water!
Accessories for bird baths and leaf misters will absolutely bring more birds (and butterflies) to the garden. Because
they keep water from becoming stagnant, it stays fresher and mosquitoes can’t lay their eggs in it either.Both solar fountains and those using electricity recirculate water in bird baths. Drippers and leaf misters run off the outdoor spigot and although very slow and adjustable, do utilize a continuous water flow. They come as complete kits with everything required to be up & running in minutes… no kidding!
Leaf misters offer lots of options for placement too. You can attach them to a branch or trellis, (50 ft. of rubber tubing is included) attach to a deck bracket or even a simple plant stake in the garden. We prefer the latter as the mister may easily be moved around to benefit the garden by watering different sections daily.Butterflies especially adore the gentle mist, while hummingbirds and other songbirds like chickadees and bluebirds will wait for them to start each morning… it’s like a spa for them and makes a spectacular viewing experience for host too.
Place leaf misters near nectar-producing plants like lantana and enjoy the show!Moving water in a bird bath or somewhere in the landscape is the ticket to seeing more bird activity during warm summer months. In fall, simply pack them up and store away for next season. A one-time investment that promises to bring many seasons of use and enjoyment… and more winged activity to your place!
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Heated Bird Baths Make Your Backyard Bird-Ready
It’s here… the first dreaded cold front hit the Southeast making tonight the coldest in Atlanta since last January.The anticipation brings several chores for winterizing; bringing plants inside (when there’s absolutely no room for them), covering outdoor spigots- but first disconnecting the umpteen attachments for misters and birdbath drippers, digging out bird bath heaters stored from last winter and maybe even weatherstripping a few windows because the wind is just howling right now.
And then there’s the birds!
Though they’ve done pretty well at surviving winter on their own- there’s lots you can do to make it a little easier for them. In return they’ll grace your space through long and dreary winter days.
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- Clean and fill all bird feeders with fresh food as last night’s rain (but of course) made for some nasty birdseed. Nobody likes mushy seed.
- Fresh suet if it’s been sitting out for a while. Now’s the time to switch from no-melt warm weather suet to the gooey stuff filled with lard or fat. It’s higher in calories for birds to stay warm overnight.
- Add another suet feeder because so many resident birds partake in cold weather. Check out the easy recipe for bluebird banquet and whip up a batch for the first cold snap! Not just for blues, your chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, warblers, wrens and others love this stuff!
- Nyjer seed should also be replaced if sitting out for more than two weeks or so and if you’ve had substantial rain.
- Bird Bath heaters… just can’t say enough if you want your bluebirds to stick around through winter! We use one heated deck-mount bird bath and 3 separate heaters in other baths around the yard. Fresh water is critical in winter, especially when all natural sources tend to freeze. And it’s the easiest way to attract birds to the yard! Now, when squatting and walking like a duck under the screened porch to plug-in the one heater… be sure to hit your head really hard on the floor of screened porch above- ouch! Nope- we have no picture for that but can promise it literally takes your breath away ;(
- Peanuts and peanut butter are fab winter foods! Mix peanuts with seed on a platform feeder or try peanut butter right on a tree trunk. Warblers, nuthatches, jays and woodpeckers will go for it!
- Winterize birdhouses by first repairing any damage and sealing vents with weather stripping or duct tape. Lots of birds line their roosts with dried pine needles or leaves. Offer wood shavings or nesting materials to help them decorate!
Happy birding and bundle up… it’s cold out there!
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Happy New Year… Deep Freeze Calls for Heated Bird Bath
Resolve to help birds thrive in freezing weather…
When temperatures are soaring in the midst of summer, it’s pretty obvious to remember water for feathered friends and wildlife. We’re outdoors more often, gardening and relaxing- so filling the birdbath becomes intuitive. But throughout winter months, and especially in freezing weather we tend to prefer the cozy warmth of staying inside. But birds require fresh water regardless of the time of year or temperatures.
Some of the more hard core bird lovers will make the daily trudge through snow and ice to clear, clean and fill feeders (that’s us!). Several heated bird baths around our place remain ice-free (and worry-free) as resident birds are seen daily drinking from them. Although bathing is not as popular in freezing weather… water is critical for drinking!A popular birding magazine with an expert article mentioned that birds can fend for themselves when it comes to water in winter. Melting ice and snow for example will provide water. BUT during a week-long deep freeze in Atlanta recently, there was zero precipitation (luckily) – which means there was no melting ice and no snow. So… that theory’s not really valid.
Fresh water is so important yet so easy with a heated bird bath or a simple heater added to your existing bath. It’s an oasis for year-round use (just tuck the cord) and they come in several styles like deck-mounted, tall pedestal or heated ground baths. In many cases, a heater will keep your ceramic or cement birdbath from freezing and cracking as well.Nab a heated bird bath for this winter season. It’s a one-time investment that offers an ongoing, essential element to help wild birds thrive in cold winter months.
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Keep Mosquitoes Away: Attract More Birds with moving Water Features
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