Does anything repel flies? (smell, ceiling, apartment, basement)

[Mattie]

We have an annoying problem with flies congregating on our deck. As soon as somebody opens the door, they're in the house. We've placed a trap outside at the edge of the deck, but it's only making a dent in the problem. We've hosed down everything, moved the trash cans far away, sprayed, etc.

Is there anything that we could do to repel them?

[M3 Mitch]

I think the best you can do is to put up a trap that kills them. Consider what a fly is attracted to - no need to get graphic here...how can you repel an insect that's attracted to what a fly likes?

Your local farm & garden supply or co-op should have fly lure and traps.

You may want to put the traps further from the door, really.

[texdav]

I have never tried it but hear from toher that this works. Take a heavy duty clear plastic bag and put water in it. Tie the top tightly with string then hand the string from the ceiling if there is one. They say that flies for some reason avoid the area. Cheap and worth a try.Most I have seen are about the size of a noramlo baloon and looked to be a ziplock bag.

[derekv]

texdav- I see those all the time here in Dallas, who knows if it works. It is cheap, give it a try and tell us the results.

[momof2dfw]

I use the water and ziploc baggies and it does help. I hang one over my backdoor as well. Under the patio table umbrella, over picnic tables, etc.

We also have a ceiling fan on our back porch and that helps a lot as well.

[janetvj]

I have a deck that extends from the 2nd floor, and the flies all congregate under the deck, right outside the patio doors to my walkout basement. I've tried the water in the plastic baggies trick (I was told to put a penny in the bag along with the water). Can't say that it really helps any. I wish I knew what was attracting them. I have a few of the old fashioned fly strips out there, and they do catch the flies, but that's kind of disgusting to be around, too. Repelling them would be preferable.

[TKramar]

Tractor Supply Corp sells something for equine care that keeps flies away from them. But it's been 8 years since I worked for them, so I don't remember what it is exactly.

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by Mattie

We have an annoying problem with flies congregating on our deck. As soon as somebody opens the door, they're in the house. We've placed a trap outside at the edge of the deck, but it's only making a dent in the problem. We've hosed down everything, moved the trash cans far away, sprayed, etc.

Is there anything that we could do to repel them?

You could try these...


Fly Predators from Spalding Labs.

[bigcats]

I've been using fly predators with good success (I get mine from Arbico Organics). I bought one shipment just to try it and it worked really well. I thought I might have wiped them out so I didn't get another shipment... 6 weeks later I had a big problem again, so now I'm just going to regular monthly shipments all summer.

I used a fly trap for awhile and it worked well as far as catching hundreds of flies, but it was so stinky that my neighbor could smell it and after taking out the flies that were initially around, I felt like it then began to attract flies from miles around! Given that there is a farm down the road, there was no shortage.

[animesh]

i am living in an apartment so how to avoide flies ithere?