Neatorama reader Darren Barefoot noticed there are a lot of water bottles positioned on the sidewalk, flush to the wall in front of homes in Malta.
Apparently, they serve a peculiar purpose: to discourage wayward dogs from peeing on the spot!
Does anyone know whether this actually works? Link - Thanks Darren!
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BTW, in Brazil, there's a myth that putting water bottles on your electric meter will make them more efficient and save you money.
If you go through the slums and poorer areas especially, there will be two or three water bottles balanced on top of the meter.
I canĀ“t explain why, but just work. With dogs i think it will not work.
Thinking about, i suppose the reazon to a bag of water work with flyes. The flyes have an excellent olfative system. May be the water smell can occlude and confund the food (trash, or anything else) smell in air. Without the smell or pheromon enough in air, the flyes tend to ampliate the area of seek food, and they gone away of the water bag perimeter.
I dont know if is right, but appear to be a good theoric explanation.
kthxbye.
It actually keeps the polar bears away. And for those who think "duh! there's no polar bear in Malta!", I would say: "Well exactly, it works!"
People have believed it ever since, and (obviously) still do it.
It went right around the world. I'm in New Zealand, and you still see some people here with water bottles on their front lawn.
I couldn't speak for dogs..