The Summertime Struggle of Outsmarting Flies
Ugh, it’s that time of year again. The sun’s out, the grills are fired up, and you’ve got flies circling your patio like it’s their own personal landing strip. Don’t let those little buggers harsh your summer mellow. You’ve got options to send them buzzing far, far away. From DIY traps to high-tech gadgets, I’ve got pro tips to make your backyard the no-fly zone of your dreams. With my advice, you’ll be chilling on the deck totally fly-free before July 4th. Those pests may be small, but they’re determined. Time to outsmart them with science. Let the battle begin.
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Why Flies Invade in the Summer
The fly population has been waiting all year for summer to roll around so they can crash your BBQs and picnics. As soon as the temperature starts rising, they emerge from wherever they’ve been hiding and descend upon your yard like a plague of locusts.
It’s Party Time
Before you know it, they’re buzzing around your burgers and landing on your lemonade like the fly infestation they are. The nerve! Unfortunately, the outside flies find your backyard just as appealing as you do this time of year. The smells of grilling meat and sweet summer cocktails are like a siren song, luring them to join in on the festivities.
Also Read: 10 DIY Easy Outdoor Kitchen Tips & Ideas on a Budget
It’s All About Location.
Flies flock to areas with access to food sources, shelter, and breeding spots. Your yard in summer likely offers the ideal fly habitat trifecta. Leftover pet food scraps, unsecured garbage cans, compost bins or a compost pile, stagnant water – all are prime real estate for flies seeking a place to feed, rest, and reproduce. They’re attracted to strong smells and in summertime, your backyard or patio is their perfect breeding ground.
Once flies move into your yard, they’re there for the season. The only way to reclaim your outdoor space is by removing access to anything a fly might need or want. Secure trash, pick up pet waste, dump standing water – do whatever it takes to convince the flies that your backyard is no longer the hottest summer hangout in town.
The flies may ruin your fun in the sun for a while, but don’t let them get you down. With some strategic fly control methods, you can outsmart them at their own game with the following effective ways. Stay one step ahead of those pesky pests and get back to enjoying barbecues and lemonade – fly-free! Summer’s too short to share it with uninvited guests. Kick those flies to the curb and reclaim your yard. The party’s just getting started!
Keep Flies Away With These 5 Natural Repellents
Citronella Oil
The pungent citrus scent of citronella oil is a natural repellent to flies and mosquitoes. You can apply the oil directly to your skin, but for maximum effect in your yard, saturate citronella-soaked sticks or torches and place them around the patio. The smell may not last long, but those flies will stay far away for the duration. If you prefer citronella scented candles, make sure they’re suitable for outdoor spaces.
- Burns for up to 25 hours
- Great for campfires, backyard patios and outdoor picnics
- Wood wick adds the crackling sound of fire
Lavender
Not just a fragrant herb, lavender contains natural compounds that repel flies and other insects. The best way is to plant lavender bushes around the yard, especially near entryways to your home. You can also harvest the flowers to make a lavender oil spray or sachets to hang around the patio. The divine scent of lavender will have you relaxing in a fly-free backyard.
Also Read: The Best Ways to Style Your Kitchen with Lavender
Cloves
Cloves aren’t just for pumpkin pie and cider. Their pungent, spicy aroma naturally deters flies and other insects. Simmer whole cloves, clove oil, and water on the stove to make a fragrant potpourri. The smell will permeate the air, sending flies fleeing from your yard. You can also stud citrus fruit peels with whole cloves and leave them around entryways.The best part? It’s all organic material.
Eucalyptus
The sharp, medicinal scent of eucalyptus oil is highly repellent to flies and other insects. Add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to water in a spray bottle to make a natural repellent spritz. Spray it around the yard, especially near trash cans and your compost bin where flies like to congregate. The refreshing aroma will have your yard smelling clean and fly-free in no time.
Coffee grounds
Used coffee grounds make for an earth-friendly, natural fly repellent. Flies detest the strong smell of coffee, so sprinkling used grounds around the yard, in compost bins, and near entryways to your home will deter them from the area. Reapply after rain and your yard will be fly-free thanks to this natural, inexpensive trick. Now you have an excuse to make another pot of coffee!
Make Your Patio and Yard Less Inviting
It’s summer, the sun is shining, and all you want to do is enjoy your yard. But those pesky flies seem to have the same idea. Don’t let these uninvited guests crash your BBQ and take back your patio!
First things first, clean up any standing water where flies can breed. Dump kiddie pools, pet bowls, gutters, birdbaths—anything holding water. Flies love muck and anything with a strong odor. So clear leaves, grass clippings, animal waste and yard waste where they can hide.
Speaking of hiding, flies adore shady, sheltered areas. Trim bushes, mow lawns, and weed gardens so there are fewer places for them to loiter. Install an oscillating fan or misters—the breeze and spray will make your patio less hospitable for flies and more enjoyable for you.
Remember the natural repellents we talked about before? You can also make DIY repellents with essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint or citronella mixed with water in a spray bottle. Spritz it on outdoor furniture, plants, and around doorways.
Also Read: 10 DIY Easy Outdoor Kitchen Tips & Ideas on a Budget
But do you know the one method that blows my mind? The pennies in water trick. Yeah! Put some pennies in a glass of water and place them around the table, or hang a plastic bag with water and pennies around the patio. I don’t know exactly how it works, but I’ve heard the pennies seem larger in water and mimic the eyes of other bugs. Another thing I’ve heard is that the water reflects sunlights like a mirror, keeping the flies away because they don’t like the shimmering of the water. Whatever works is good enough for me.
Finally, as a last line of defense, set out fly traps or zappers. Commercial traps use bait like sugar, vinegar or wine to lure flies in but make it hard for them to escape. Zappers electrocute the pests on contact. Place several around the yard, especially near entry points to your home. The satisfying “zap” of flies meeting their demise may become your new favorite summer soundtrack!
With some strategic moves, you can outsmart those pesky flies and reclaim your outdoor spot. A clean yard, fewer hiding spots, natural repellents and traps will make your patio space and yard less hospitable for uninvited guests so you can enjoy summer the way it’s meant to be.
Indoor Solutions for Keeping Flies Out
Screen Up
The obvious solution is to barricade those buzzing beasts out of your house altogether. Make sure you have door and window screens that are tight-fitting to physically block flies from getting in. If there are any holes or tears in your screens, fix or replace them ASAP. The flies will find them—and invite all their friends over for an all-you-can-eat buffet in your kitchen. Yeah, that also means those tiny, annoying fruit flies.
- Easy to install
- Pet & kid friendly
- Self closing
- Multiple sizings
Repel the Invaders
If a few flies still manage to slip through the cracks, you’ll need to make your home as inhospitable as possible. Set out bowls of vinegar, citrus peels, eucalyptus or lavender oil, or mothballs around entry points to naturally repel flies with their unpleasant (to flies) odor.
You can also try commercial fly tape, spray, or bait, though the chemical smell may be unpleasant to you too. As a last resort, you can set out a fly trap (or two) to capture and kill any flies that make it inside, like sticky traps. Just be sure to place them away from food areas and empty them often. And if you happen to love plants (I do!) set up some strategically placed carnivorous plants like venus flytraps or pitcher plants.
Swat Squad
When all else fails, it’s time to go on the offensive. Arm yourself with a fly swatter or rolled up magazine and go to battle, stalking your airborne foes and swatting them out of the air with lightning speed. You’ll feel a bit like a ninja as you karate chop those pests out of the sky. For added fun, keep a tally of your “kills” and compete with family members to see who has the fastest fly-swatting reflexes. At the end of the day, defending your home from these seasonal invaders can be an amusing way to bond over your shared annoyance at nature’s pestilence.
The flies may win a few skirmishes, but with these strategies you can ultimately outsmart them and win the war. Now get out there and reclaim your territory!
When All Else Fails – Fly Traps and Zappers
So you’ve tried everything to evict those pesky flies from your yard, and yet they still persist. The citronella candles have burnt out, the essential oils have evaporated, and your karate-chop skills just aren’t cutting it. Time to bring out the big guns: fly traps and zappers.
Fly Paper – The OG of Fly Elimination
Your grandpa probably used fly paper, and for good reason. This old-school method simply involves hanging long strips of sticky paper around the yard that the flies stick to, never to buzz again. Fly paper is cheap, non-toxic, and can catch hundreds of flies. The downside is it’s not the most attractive yard accessory and can get messy. Pro tip: hang it upwind of your patio or seating area.
If you’re not a fan of keeping a visible fly graveyard in your home with bodies dangling like trophies, you can also opt for an indoor plug in flytrap. It’s a nifty and discreet device you can plug into a socket, where it holds a sticky trap to catch the flies.
- Starts working immediately
- No chemical insecticides
- 24/7 continuous catch
- Easy to use and reusable – refill glue cards available
Electric Fly Zappers – Revenge is Sweet
If you prefer a more high-tech (and satisfying) approach, electric fly zappers will zap those flyers out of the air. These devices use UV light to attract flies into an electrified grid, where they meet their shocking end on these light traps. You’ll hear the zaps and pops as the flies get fried, which can provide hours of entertainment. The only thing more satisfying is the pile of fly carcasses collected in the catch tray below. Revenge is sweet!
DIY Fly Traps – Crafty and Cheap
If you want an eco-friendly trap you can make yourself, DIY fly traps are a great way to do this. All you need is a jar or bottle, some sugar water, yeast, and a few drops of dish soap. The sugar and yeast create CO2 to lure the flies in, but the soap prevents them from escaping. They’ll crawl in but won’t crawl out.
If you’re still worried they might outsmart you and crawl out anyway, just add some plastic wrap on the top with a few holes in them. They can get in but we all know they’re not smart enough to get out. If they keep missing wide open windows to go outside, they certainly won’t find a few holes to escape. Within days, you’ll have trapped dozens of flies in each trap. Place several around the yard for the best results. Your wallet and the environment will thank you.
When it comes to outsmarting flies, you have to fight fire with fire. Give these chemical-free fly elimination methods a shot, and you’ll be enjoying a buzz-free summer in no time. The flies won’t know what hit them (unless you went Swat Squad on them), but you’ll have the last laugh!
And there you have it. Go forth and fly-proof your domain, brave warrior. The battle is yours to win. With the right strategies, you can outsmart those pesky flies and finally enjoy the summer sun on your skin, not theirs. So gear up and get to it! A fly-free future awaits.
Wow, some awesome tips here. I did not know that you could use coffee grounds to get rid of flies in the summer. Some really great ideas that are affordable and natural here.
Thank you! The coffee ground trick also works with wasps, but I’ve found it works better when you set the dried out, used coffee grounds on fire. It’ll smoke like incense but keeps the wasps at bay.
Pennies in the water? Interesting to see if this works. We used the brown paper bag to mimic a wasp nest. It was supposed to stop wasps from making nests, but they just became neighbors.
Haha oops. Burning used coffee grounds helped with wasps for us, they stayed away and we didn’t mind sitting in the smell of coffee. I was sceptical about the pennies in water but was surprised when it worked. I hope it works for you too!
What a timely post! Those flies can definitely put a damper on summer fun. Your tips for turning the backyard into a no-fly zone are much appreciated. I’m especially interested in trying out some DIY traps and seeing how effective they are.
Great tips! I LOVE my magnetic door screen.
Oh wow! Great ideas! I have one of those electric fly zappers, and it brings me so much pleasure.