Good morning Hampton Roads. Kregg here, from K&J Lawn and Garden Service with your Garden Tip of the Week and this one is for the birds…literally.
Besides being
pretty to look at and providing some natural music, birds are also great at insect control. So with the onset of mosquito season, you want to befriend as many birds as you can.
To attract birds to your yard, start with some running water. If you don’t already have a pond or fountain, here is an easy way to add a little drip.
Get an old gallon milk jug, rinse it out and fill it with water. Hang it in a tree, poke a hole in the bottom with a needle so that it drips at about one drop ever 10 seconds. Then place a saucer under the jug to catch the water. You might want to put the saucer on some bricks or a small table, since many birds do not like to drink on the ground.
It will take about 2 days for the jug to empty and give the birds a fresh source of water. You can also paint the jug green, so it will blend in with the tree foliage.
Also, put out a variety of food for them. Make it a buffet, with different seeds, suet and even fresh fruits. Just like us
, birds don’t want to eat the same stuff every day. If you have been in the habit of dead heading your flowering plants, try to leave some for the birds. By letting the dead flowers go to seed, you are giving the birds more variety.
Finally, ensure they have a place to live. Not all birds need a house. Some just need a platform, a hole in a tree or some thick brush to call home.
Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your garden with God’s feathered creatures.
Kregg Deur, owner of K&J Lawn and Garden Service LLC. Established business July 2007 and provides residential and commercial lawn care and landscape services to Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. 
