4 Surprising Plants That Keep Flies Away – Tell Them to Buzz Off With These Perfect Patio Picks, so You Can Stop Swatting
Don't let flies ruin your outdoor gatherings. Plant these herbs and flowers to keep your parties fly-free.
Ah, spring. As the days get warmer and longer, many of us are spending more time outdoors. Backyard barbecues with friends and family are a wonderful way to welcome the season.
You’re trying to sit back, relax and enjoy your evening, when all of a sudden you hear this agitating, buzzing noise. Flies. They’re almost as bad as mosquitoes for ruining an outdoor gathering.
In addition to being annoying, flies can spread diseases. Luckily, there are some fly repelling herbs and plants you can grow around your garden to help control flies. Let’s dig in and explore how to keep flies from crashing your party!
1. Petunias
Petunias are perfect for container plantings and hanging baskets and they will help to repel flies, too. Who knew that such a pretty, billowy annual flower could be a bully to pests! Their scent and hairy, sticky stems and leaves help send flies, mosquitoes, and other garden pests packing.
Plant petunias in pots or baskets with well-draining soil. They will flower all the way through to the first frost especially if you deadhead petunias regularly. Find a 3-pack of brightly colored petunias at Lowe’s.
2. Basil
Growing basil for use in your home cooked cuisine is low effort and high reward. And, surprisingly, basil also repels flies! Plant basil in window boxes and its strong fragrance will keep flies from entering your open windows. You can also take a leaf and rub it on your skin to keep flies and mosquitoes from coming after you.
You can also blend fresh leaves with some vodka, strain out any large bits of leaf, and place the mix in a spray bottle to mist your patio and yourself. Basil is perfect for growing in containers and you can find sweet Italian basil seeds from Amazon.
3. Lavender
Lavender has a wonderful scent that is attractive to humans and bees, but flies will steer clear. Pot up some lavender in a container garden or use some to make an herbal salve to keep pests off of you.
Deadheading lavender after the first flowering will promote more blooms so you can extend the flowering period and the fly repelling abilities. English lavender seeds from Sow Right Seeds can be found on Amazon.
4. Rue
Probably the strongest fly repelling plant you can use is rue. Unlike lavender and basil, you should not rub it on your skin or ingest it because it can cause skin irritation and is toxic if eaten. Plant rue in containers around your patio and its strong aroma will banish flies from your summer gatherings.
You can even dry some rue cuttings and hang them around your porch to keep flies away. Placing dried rue in a cloth sachet allows you to use it indoors wherever you’d like to repel insects, too. Rue’s delicate yellow flowers will look lovely in a cottage garden setting and it also keeps Japanese beetles away. You can find rue seeds from the Seeds Needs Store on Amazon.
More Ways to Repel Flies
These tabletop fans will prevent flies from coming anywhere near your food. Clever!
These pop-up mesh food covers will keep flies and other insects out of your delicious summer spread.
A box fan blowing gently in the direction of your gathering will keep flies and mosquitoes at bay.
