Just realized my 'rustic' jar of wildflowers was actually a mosquito breeding ground.

I picked a bunch of Queen Anne's Lace and clover from the field behind my house in June, put them in a mason jar on the windowsill. A week later, the water was full of wiggling larvae. Forgot to change the water for three days. Had to dump the whole thing outside. Now I change the vase water every single morning, no exceptions. Anyone else have a simple fix for keeping forage-bouquet water clean besides daily swaps?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettykim2mo ago

My neighbor had the same problem with her black-eyed Susans last summer. She started putting a tiny pinch of plain aquarium gravel in the bottom of the jar. The larvae need still water to attach and hatch, and the gravel seems to stir things up just enough. She also swears by a single copper penny in the water, says it keeps things clearer for days. I haven't tried the penny trick myself, but her flowers looked great.

skyler_kim2mo ago

Gotta try that penny trick, @bettykim. My gravel just looks sad at the bottom of the jar.

emery9651mo ago

Gotta feel for that sad gravel... it's such a bummer when something that should look nice just doesn't cooperate. The penny trick is interesting though, I've heard a few people swear by it for keeping water clearer, something about copper. Maybe worth a shot if you're tired of the gravel just sitting there looking blah. Seems like such a small thing to try, and if it works it could really make the whole jar pop.