Gardeners have been urged to use plastic bottles in their gardens as the weather heats up. The bottles can be used to trap flies and can be used to help bees in distress.
Gardeners are advised to hold onto plastic bottles because they can be used to keep flies away(Image: Getty Images)
Memorial Day is just around the corner, with parades planned and backyard BBQs in the works, and some green thumbs may spend the holiday weekend out in the garden. Gardening enthusiasts are being let in on a clever DIY secret that uses old plastic bottles to keep flies at bay.
The trick involves cutting off the top of the bottle and pressing the sides down to create a funnel shape.
To make the fly-repelling mixture, combine water, sugar, and a small amount of dish soap, reports the Mirror UK.
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Once the mixture is prepared, pour it into the bottle to lure flies, which will then get trapped in the solution once they enter. But that’s not the only gardening magic you can do with plastic bottles – they can also be turned into spray repellents for flies.
Mix a few drops of eucalyptus oil with water and a small amount of vinegar or witch hazel, then pour into a spray bottle. Spray this mixture around areas where you relax, as well as near windows and doors, to keep flies from gathering there.
Putting a water, sugar and glue mixture in the garden can help keep flies at bay (Image: Getty)
A mixture of lemongrass oil and water is also effective, according to the Express. The same sugary solution designed to ward off flies can also be modified to help struggling bees with one simple change.
Leave out the dish soap and mix together sugar and water to help heat-exhausted bees. Gardeners World shared: “It’s not uncommon to find bumblebees at an apparent standstill appearing tired, particularly in winter or in inclement weather.
“To get them back on their feet, you can mix a sugar solution by mixing equal parts warm water and sugar.”
“Place near the bee’s head in a bottle cap or something similar, and it should stick out its proboscis to drink, energise and warm up.”
Gardeners are urged to opt for a sugar boost for our buzzy friends but in moderation. The RSPB chimed in, noting: “It’s common to find tired bees on pathways, walls and places you wouldn’t expect.”
They suggest that in such scenarios, rustling up a mix of about two tablespoons of white, granulated sugar with one tablespoon of water could just be the pick-me-up these industrious insects need.
However, the experts ring in a word of caution, “It’s crucial to refrain from leaving out honey, or large containers of sugar water as these simply do not constitute viable long-term solutions for bees.”