Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeProtectHow To Keep Flies Away From Patio

How To Keep Flies Away From Patio

Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Flies

Keep Mosquitoes Away with Thermacell Patio Shield Mosquito Repeller

While Ive always found that the Sterno trick works REALLY well and super fast, you might need another option if youre in a pinch.;

Here are a few other all-natural ways to use organic material and items you have around the house to get rid of a fly infestation

  • Use spices and herbs such as rosemary, citronella, cinnamon, basil, lavender, and mint as part of your table decor to help keep the flies at bay. Its a double bonus that natural citronella torches and candles will also help to keep mosquitos away, too.;
  • Fill a clear glass with water and drop 4 to 5 old pennies inside. It seems really strange, but it works! Turns out that adult flies are afraid of bugs bigger than them and will be turned away by this.;
  • Just like the water glass idea, you can fill clear bags with water and several pennies to hang away from the table setting to reach the same effect.;

Store Bought Fly Traps

I hung up one of these on the deck this weekend. In my excitement to rid my deck of the flies, I didn’t pay much attention to the strength of my string. Because three minutes after I hung it up, the whole thing fell down and the water/fly attractant spilled ALL over the deck.

I did hang one up successfully and it collected flies for weeks . But the one that fell and broke all over stunk up the whole deck. So learn from my mistake and tie a REALLY good knot so you don’t get stinky fly “juice” all over.


What Attracts Flies In The First Place

A fly infestation, whether youve got house flies, horse flies, gnats, fruit flies, or drain flies is the result of food sources that attract them or the availability of breeding sites where they can reproduce.

Rotting fruit will attract flies as will other types of sugar water. Look for things such as glasses of Kool-Aid, sweet tea, and soft drinks left out.

Smelly garbage cans are famous fly magnets. Piles of animal feces attract flies. Flies also love to burrow into rotting meat in the trash both for food and for a breeding site.

Their young, called maggots, will hatch and use the liquefying meat as their first food source.

Don’t Miss: Vintage Patio Furniture


How To Get Rid Of Flies

Getting rid of flies starts with cleaning. Wash walls, floors, and ground with a borax and water solution remove the trace that flies leave to attract other flies. Keep trash cans covered and remove the trash at least twice a week. Make sure there are no food scraps left lying around the house.

  • Plant basil around your home for a natural fly repellent.
  • Spray essential oils around your home to get rid of flies. Flies hate the scent of them, particularly lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, and eucalyptus.
  • The smell of cinnamon will repel flies outside and inside.
  • Keep a fly swatter handy to keep them away.

Set vinegar fly traps to get rid of flies. Pour one inch of liquid dish soap into a jar and add one inch of water. Use fruit-scented dish soap for best results. Add two to four drops of apple cider vinegar. The fragrance of cider vinegar will attract flies. Flies will then drown in the soapy water.

Plant carnivorous plants like Venus Flytrap or Sundew. They provide a clean way to get rid of flies. The plants are very attractive to look at as they steadily do their job of attacking, trapping, and digesting flies. You cant get much more natural fly traps than that.

Use Citronella Candles And Torches

advanceddesigntechniques: How To Keep Bugs Away From Patio ...

Some homeowners often overlook citronella as an option to keep pests away from their patio. Citronella candles and torches have a reputation for being effective at warding off mosquitos, but theyre also effective at discouraging flies and similar critters. In addition to filling the air with scents that discourage pests from bothering you, burning citronella can add natural ambient lighting to help illuminate your patio.

You May Like: Build Fire Pit With Pavers


Cover Food And Throw Out Waste

During any outdoor party, youre bound to accumulate waste. Empty plates, used cutlery, spent food packaging, and all sorts of other bits and pieces that you might be tempted to deal with once the guests have gone home.

But flies are attracted to food scraps and youll only increase the chances of having a swarm descend on you and your party.

Keep food covered once it comes off the BBQ and you should see fewer unwanted visitors.;

Use A Plastic Bag Half

This method seems a little suspect, but scientists report that it does work. Admittedly it is one of the most curious methods of how to keep flies away but it is effective as a natural bug repellent. Fill a plastic bag half-full of water and hang it in doorways, windows, and in areas where flies are a problem.

The water reflects light in many different directions which interferes with the flies vision. Flies have compound eyes with approximately 8,000 lenses in each eye.


This gives flies excellent vision in all directions at once. But stray light reflections caused by the bag of water can be confusing and cause problems with the flies vision. They leave the area to get relief.

Recommended Reading: How To Hang Lights On Aluminum Patio

How To Keep June Bugs From Returning

Firstly, you can try encouraging June bug predators, such as birds, by setting up birdbaths in your garden. Birds love to eat the beetles and their presence may even discourage beetle populations.

Alternatively, you can sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your yard or patio to keep June bugs away. Try to use a natural, organic food-grade product, as DE can easily come into contact with humans and pets and be walked into the home.

Make Your Own Fly Strips

Keep Mosquitoes Away with Thermacell Patio Shield Mosquito Repeller

If you dont want to go to the store and find these fly strips to hang up around your outdoor area, you can actually make your own and implement essential oils that have natural repellent qualities to them that will keep those flies away.


All you have to do is cut a piece of cloth into strips that are about a foot in length and at least an inch in width. You can cut as many or as few of these strips as you like; it really depends on the size of your patio or outdoor space when you are making them.

When you have cut all of the strips that you will need, you just need to moisten them with a few drops of your favorite essential oil that has repellent qualities. This can be something such as lavender, clove, citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, eucalyptus, or mint.

When you have successfully saturated the strips to your liking, tie them onto the railings and tree branches that surround your patio. If you dont have those things nearby, try hanging them from your roof or any other areas that are accessible to your patio or outdoor space.

The scent should get rid of the flies altogether instead of physically trapping them on the strips. You will be left with pleasant-smelling strips that hang around your outdoor space and they wont have nasty little flies stuck to them.

Also Check: Dog Friendly Patio Furniture


Eliminate The Breeding Grounds

Flies breed in decaying fruit and veggies, compost, and manure, says Dr. Gabrielle Francis, a New York City-based naturopathic doctor. Were guessing you dont have a lot of poop around your patio , but the other two could pose a problem.

If you have garbage cans outside, keep them far away from your patio, empty them regularly, and seal them shut if itll be a few days before sanitation drives down your street. If you have a vegetable garden, pick the ripe ones right away or consider relocating the garden to an area of your yard thats far away from the patio.

Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Flies On A Patio

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Spending time outside is something that many of us look forward to when the weather begins to warm and the sun starts to stay out a lot longer. Hanging out on a patio offers a space where friends and family can convene, enjoy one anothers company, and set up seating areas with chairs and tables.

But there is one common issue that comes with hanging outside: flies. Flies are something that we can all unite in our hatred of. They buzz around annoyingly, getting in our faces, zipping by our ears, getting in our food, and laying their nasty eggs anywhere they can.


The latter can be particularly disgusting. Anyone who has ever had to deal with maggots knows how nasty and disgusting the sight of those wriggly little things is and no one should have to deal with that unsightly, disgusting scene.

While it may seem like flies are simply something to deal with they live outside, after all it isnt something that has to ruin your next outdoor gathering. There are a few things that you can do to help keep those nasty pests out of your face and off of your patio.

With that said, here are a few helpful tips that can keep your patio space free and clear so that you can enjoy your time there. When you have guests, they will be appreciative of not having to deal with flies buzzing around every which way.

Read Also: How To Replace Webbing On Patio Chairs

How To Prevent Flies In Drains

Drains clogged with organic matter can attract flies and other insects. Clearing the clog and cleaning the drain is a good start for eliminating the problem. Follow these steps to get rid of flies in drains and keep them out.

Simple Tips to Get Rid of Drain Flies

  • Use a plunger or drain cleaning tool to clear out clogged drains.
  • Clean the drain with a stiff brush and an antibacterial drain cleaner. Clean regularly until the fly infestation is gone.
  • Treat your drains with Gentrol , an insecticide that interrupts the fly maturation process.

Treat Your Doorways And Window Frames

Keep the flies away from food while you dine on your patio ...

If youre hosting the party on your porch close to the house entrance, you can treat the doorways and window frames with Pyrethrin-based insecticides or other natural forms of repellent to discourage flies from food at the party.

Pyrethrin is a product made from the chrysanthemum flower and works against common house flies, gnats, and other insects too. Like a silent assassin, it wont leave any traces, at least, not on your doors or windows.

The product in the image below, Mosquito Magician, is made from a blend of essential oils, including Citronella, Garlic Oil, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Cedarwood, and Geraniol.

It can be used outdoors around the home, garden, patio, and pool, and lasts for up to 2 weeks.

You simply mix 4 oz in 1 gallon of water and spray it around with a pump sprayer, fogger, or even a commercial backpack sprayer.;

You May Like: Painting Wrought Iron Table

Flea And Tick Collars

Once your dogs, and if need be, your cats, have been properly washed and rubbed down, you can think about putting a flea collar on them to protect them from flies.;;

Other flea and tick preventative methods, such as drops or internal medicine, arent known to have any effects on flies.

People think of flea collars for cats and dogs and never consider that they might repel other bugs as well, but most of them do. They repel and kill them due to the action of the active ingredients.

The active ingredients on these collars in imidacloprid and flumethrin. Both are well-known insecticides that will kill flies as well as fleas and ticks.

Collars that use pyrethroids will be effective at repelling flies since pyrethroids naturally have repellent properties to them. Its part of their action, whether in an insect spray or on a flea collar.

Follow the directions on the collar and it will provide your pet with protection from pests of all sorts.

Use Insect Growth Regulators

Insect growth regulators are hormones that interfere with the molting process and prevent the insect from maturing and reproducing. While insect growth regulators will not get rid of existing flies, they interrupt the life cycle and eventually reduce the fly population.

Insect growth regulators combined with an eradication program such as trapping or insecticides can be an effective way to solve the problem permanently.

You May Like: How To Restore Metal Patio Furniture

How Flies Are Bad For Us

Flies;are the carriers of very deadly diseases, they infest meat and other food items, some of their species also spread food poisoning bacteria like Salmonella enteritidis.

The habitat of a fly makes it perfectly suited for spreading diseases. Fly is a restless insect, it moves back and forth between food and filth and this helps it in spreading infections faster.

It is attracted to the food by its sense of smell, however, it cannot eat solid food. When it reaches the food it vomits on the solid food and creates a solution of it, then sucks it and thus contaminates the food.

Below, I have highlighted some diseases that are caused by flies:

  • Flies can cause typhoid and paratyphoid fevers.
  • They can also spread some other diseases like diarrhea and dysentery, cholera, conjunctivitis, etc. by mechanical contamination.
  • Other diseases carried by house flies include salmonella, anthrax, and tuberculosis.
  • They are also known to transmit the eggs of parasitic worms.
  • Sandflies found in South America, Africa, and Europe are carriers of a micro-organism responsible for a disease that eats away the human skin. This disease is known as Leishmaniasis.

Before moving further, lets see the life cycle of a fly.

Use Rue As A Fly Deterrent

Keep Mosquitoes Away with the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Patio Shield Cambridge Lantern!

Rue is yet another herb that is great at repelling flies both in its natural form and as an essential oil. Rue plants have been reported to be quite effective at repelling flies and can be used near plants, seating areas, and food.

Additionally, rue can be great when planted out in the garden, in a planter on the patio, and even in a small planter in the kitchen!

Rue also comes in essential oil, which is great for treating areas that would be difficult to treat otherwise such as curtains, window sills, and other surfaces by using a diluted spray mixture. However, it may be useful to see what effect a rue plant gets you in its natural form to repel flies!

You May Like: Building Fire Pit With Pavers

Eucalyptus Oil Repels Flies

Eucalyptus oil is yet another essential oil that is a great natural repellent for flies. You can use this essential oil both right out of the bottle or diluted.

The scent of eucalyptus is one that infuriates the senses of a fly, and thus, deters them from the source.

Eucalyptus Oil is great for reaching difficult places to normally treat that attract flies such as around windows, inside of pantries, and doorways where flies may enter your home.

If youre looking for a personal fly repellent as opposed to one you may use around the home, take a peakski at REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent, as its formulated using oil obtained from the leaves of the Eucalyptus citriodora tree.

Swarms Of Flies Can Quickly Become A Nuisance

In addition to flies damaging various types of plant life, having swarms of flies around can quickly become a nuisance. This is especially true if many flies find their way into your home or frequented outdoor areas such as around patios and swimming pools. Kitchens, areas with plants, and untreated standing water can lead to swarms of flies if you are not careful and make the steps to repel them.

Recommended Reading: Russell Woodard Patio Furniture

Use Blue Light Bulbs To Relocate Flies

Flies may hate yellow but they love blue. A recent study at the University of Florida for the Department of Defense showed that flies are more likely to be attracted to something that is blue. So if you are going to use one of those light traps that has blue lights be sure to hang it as far away from where the flies are being a nuisance as possible. This will draw the flies to it and away from where you dont want them.

Was this information helpful? ;Please comment below and share your experiences. We would love to hear from you. For more expert pest control tips, check out our guide.

Do you have a question about bugs or pest control? Wed love to help. Let us know on our , in the comment section below, or by tweeting @insightpest. You may see the Bug Doctors answer to your question in a future post.

How To Repel Flies And Best Way To Repel Flies

How to Keep Bugs Away From Your Patio

img source: farmersalmanac.com

Flies are unhygienic and although they may not bite, they may be the carriers of various pathogens that could lead to diseases. Apart from this, they are also annoying. Instead of waiting for them to infest an area so as to take action, it is possible to be proactive. There are a number of things that can be done to keep flies away. Discussed below are some measures on how to repel flies.

Use of sprays: There are some scents that flies will stay away from. To repel them, one could use scented sprays. These could be manufactured or made at home. All one needs is some water and a few drops of essential oil such as tea tree. Pyrethrum sprays are also effective. Mix these well and spray on window sills, doorways, corners ad cracks. This will keep the flies from entering the house. One can purchase products that have the ability to emit short bursts of the spray to deter flies.

Use of plants: There are plants that are well-known fly repellents. These can be used both indoors and outdoors as fly repellants. Marigolds, mint and basil are one way to keep flies away.

Read Also: Best Way To Hang Outdoor Lights


RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular