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Best way to keep flies away outside

Let’s not pretend this is just an issue in the US, flies are a big problem everywhere around the world. Therefore, as you can imagine, this has led to countless attempts to keep flies away from our beloved homes. 

As you can probably guess, there are tons of methods to keep flies away from your home, but which ones actually work? Before we consider the different methods to keep flies away outside. It’s important to cover why they’re such a nuisance for property owners all across the globe. 

Don’t you agree that when you are trying to enjoy a meal outside, the thought of flies swarming around or landing on your food puts you off eating outside at all? These pesky things can invade all our outdoor spaces, making the thought of summer BBQ’s and dinner parties almost impossible to imagine. This is particularly the case in certain parts of the US and Canada where flies take over areas entirely in the Summer. 

Even though most flies don’t tend to bite us humans, that doesn’t mean they don’t pose a range of different threats for us and our pets or livestock. For example, flies tend to feed on filthy substances and human food, meaning they can pick up disease-causing organisms in the process. This means that, each time a fly comes into contact with food or people in its path, it can easily spread disease-causing organisms. This makes it essential to keep them away.

Essentially, flies pose a significant sanitary problem. They gather around piles of garbage or faeces which sticks to their legs as they travel. When they fly over to land on you or your delicious food, they deposit that filth, leaving the nasty faeces and pathogens in the process. This means that, for health reasons alone, it’s important to keep flies away from the outside areas of our homes, reducing the risk of spreading disease and reproducing.

In addition to stinky stuff, flies are also drawn to warmth and light. This makes our homes a prime breeding zone, meaning there is a greater risk for fly infestations. In a warm environment, flies live up to three months and are prolific breeders too. For example, mature females can lay 900 eggs over the course of their lives, which will hatch in just 24 hours. Yes, you heard that right. If left unchecked or free to do their business, flies can produce two or more generations per month! This makes treatment and prevention a pretty urgent matter, before it’s too late…

Get rid of flies 

There are many ways to get rid of flies from the outside area of your home. But your priority should be to start with eliminating their food source and other materials that might attract them to your safe place this summer. You can also try a range of other products and home remedies to treat the problem, but prevention is always the most advised strategy.

To take care of a fly problem this summer, its critical to attack the issue head on. The longer you wait, the worse the infestation will become. First, cover your house very carefully and assess everything that will attract the flies. You could start with the following…

Put pet food in airtight containers, close opened bags of chips and other snacks in airtight containers, don’t leave sugary drinks and dirty dishes sitting out, and ensure to clean and dry all work surfaces.

In terms of outside zones, ensure to pick up any animal waste regularly. Don’t leave dog poop lying around, not only is it horrible to look at, but flies will simply gather around it. This makes it double trouble for your outside summer enjoyment. 

If you’re a livestock owner, try to keep them at least 40-50 yards away from the fence around your yard. This makes the problem less condensed and gives you a chance to protect your beloved animals.

Before we go into 'DIY' ways you can reduce the number of flies outside on your property, the best way you can truly achieve this is by implementing our proven Fly Traps all around your outdoor space. Don't believe us? Click here to see what one of our customers in Canada achieved with both of our Fly Trap types on her farm.

DIY

If pesky insects are ruining your time outdoors, then it could be time to get creative. Before you panic, don’t worry. These simple home remedies are super easy to apply and most of us have the stuff lying around in the house too.

Flypaper is an easy and convenient option at your disposal. We tend to make our own, as this ensures its naturally and chemical-free. However, store-bought versions work just as well. Simply take some sticky paper and apply a mix of honey and cider vinegar. Cover evenly and hang in areas around your home. Try to place them in areas away from spots you like to spend time in. Flies will travel to this contraption, meaning you should keep it away from your BBQ area or pool. 

You can also try mixing dish soap, vinegar, and water. Simply mix the ingredients and use a spray bottle to protect yourself from the flies. You can also try to make your own homemade vinegar, but if you aren’t a DIY whizz then keep things simple.

If DIY isn’t your thing, then why don’t you buy a plant that will capture the flies for you? Say hello to the Venus Flytrap. Don’t worry, they won’t eat you as they won’t grow to be that big. However, they will make easy work of devouring flies and insects unlucky enough to come near it. Please note that this plant won’t get rid of all your fly problems, but it’s certainly a great ally to have in your quest to defeat the annoying enemy. 

Home remedies

Home remedies are another great place to start. Whether it’s for cooking up tasty recipes or some relaxing aromatherapy, there are a wide range of aromatic plants that can double up as fly repellents. The added bonus is that these are pretty harmless when compared with other synthetic fly repellent options. This means it will repel flies, but also keep you and your family safe this summer. Let’s cover some options…

Cloves

Cloves are a pretty common household spice. Try poking 20 or so whole cloves into a ripe piece of citrus fruit, then place it on a plate and watch the flies disappear! In your home, this simple option will keep flies away from the near area and also have it smelling fruity fresh!

Lavender

Lavender is another great option! It’s also one of the easiest ways to get rid of flies because it is so widely available to us. You can grow lavender plants outside, you can also put a bouquet of fresh lavender in a vase in your home. You can even burn lavender oil near entryways and windows to keep flies away from the inside of your property too. Granted, this is more of an indoor option, but it is still very effective.

Basil

Lastly, basil is a versatile choice that can be grown in gardens, flowerbeds and indoor pots. This makes it perfect to protect outdoor areas around your home. Try planting basil near the window or entryway to keep flies out of your house. Similarly, plant in your outside garden areas to keep the flies away from your beloved BBQ’s and outdoor dinners.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is not only an excellent natural fly repellent, but it is capable of deterring many other insect types too. Try mixing one cup of water and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper, place inside a spray bottle and cover areas where you believe them to be occupying.

If this doesn’t work, then you can try other natural herbs or oils that we mentioned previously, these include lemongrass, peppermint, eucalyptus, and cinnamon. Regardless of how you use natural oils and herbs, these are bound to help you on your battle to success, leaving your home smelling fresh in the process.

Citronella oil

Citronella Oil will quickly become your best friend if you find yourself battling a fly infestation. Not only will it deter the flies, but it smells great too! Citronella oil is actually an essential oil extracted from different types of lemongrass. It’s regarded as a biopesticide and its non-toxic too. Use citronella oil in a candle and place around your home. It will deter flies and mosquitos. You can also apply this to yourself as a fly repellent. However, bear in mind you will need to apply this more often than other synthetic repellents. 

Dish Soap

I bet you didn’t know that a mixture of apple cider vinegar and dish soap can help you trap flies and kill them too? Simply mix an inch or so of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Then place in a saucer and cover with a thin plastic wrap. Finally, secure it with a rubber band and poke small holes in the top of it. The pesky flies will be attracted to the vinegar and will fly through the holes in your construction. The inclusion of dish soap causes the flies to then sink instead, meaning they can’t reach the vinegar. This will trap and kill the flies. Cheap but effective.

Fly repellent

If you and your property are suffering from a large-scale infestation, then insecticides can be very effective. This is because they work quickly, leaving little time for the flies to reproduce and populate your area. With that being said, they’re not effective in the long term, because flies have short life cycles and will develop resistance to this method.

If you make the decision use insecticides, we suggest using pyrethrin-based insecticides as they are the most common used for indoor fly infestations. We’d recommend that you buy an insecticide that is designed for outdoor use. Make sure to follow the instructions exactly. Accidental consumption can result in fatal injury. You’re wanting to kill the flies, not yourself!

Fly traps

Flytraps are easy to operate and super quick to get working. They usually work best with a bait recipe mixed inside to attract the flies to them. We suggest you purchase a tried and tested option, following the instructions to achieve the best results. Simply fill them with water, then hang them around the perimeter of your yard or garden area. We suggest hanging them around 15-20 feet from the pool or outdoor dining area.

These work great as the flies are drawn by the attractant you choose to include inside. They crawl into the trap and can’t get back out. An average trap can hold nearly 20,000 dead flies, its then time to dispose of the trap and start again. However, some brands offer reusable alternatives which means they will work through the fly season without a problem.

As we discussed in a previous segment of the blog, you shouldn’t position the trap too close to the areas you’re trying to protect. This would be plain stupidity. Keep them away from desirable areas. Yes, the flies will make a bit of a mess, but it will be far far away from your beloved BBQ or swimming pool.

The Ranch Fly Trap

The difference between the Ranch Fly Trap and other fly traps on the market is that ours are tried and tested with thousands of homeowners. Since 2019, we’ve helped over 30,000 property owners shake off their fly problems. We also offer both net and barrel traps, meaning you have the option to re-use them all summer long. 

In addition, we provide a bait solution that is proven to drive fly’s crazy across the season. No more interrupted BBQ’s and no more ruined garden parties. These are also trusted by farm owners to protect their livestock from the nasty diseases that flies can carry. 

It’s time to level up your defences this summer, it’s time for fly domination. Learn more about fly season and various ways you can tackle it via our blog. Alternatively, get started today and purchase your preferred option via our website.