This DIY Jar Hack Makes The Perfect Container For This All-Natural Bug Repellent

If you eat pickles, applesauce, or jam on a regular basis, chances are you probably have glass jars in your recycling bin. Reusing these containers before recycling them gives their glass an even longer life. Plus, they can save you money by preventing the need to buy new containers for all sorts of gardening supplies, from tomato seeds you've saved for next season to diatomaceous earth (DE), a powder made of phytoplankton fossils that's excellent at killing bugs. This product is a safe and natural way to banish leafhoppers from your garden, as well as beetles, aphids, and other problem-causing insects. DE loses its effectiveness when it gets wet, so storing it properly is essential. It's often sold in bags that are good at keeping out moisture but not so good at making the powder easy to apply to your garden. A well-sealed glass jar can solve this problem by functioning as both a storage container and a dispenser.

DE kills bugs by making their bodies dry up. Many natural remedies repel insects with strong scents, but DE cuts through the shells that protect hard-to-kill pests such as beetles and roaches. This property comes from its abrasive texture, which can bother humans' eyes, nasal passages, and lungs, so keep it away from people in your household who have asthma or other breathing conditions. It can leave skin parched, so it's wise to wear gloves when handling it. That said, DE is less likely to come into contact with your body if you dispense it with a shaker. A lidded glass jar can be turned into one of these within minutes.

To transform your jar into a diatomaceous earth shaker, begin by gathering your supplies. Nearly any size of jar will do for this project. Choose a jar that's free of cracks and easy to wash and dry. Make sure its lid closes tightly, too. You'll also need to grab a hammer, a nail with a sharp tip, a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and a rubber band.

Place the jar's lid on a flat, hard surface and hammer your nail through it to make a series of holes. Clean and dry both the jar and the altered lid before depositing any DE. Once you've filled the jar with DE, cap it tightly. Cover the holes with plastic and secure it with a rubber band. This should discourage moisture from entering the jar. When ready to use, remove the plastic and shake DE on your garden as needed. Remember, DE doesn't work when it gets wet, so you'll need to reapply it after rainstorms or plant-watering sessions.

If you don't have any glass jars in your recycling bin, see if you have spare Mason jars in your cupboard. One of these will work for making a DE storage shaker as long as you have both parts of the lid: a flat circular piece and a ring that screws onto the top of the jar. If you have a lidless Mason jar, turn it into a DIY bird feeder.