# Bottles Outside Houses??



## macdonner

Just curious as to why some of the houses we saw in Spain when we were house-hunting had bottles outside of them? They were filled with what looked like water (although a few had a yellowish tinge suggesting used oil or aherm something else) - can anyone fill me in on what this is?


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## Pesky Wesky

macdonner said:


> Just curious as to why some of the houses we saw in Spain when we were house-hunting had bottles outside of them? They were filled with what looked like water (although a few had a yellowish tinge suggesting used oil or aherm something else) - can anyone fill me in on what this is?


Well, I know some people in Britain who do that to keep cats from peeing in gardens...


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## JoCatalunya

Around these parts, in the Campo at least the farmers hang bottles in the trees containing a chemical whose name escapes me at the mo, sorry. The Olive fly climbs into the bottles and dies when it licks up the solution. In your case it is probably something similar, a weak solution of orange juice in water or even beer in a bottle with a couple of holes in the side so flies climb in and then die because they cant get out.


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## xabiaxica

a lot of our neighbours do this - the bottles are filled with water

they say that if they are put by the door it stops flies going in:confused2:


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## JoCatalunya

xabiachica said:


> a lot of our neighbours do this - the bottles are filled with water
> 
> they say that if they are put by the door it stops flies going in:confused2:


I've heard of this too, apparently the idea is that the fly sees itself in the bottle and scares itself, not too sure if that is the case, but it certainly is a novel idea.


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## xabiaxica

JoCatalunya said:


> I've heard of this too, apparently the idea is that the fly sees itself in the bottle and scares itself, not too sure if that is the case, but it certainly is a novel idea.


I suppose the reflection would be big, too - think convex mirror - so I guess there is some logic in it


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## JoCatalunya

xabiachica said:


> I suppose the reflection would be big, too - think convex mirror - so I guess there is some logic in it


Can you say convex in public :rofl:


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## Alcalaina

The theory is that the water reflects light, which messes up their eyes, but there is no evidence either way.

Some folks recommend putting citronella in the water. I might try that because I´ve got a massive clump of it (aka lemon grass) up on the terrace. It´s supposed to deter mosquitoes, but the wind does that job where we are.


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## djfwells

I asked an old guy in my village this just the other week and he told me it was to deter dogs from peeing in the corners of doorways etc... Apparently (or so he said...) Dog's prefer to pee on a flat surface, so usually walk past his house where the bottles are placed, and pee on his neighbours house instead. He seemed particularly proud of that part.
- He may just have been winding me up, though...


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## Alcalaina

djfwells said:


> I asked an old guy in my village this just the other week and he told me it was to deter dogs from peeing in the corners of doorways etc... Apparently (or so he said...) Dog's prefer to pee on a flat surface, so usually walk past his house where the bottles are placed, and pee on his neighbours house instead. He seemed particularly proud of that part.
> - He may just have been winding me up, though...


I think you've been 'ad - don't the dogs round your way pee on trees, lamp posts, cars etc??


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## thrax

I have no idea what it is for but since a load of people around here do it we will too. If we notice a drop in flies or mossies I'll let you know. The bottles hanging from trees, our next door neighbour farmer told me is to deter and/or kill various pests. At least that's what I think he said.


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## xicoalc

JoCatalunya said:


> Around these parts, in the Campo at least the farmers hang bottles in the trees containing a chemical whose name escapes me at the mo, sorry.


 It´s called my mother in laws home made sangria!


JoCatalunya said:


> The Olive fly climbs into the bottles and dies when it licks up the solution.


 Definately mother in laws home made sangria! It has that effect on me!


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## VFR

It is to deter dogs urinating & bottles can be found in many villages in Valencia.
On a terrace table they will again often place a bottle of water & gently shake the table now and then as they believe that this frightens the fly's, however I have never found that this works.


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## djfwells

Alcalaina said:


> I think you've been 'ad - don't the dogs round your way pee on trees, lamp posts, cars etc??


..You mean he was taking the P155 ..? (see what I did there ?)


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## macdonner

Great guys, thanks very much for enlightening me - guaranteed to be a no fly/mosquito/dog peeing on my doorstep zone when we move in July then lol!


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## macdonner

steve_in_spain said:


> It´s called my mother in laws home made sangria! Definately mother in laws home made sangria! It has that effect on me!


:rofl:


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## baldilocks

The definitive answer according to our neighbours:

1. Dogs prefer to pee on external corners - they can get a better angle.
2. Many houses have a stone (frequently marble) facing to inhibit damp penetration.
3. Dog pee can react with some marble facings and also leaves a persistent smell that attracts more dogs. It also stains.
4. Tethering a plastic bottle against the corner of the house means that the dogs pee against the bottle, not the wall.
5. The bottle can be frequently washed to prevent smells building up


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## snerper

I suppose you'd need bigger and wider bottles for the mother in law then? My friend needed a skin graft on his face and the surgeons took some skin from my friends bum cheek to do the job they made a lovely job of it, you'd never even notice it now! He says it was a painful process but it seems worth the pain, especially when his mother in law kisses him on the cheek!


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## baldilocks

Alcalaina said:


> I think you've been 'ad - don't the dogs round your way pee on trees, lamp posts, cars etc??


Here, to pee on trees, they mostly have to go out to the campo or use the patio; for lamp-posts they have to go to the paseo (you need highways wide enough for footpaths to have lamp-posts - our street lights are on the fronts of houses); our dog can't run fast enough to keep up with cars especially when he is on three legs!


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## pladecalvo

macdonner said:


> Just curious as to why some of the houses we saw in Spain when we were house-hunting had bottles outside of them? They were filled with what looked like water (although a few had a yellowish tinge suggesting used oil or aherm something else) - can anyone fill me in on what this is?


They are to stop dogs peeing on the wall. The 'yellowish tinge' is discolouration caused by dog pee.


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## fergie

Maybe it is the excess water from the air con, I know some people collect it to water plants in the hot summer, as lots of houses are on water meters, or there may be a hose pipe ban.
Can't imagine just keeping it for any other reason, as stagnant water would attract mosquitoes.


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## pladecalvo

It's in plastic bottles with caps on. It's to stop dogs peeing against the wall.


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## Guest

There are stacks of houses that do this in my village. Some say it is for the dogs, others for the flies. Also, there is a very old tradition that if someone comes to your door asking for water, you have to oblige. Not sure if that is connected, as the bottles are rarely replenished, hence the yellowing colour, although that is more likely to with photochromic discolouration of the plastic or of the water itself, due to insoluable contaminants held in suspension.

Phew, I need to lie down after that. Too many big words for a Saturday...


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## baldilocks

Read Post 17 !


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## chrisnation

*Speedy McZalez*



baldilocks said:


> Here, to pee on trees, they mostly have to go out to the campo or use the patio; for lamp-posts they have to go to the paseo (you need highways wide enough for footpaths to have lamp-posts - our street lights are on the fronts of houses); our dog can't run fast enough to keep up with cars especially when he is on three legs!


My dog could keep up with cars. In fact she could easily exceed the 30mph speed limit. To find out how fast she could go I sat in the back of a pick-up, whistled her up and she maintained 40 mph for 300 yards before we all had to slow down for the yard gate.

But she didn't need top speed to attack her favourite victim-vehicle. The local 10,000 litre milk tanker would only be doing about 20mph when it passed my place. The dog would rush out and savage its tyres.

Being a she, there was no need for this external angle stuff. When I first got her I lived in a flat. She'd come from living in a shed in a wood on a farm, so wasn't house trained. But she worked out for herself where she was supposed to wee - on the bathmat in front of the w.c. 

She was, of course, a Border Collie.


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## MacRov

beautiful dog


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