5 ways to keep those pesky flies away from your porch this summer.

By ALEXIS ROCHESTER

We shared this post last month on Chemistry Cachet and it was a big hit!

Flies are so hard to keep away from your porch this time of year, but using a few of these proven methods will help.

Depending on the environment you live in, you can use two or three tips below to keep flies away.

If you don’t live near water or animals, you can even just try one thing like the DIY fly repellent!

Tip #1 fly repelling spray

This spray was made for ants, but it works for almost any big including flies.

Be sure to check out the original post to read the science behind how this works.

Ingredients:

2 cups distilled vinegar

2 cups of water

3 tablespoons Dawn dishwashing liquid

3 tablespoons table salt

Spray bottle

Mix ingredients and add to a spray bottle; shake well before spraying each time.

(I use blue Dawn for all my solutions on Chemistry Cachet because it has worked better for me.)

Tip #2 utilize scents that flies hate

There are certain scents flies (and almost all insects) don’t like; lemongrass, citronella, peppermint oil, lavender and cinnamon are proven to deter flies.

You can use essential oils and spray them around doors, porches and even kitchens to keep flies away.

Check out our tips in this roach post about peppermint oil or try some of these DIY citronella candles.

Tip #3 use fly repelling plants

You can also utilize scents by keeping plants around your area that deter flies!

One of the best plants which you can keep in small containers is basil. Basil has volatile compounds known to deter and disrupt insects.

It can work for mosquitoes too! But it is especially great at repelling flies.

Tip #4 use our DIY fly repellent

Just last week we posted this amazing DIY fly repellent recipe using Irish Spring soap and citronella.

I have already had readers email me saying it works great! It has been my favorite thing yet to use for fly repelling.

Tip #5 use a good fly trap

Combining a fly trap with some of these tips is also a really surefire way to keep flies away.

I use a fly trap outside of the porch and have my fly repellent set up inside.

This is a good idea if you have animals around. We share the highest rated fly trap from Amazon in our post.

We have a few other good tips in our blog post you can check out too! Enjoy your porch this summer without the flies!

Alexis Rochester is an investigative chemist, blogger and founder of Chemistry Cachet. She shares science-based skin care, cleaning, gardening and health tips. She was diagnosed with RA at age 10, so she has a passion for pain management tips and research, along with sharing her journey through this disease. When she’s not writing for Chemistry Cachet, she is taking Pilates or Barre classes, and also received her Barre teaching certification this year! She grew up in Stephenville and recently moved back with her daughter, husband and bulldog. You can find her posting pictures and fun stories daily on Instagram. Also look for Chemistry Cachet on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn.