Easy, Natural Ways to Keep Flies Away This Summer

Summer brings with it warm, bright afternoons outside and cozy dinner-time cookouts. However, summer also seems to bring out the bugs, especially those ever-returning flies. Leave out even one hot dog frank—and you’ve got a horde of flies hovering on, around, and over you. Swish them away, and they’re likely back for a return trip within seconds. How do you keep these buggers (literally!) at bay? You might immediately reach for the pesticides. But there are more natural ways to keep flies away too. 

Natural Methods to Keep Flies Away

There are actually plenty of pesticide-free actions you can take to keep flies away this summer. Here are some of our favorites:

Light Citronella Candles

This has become a well-known way to rid yourself of unwanted flies. The one downside? It’s only effective up to a certain point. One candle only works so far; candles can be added to increase the potential surface area covered, but costs add up with it. It soon becomes a cost-inefficient solution. 

Put Out Fly Traps

This option works kind of like a pesky pest Trojan horse. Flytraps actually attract flies to it. Place these traps in areas away from where your preferred fly-free zone is. Add some sugar water to heighten their attraction, and you’ll see flies flocking to it. The trap kills the flies, which in turn attracts more flies to your deadly bait and booby trap. 

Replace Light Bulbs

If you seem to have flies and bugs all over your lights at night, it might be time to replace them with a repelling option. Your best bet is to go with a yellow compact fluorescent light (CFL). Studies have shown that the most repellent color to flies is yellow. You should notice quite a difference once these new lights are installed. 

Hang Water Bags

We’ll be honest—this one’s a bit of a misnomer. It works somewhat, but not very effectively. Supposedly, water bags hung from a front or back porch prohibit flies’ compound eyes by reflecting light. This might work on a few flies but may not throw off a swarm of them. Plus, you’d have to hang quite a bit of bags up in the first place. 

What Really Works

If you’re looking to keep bugs and flies at bay this summer, the best rule of thumb is this: try and not attract them from the get-go. But this is easier said than done, right? Well, yes—but there are things you can do to help keep flies away from your no-fly zone this summer. 

For one, you can keep garbage and recycling cans clean and tidy. This means cleaning and caring for them often and thoroughly. Garbage is a huge fly attractor. In fact, the largest by far. Another means of attraction? Waste. Dispose of pet business in and around your yard. It’ll help your yard stay fly-less like you want it to be. 

If bugs are bugging you this summer, remember you can also always call in the experts from Vulcan Termite & Pest Control at (205) 663-4200. And we don’t just handle flies, but those other pesky pests as well. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for better, pest-free living. Plus, keep coming back to our blog for more pest-related tips and tricks you can use today.