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How to Get Rid of Hovering Flies on Patio – 8 Awesome Techniques

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A patio is an open outdoor space usually used as a sitting area attached to a house’s main structure. Patios are often paved and consist of some furniture to sit on. Let’s admit we all love to enjoy a good cup of tea or coffee sitting at our patio.

You can enjoy nature or the beautiful weather, sit and read a book or have a little brunch with your friends; there are numerous activities you can enjoy on your patio.

You are sitting on your patio on a warm sunny day sipping a nice cup of tea, but then some annoying flies start hovering around and kill the whole vibe?

Don’t stress over it because we are here to help! These 10 techniques on how to get rid of hovering flies on patio will help you. Yes! You can get rid of those annoying flies and enjoy your evening tea in peace.

How to Get Rid of Hovering Flies on Patio
Mating hover flies – via Wikimedia

Why Do Flies Hover Around Patio?

Before getting into how to get rid of hovering flies on patio, we should first discuss why the flies are attracted to your patio.

There are numerous reasons why these pesky little flies hover around your patio. Some of those are as follows:

  • Flies are attracted to smelly or dirty areas. So, if you aren’t keeping your patio clean, this might be a reason.
  • If you are a pet parent and your pet likes to stay on the patio or litters it, it may also attract flies.
  • Flies are also attracted to the plants and flowers on your patio. They either hover around to suck on the nectar or lay their eggs on plants.
  • Keeping your trash can near the patio may also be a reason for those flies hovering around.
  • If there is a puddle around your patio or a moist area, it could serve as a flies’ magnet.
  • Flies are also attracted to certain kinds of plants, such as daisies.
  • The bird or squirrel feeder or your pet’s food bowl can also attract flies to your patio.

How to Get Rid of Hovering Flies on Patio

Now that you know the reason behind those hovering flies on your patio, let us dive into some techniques on how to get rid of hovering flies on the patio.

1.     Clean Your Patio

The easiest and most important method to get rid of hovering flies is to clean your patio thoroughly. Flies are attracted to garbage and stinky trash, so remove all the garbage and trash cans from your patio; after getting rid of the trash, clean your patio thoroughly with a fragrant cleaner, ideally lavender or cinnamon-scented. Flies hate these scents!

2.     Use Fly Bait

One of the most effective ways to eliminate hovering flies is using the MaxForce Fly Spot Bait. It comes in the form of 16-ounce packets that you can mix with water. Buy a pack of MaxForce fly bait and dissolve it in water to make a solution. Follow the instructions given on the pack.

After preparing the mixture, pour it into a spray bottle and spray it around the patio. This fly bait contains some pheromones and scents to attract flies. When the flies come in contact with the sprayed area, they die almost instantly. The effect of the spray lasts for up to 30 days.

3.     Use Sticky Fly Traps

A sticky flytrap is an efficient and cost-friendly method to eliminate hovering flies on the patio. These fly traps are easy to use and disposable. Hang the traps around your patio, on trees, and windows. It will attract flies, and they stick to the sticks. Once the stick is full, you can dispose of it.

4.     Using a Fan

Flies prefer the low pressure and humid air on your patio. If you have a power outlet, plug in a fan or use an extension cord if a power outlet is not available on the patio.

You will need to keep the fan turned on all day. Once the flies have moved away, you can turn it off. If you see the flies coming back to your patio, turn on the fan to drive them away.

5.     Homemade Fly Repellents

Several common household items can serve as a fly repellent if you don’t want to use any chemical spray around your patio. It is a cheap, inexpensive, and environment-friendly way to eliminate hovering flies on the patio.

Some common fly repellents are:

  1. Vinegar, soap, and Water mixture: prepare a mixture by mixing vinegar and soap with water and pouring it into a spray bottle. Spray around the patio wherever the flies like to swarm, and it’ll help you get rid of flies.
  2. Cloves and Lemons: cut a few lemons in halves and stick 3-4 cloves into it. Place them around your patio to deter the flies away.
  3. Citronella Smoke: citronella, also commonly known as lemongrass, is an excellent fly repellent. You can light citronella candles, use citronella smoke or plant it around your patio to get rid of the flies.
  4. Citrus Fruit Peels: peels of citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruit can be useful to ward off pesky flies. Place the peels on the places where the flies are hovering, and it would do the trick.
  5. Essential Oils: Oils like lavender, rosemary, peppermint, or basil will also help drive the flies away.

6.     Use Fly Traps

You can buy fly traps which are easily available on any hardware store, or you can DIY your flytrap. Take a bowl and put some sugar and water in it for that purpose. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and poke some holes in it. The flies will enter to get sugar syrup but get trapped inside due to plastic wrap.

DIY flytrap
DIY flytrap – via Reddit

7.     Use a Fly Zapper

Hang a fly zapper on your patio. The flies are attracted to it, and when they get close, they get zapped by electricity and die.

8.     Grow Fly Repelling Plants

Another way to keep those flies away is to grow plants that naturally repel the flies, such as Lemongrass, Rosemary, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Mint, Bay, Basil, Tansy Marigold, Venus flytrap, Pennyroyal, and Wormwood.


Conclusion

Flies are annoying you incessantly, and you don’t know how to get rid of hovering flies on patio? Then this article is meant for you.

We have covered it all for your ease, from numerous methods and techniques on how to get rid of hovering flies on patio to all the possible reasons why your patio might be attracting flies.

Now that you know how to get rid of those pesky flies, you can enjoy your cup of tea on your lovely patio without worrying about those annoying flies. Host a brunch, read a book, enjoy gazing at the stars or just the fresh morning breeze; your patio is all yours with no pesky flies to take the fun out of it. 

We hope these methods will help you drive away those flies. Let us know in the comments which method worked the best for you.