How to Repel Flies
Over the course of our years in pest control, we have seen all sorts of home remedies to attempt to repel flies. Although they might sometimes work on small numbers they generally have no long-term effect. Not attracting them in the first place is truly the best “repellent”.
When we talk about naturally repelling flies what we really want to know is how to repel or get rid of flies without using pesticides. Here are some tips for how to keep flies away.
Hang Bags of Water from Porches to Repel Flies
This is supposed to reflect light and throw off the flies’ compound eye, but that will not have enough of an effect to be effective for more than a few flies. The number of bags you would need to hang around your home to make an impact would probably look funny to most folks.
Smoke Flies Out with Citronella Candles
Citronella is a great fly repellent, but it only works effectively in a small area per candle. The amount of candles it would take to be effective would be so costly that this is really not a viable solution either.
Use Fly traps
Since fly traps actually attract flies the best way to use a fly trap to repel flies is to place them as far away from where you don’t want the flies as possible. You can make a mix of sugar water to get a few flies to the trap. Once the flies become trapped and die the dead flies will start to become an attractant to the live flies.
Install Yellow Light Bulbs to Keep Flies Away
Studies have shown that yellow is the number one color that repels flies. Unfortunately, you would need to completely surround your home in yellow light bulbs for it to have any real effect.
The Best way to Repel Flies is by Not Attracting Them in the First Place.
Flies are attracted to a variety of things, but let’s focus on the things that are most likely to attract them. Getting rid of these attractants will go further towards any fly control than any repellent you can use.
Clean Garbage Cans Thoroughly and Frequently
This is by far the biggest attractor of flies. This is where flies will lay their eggs to hatch out into those nasty maggots that make all of us gag just a little. The most important thing you can do is keep your garbage cans clean. Outside garbage cans that have even a little bit of decaying matter in them will be enough to attract flies. Clean all garbage cans thoroughly and frequently.
Clean Pet Feces/Waste in Your Yard
Flies love feces! Cleaning up after animals in your yard will go a long way towards controlling flies.
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 a nuisance as possible. This will draw the flies to it and away from where you don’t want them.