Half Filled Plastic Bags
This method is debatable for its effectiveness, but it does work. All you need to do is fill a plastic bag halfway with water. Now hang it near the areas with fly problems or on doorways and windows.
Flies vision is compromised due to the reflected light on the waters surface. To get relief from a vision problem, flies steer clear of that area.
What Can I Spray In My Yard For Flies
Chemical insecticides, for homeowners who are not averse to using chemicals in the yard, are the fastest and most effective method for eliminating flies. Botanical insecticides such as neem and pyrethroids are fast-acting killers of flying insects. Foggers and sprays containing these chemicals kill flies on contact. via
Preventing A Housefly Infestation
The best way to deal with a housefly infestation is to prevent it in the first place. Make sure they dont have areas to lay eggs and remove things that can attract the flies.
- Make sure your windows, doors, and house vents are sealed properly and free from holes or other damage.
- Use a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid, and take the bag out as soon as its full.
- Store food properly in airtight containers.
- Dont leave dirty dishes or glasses out on the counter.
- Dont leave grass clippings or leaves out to decay near your house.
- Turn off outdoor lights at night when possible. Flies are attracted to light.
- Avoid using rat poison to kill rodents, because the carcasses can attract flies.
- Clean up animal feces, such as in a cats litter box, right away.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Mold From Concrete Patio
More About Fly Control Products
If you have an annual issue with flies, perhaps consider starting these treatment methods before the flies have a chance to build up in their populations. If you use a combination of fly bait, sticky flytraps, and insecticides, as well as removing food sources, the flies should be no match against you! For some serious fly infestations, you may need to work with a pest control company.
How To Get Rid Of Flies Outside In 4 Steps
MISHKANET.COM” alt=”Get rid of flies on patio > MISHKANET.COM”> When you are trying to enjoy a meal outside, it is so annoying to have flies swarming around or landing on your food. Flies can also invade your indoor spaces when you open and close doors. Flies are the least active during colder months and typically reach maturity during the spring. So, how to get rid of flies in your outdoor spaces? In this guide, we outline how to get rid of flies outside so you can enjoy your yard without worrying about an infestation.
Recommended Reading: How To Keep Outdoor Umbrella From Blowing Over
How To Get Rid Of Winter Bug Infestations
Once winter insects find the food and heat source theyre in search of, it will be hard to get rid of them. And if you dont manage the situation right away, home insects can breed quickly, creating a winter bug infestation. There are insecticides and bug sprays available for different types of home insects, but many use chemicals that could be harmful indoors. Heres how you can get rid of winter insects safely and as naturally as possible.
Understanding The Lifecycle Of Flies
At some times of the year, it’s be nearly impossible to eradicate flies from outdoor environments. From spring to fall in North America, the common housefly is actively breeding, reaching a peak of activity during mid-summer. The species requires only moisture and some decaying organic matter in order to breed and thrive. During the warmth of summer, even just a pile of dead leaves moistened by rainfall can quickly become a breeding ground for flies. Unless you live in the middle of an enormous asphalt parking lot, it will be nearly impossible to avoid flies entirely during the summer months.
A mature female housefly can lay up to 500 eggs in its short lifespan. The eggs hatch into larvae within a day, and in as little as a week those maggots will proceed through the pupal state and hatch into flies. A day later they will be breeding adults. Eradicating flies entirely is not a battle you can win in the warmth of summer. The best you can hope for is to repel flies from the areas where you want to enjoy outdoor recreation and to reduce the overall number of outdoor flies by controlling the feeding and breeding opportunities.
Read Also: How To Decorate A Pop Up Gazebo
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 Remove Flies From Your Patio
Fortunately, eradicating flies from your patio space isnt difficult, just requires some cleaning and perhaps purchasing some fly control products.
- Step 1: You need to eliminate potential food sources and other materials from your patio that may be attracting flies. This means tidying your entire outdoor space. Wipe down your patio furniture with cleaning agents, and spray down your pavement to remove any sticky residue from food. Its also a good idea to remove nearby pet waste, seal up your garbage can, and also take rotting wood to the nearby dump.
- Step 2: Its fly bait time! Every month, scatter some fly bait on and around your patio, as well as other areas that the flies are attracted to. Be careful though, some of these products can be toxic to humans and pets, so dont use them in areas where you directly serve food or somewhere that your pet can get into.
- Step 3: Use some sticky flytraps and hang them from tree limbs, in your garage, on birdhouses, or other areas that the flies are attracted to.
- Step 4: Spray insecticide around the exterior of your home. But like the fly bait, make sure you spray it in areas that wont endanger your pets or children.
Don’t Miss: How To Build A Covered Patio On Concrete Slab
Is It Bad To Leave Dog Poop In The Yard
By leaving the dog’s waste in the backyard while you mow, you are then spreading what has been determined as toxic chemicals by the EPA and CDC all over your lawn. It will certainly diminish the color and look of the luscious green grass you have and will create a higher likelihood of catching zoonoses. via
Keeping Flies And Pests Off The Patio
- Written by Melissa Austin on Dec 23, 2009To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by
What You’ll Need
An outdoor patio is a great place to spend a warm evening or entertain company. However, nothing can crash your outdoor festivities as quickly as the appearance of flies and other creepy, crawly bugs. Sometimes these pests are a menace just because they’re unsettling and gross. Other times they can be a problem for you and your guests because they bite, such as mosquitoes and midges.
Plant Repellant Flowers
Use flowers such as Marigolds or Calendula .These flowers don’t just smell good and add color to your patio; they also keep the mosquitoes and other biting insects at bay.
Burn Citrus or Citronella
Citrus candles work great alone, but they are even better when used in conjunction with citronella torches. To keep the flying bugs away, place citronella Tiki-Torches around the perimeter of your patio, and/or place citrus candles on surfaces such as tables or benches. This should help keep flies and other pests off your patio.
Spray with Hydrogen Peroxide
Use Anise Oil
Anise is a little known herb that works extremely well in repelling bugs. You can find anise oil in health food stores and some garden centers. You may even be able to find it in the spice section of your local grocer.
Use Dryer Sheets
Also Check: How To Build Patio Steps Using Pavers
Why Is It Important To Get Rid Of Flies
Flies are dirty, restless insects, zipping from here to there landing on walls, your skin, your dogs poop, and the trash. Flies help increase the spread of disease and infection. Flies can cause typhoid and paratyphoid fevers, spread diseases like diarrhea and dysentery, cholera, and conjunctivitis. They can carry salmonella, anthrax, and tuberculosis. Flies are also known to transmit the eggs of parasitic worms. Ready to get rid of flies? Lets explore how to get rid of flies.
How To Get Rid Of Flies On Your Outdoor Patio
Nothing ruins an outdoor gathering quite as fast as flies swarming your picnic area and covering your food. Flies gathering on the patio arent just annoying, but could also potentially turn into a health hazard. To keep your area free from these buzzing pests, try these tricks for getting rid of flies on the patio.
Read Also: How To Remove Sliding Patio Door Frame
Tricks To Get Rid Of Flies
Nobody move!Lifestyle DeterrentsKeep the doors closedScoop the poop Inspect trash cansTrim, trim, trimDrain the waterCover the fruitCant find the source?Preventative Measures to Keep Flies AwayCheck for leaksInstall fly-offensive plantslavender
ReflectorsSome people claim that hanging CDs and even zip-style plastic storage bags half full of water near entryways to a home will effectively keep flies away. Others say they do nothing. The suns reflection might be the key. Either way, it is a cheap method to try, and if it works as well as reported, your problems are solved.Control MeasuresIf things are relatively under control, but its the dead heat of summer, and you cant get rid of a few random flies that manage to find their way in, here are a few more aggressive options:Fly paperFly paper comes in strips or sheets, is very sticky, and is difficult to remove if you get it on your clothing or some other surface. Fly paper works to some extent, but it is unsightly and usually is not a cure-all for bad infestations. It should be hung in the sunshine and out of the wind to be most effective.
You Can Learn How To Keep Flies Away With A Bar Of Irish Spring According To A Viral Facebook Post
Summer is officially here, which means warm weather, picnic spreads and weekends spent at the grill. However, it also means an increase in some of our not-so-favorite pests, particularly the ones that like to buzz around our snacks.
Its annoying to have to swat away bugs, especially when youre eating. No one wants to see a fly walking across their slice of watermelon! Fortunately, deterring flying pests is probably easier than you think. Here are a handful of secret weapons to pull out in the fight against bugs.
Recommended Reading: Removing Dog Urine From Concrete
Wondercide Outdoor Pest Control Spray
We did mention that Wondercide came in both an indoor and outdoor formula, and while we are focusing on how are flies getting in my house, its important to keep in mind that most fly problems begin outdoors.
When it comes to fly control and keeping flies out of your home, we suggest using a year-round pest control spray like the above Wondercide spray for outdoors. This product is harmless to beneficial insects but works great to repel flies, mosquitoes, earwigs, and many other pests you dont want in your yard or garden.
Again, this product is perfectly safe to use around children and pets and it will not harm the environment.
Threats That Come With An Outdoor Fly Infestation
Even though flies do not bite humans, that does not mean they do not pose threats. For example, because flies feed on many types of filthy matter and human food, they can pick up disease-causing organisms. Each time a fly comes into contact with food or people, it can spread these disease-causing organisms.
You May Like: How To Stop A Patio Umbrella From Spinning
How To Repel Flies From Your Porch
Many natural and other fly repellents can be used outside to keep flies away from your house. You can try planting herbs and flowers such as basil or marigolds around the house, or even plant a few Venus flytraps. You can also use sticky traps outside.
You can also use insecticides outdoors, although flies will still develop resistance to them. Residual pesticides, which remain active for longer than indoor pesticides, can be sprayed around your house.
Houseflies are mainly attracted by material in which they can lay their eggs. This includes:
- rotting material, including food waste and other garbage
- animal feces
Vinegar And Dish Soap
A mixture of vinegar and dish soap can help you trap flies. To use this method, mix about an inch of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a tall glass. Cover the glass with plastic wrap. Secure the plastic wrap with a rubber band and poke small holes in the top.
Flies will be attracted to the vinegar in the glass and will fly through the holes. However, the dish soap causes the flies to sink instead of being able to land on the vinegar.
Don’t Miss: How To Build A Cover For My 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.
Vinegar And Witch Hazel
> howgetrid.net” alt=”How to Get Rid of Flies outside on Patio >> howgetrid.net”> Add a quarter of a cup of apple cider vinegar, a quarter of a cup of witch hazel, and 30 to 60 drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle and shake well.
Pros: No chemicals, works great, can be used as a fly repellent body lotion.
Cons: Only effective against house flies, may cause irritation if it enters eyes.
You May Like: How Many 80 Lb Bags Of Concrete Make A Yard
What Is The Best Fly Repellent For Outside
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.
Recommended Reading: Wood Deck Over Concrete Porch
What Should You Know About Drain Flies
Drain flies are tiny gray or brown colored flies that have short and wide wings. They dont really fly so much as they hop and jump from place to place.
Their short rounded wings limit their flying capacity, but they can easily jump out of reach and scurry off with a bouncing movement. The most common type of drain fly in bathrooms is the moth fly.
With their small and lightweight bodies, drain flies can easily maneuver themselves out of harms way, and they can easily crawl into tight spaces like drains and pipes. Drain flies measure less than a quarter of an inch in size, and most are smaller than a grain of rice.
Where do drain flies come from? The sludge in pipes and poorly functioning drains are ideal for drain flies to breed in and lay eggs that will hatch into black worms. This is why they crawl along bathroom pipes and down drains.
You may find toilet drain fly larvae or black worms in your toilet bowl. Drain flies love to lay eggs in toilet drains, under the bowl rim, and even under your toilet seat.
Drain flies may not be coming from your drain if you have open windows. With their small size, drain flies can even crawl through a window screen. Having a compost heap is an ideal place for a drain fly colony to nest, and your bathroom is merely the next nesting place.
While drain flies are not renowned for being disease carriers, they do crawl through sludgy drains, and the potential for carrying disease and bacteria is always present.