Keeping Flies off Your Food

How to keep flies off your food

There are several things you can do to keep flies off your food. The following methods are strategies that offer a variety of ways to keep flies off your food, including using physical barriers, directing airflow strategically, and repelling flies with natural solutions. If needed, you can also seek professional help with implementing environmental changes to discourage fly breeding, setting fly traps, and treating fly-infested areas with insecticides. These methods can work together to help you create the ideal scenario for stress-free summer fun, so that you can enjoy meals with your friends and family–not flies.

Use physical barriers:

The most direct and obvious way to keep flies off your food is to use physical barriers to protect food, drinks, and especially trash. Keep food covered when not eating, especially large platters of appetizing meats and desserts. Seal up any large bottles of sugary beverages such as juice and soda when not pouring drinks, and keep lids on any pitchers of sugary drinks like lemonade and sweetened iced tea. Be sure to slide pitcher lids to the closed position when not pouring drinks. Tightly seal all trash to reduce its likelihood of attracting flies to your area.

Direct airflow strategically:

Use electric fans such as box fans to prevent flies from landing on food. While using a fan may cool off a hot platter faster, the change in food temperature might be worth sparing your food (and especially your guests) the potentially dangerous contamination that flies can bring. Plus, it’s always nice to have a fan blowing cool air on a hot summer day!

Repel flies naturally:

To repel flies naturally, try planting thyme, peppermint, and lavender around the areas where you like to entertain outdoors. These plants can help ward off several pests, including flies. Eucalyptus oil also repels flies. Soaking strips of fabric in this essential oil and hanging them around your food areas can help deter flies from approaching the area. You can also try cutting a lemon in half and studding it with several pieces of the whole clove spices, then leaving this item on the table where you want to discourage flies from landing.

If you have tried the above methods and are still experiencing difficulty keeping flies off your food, contact West Termite, Pest & Lawn today. Our experienced technicians are standing by to help.