Turns Out, Setting Up a Bird Feeder Can Get Rid Of Mosquito Problems In Your Garden

Mosquitoes are attracted to stagnant water. They need stationary water to complete their life cycle. When they spot an overwatered garden bush, a landscape pond, or a bird bath you forgot to clean, they creep inside the water and start laying eggs. The larvae, called wrigglers, feed on the organic matter in the stagnant water, per Extermpro. When this happens, many birders hire mosquito-eating birds as contract killers to control the mosquito population.

So, while these mozzies are busy buzzing and breeding in the stagnant pool of a bird bath, the Purple Martin you hired will quietly swoop down, and within seconds, you’ll see a cloud of mosquitoes clinging to its beak. Bonus: If there are other insects like dragonflies, skeeters, or mating fire ants, the Purple Martin will finish them off as well. “Have a mosquito problem around your house? Get a bird feeder,” Reddit user u/Icycube99 advised birders in a post.

How bird feeders eliminate mosquitoes?

The user emphasized that a bird feeder is, by far, the best solution to dispatching mosquitoes and bugs to their graves. “No matter how much bug repellent you use, a bird feeder will by far be the best solution. You will keep your land chemical-free and provide great scenery when you want to eat outside. Setting one up during springtime can cultivate a large population of birds near your area, which will significantly cut down on bug problems,” the user explained in the post.

Fellow birders hopped in to share their takes and knowledge on the subject. u/Guard916 shared, “We've noticed a decline in wasps, as well. Love my feeders- usually a half dozen different species on them at any given time.” u/obxtalldude shared that they’ve been experiencing a decline in mosquito squads after setting up a hummingbird feeder. 

Alternative to bird feeders

u/series_hybrid suggested planting marigolds, as these flowers are said to repel mosquitoes. u/chiefboldface recommended a “lemon balm.” Others opposed the idea of putting bird feeders for several different reasons. One being, the smelly droppings of bird poop. “But now you have a bird poop problem,” commented u/freeflowcauvery. Many people said a “bat box” is a better alternative to bird feeders. “Get bat houses. They love mosquitoes and primarily hunt when they're most active. Also, get rid of your standing water,” said u/nestcto. u/Khrummholz suggested the idea of “insect hotels,” saying, “You can also place (as some people call) an 'insect hotel'. This is a small 'house' with a lot of small compartments filled with different things: pinecones, corkscrews, etc., to attract different species.”

According to Oh-Deer, some of the birds that love feasting on the protein bounty of mozzies include Purple Martins, swallows, nighthawks, chickadees, titmice, barn swallows, yellow warblers, eastern Phoebe, white-eyed and red-eyed vireos, hummingbirds, Eastern bluebirds, Northern Cardinal, Blackpoll Warbler, and American Robin. Some of them, like the Purple Martins and bluebirds, can eat thousands and thousands of mosquitoes (plus insects) per day.

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