Eliminate their food sources.Seal up cracks around buildings.Encourage natural predators like birds, bats, and frogs.Trap the flies with cone traps or resin sticks.Use fans as a deterrent.Light candles since smoke is a repellant.Make DIY fly strips using scented oils.
Read on to understand what causes flies outdoors and tips on how to keep them away.
7 Ways to Get Rid of Flies Outdoors
There are many dozens of species of flies, but eradication methods are largely the same for all of them.
What Causes Flies Outdoors?
Flies appear in outdoor locations wherever and whenever there are food sources (decaying plant and animal material) and moisture. Darkness also enhances the breeding, hatching, and development of larvae into more flies.
Use tight-fitting lids, and clean trash bins regularly. If you use plastic bags, ensure they are well sealed.Pick up pet feces regularly, and remove any dead or decaying plants.Keep dog kennels clean, pick up food after the dog’s feeding time as much as possible, and clean up any spilled food or water.Eliminate areas of pooling, stagnant water, and other excessive moisture around the yard.Keep compost piles far from the home and properly managed to keep flies to a minimum.
You may need to light several candles to effectively repel flies.
How to Prevent Flies Outdoors
Preventing flies is mostly a matter of denying them the food and moisture necessary for reproduction. This, combined with various methods of trapping, natural predation, and repellant methods, can keep fly populations under control.
Using Traditional Spray Pesticides
Chemical control should not be used unless all other methods have failed because flies have become resistant to many insecticides. This has steadily made fly populations more difficult to control with such chemicals. The winds and air patterns also make these sprays difficult to control in outdoor locations. That said, a proper fogger insecticide can be an effective temporary measure to repel flies and stinging insets if applied an hour or so before a picnic or outdoor gathering. Properly labeled residual pesticides can be used in areas where flies are seen to rest, such as the outside surfaces of homes and overhangs. A pest management professional is the best person to apply these residual insecticides, since they may be subject to restricted use or be otherwise unavailable to homeowners. If insecticides are used, they may have to be reapplied every two to four weeks during warm weather.
