10 fragrant plants against flies and mosquitoes

During the summer, the temperatures rise and we can enjoy balmy summer evenings. Ideal weather for lighting a barbecue, enjoying a nice meal outside or having a drink with friends! Until you hear a suspicious buzzing around your ears, and in no time at all, a horde of flies have gathered around the appetizers. We give you a few tips to get rid of annoying flies and mosquitoes on the terrace, in the house and in the shed.

On the terrace

Good hygiene is essential! First and foremost, make sure that there are no leftovers from your lunch and place your rubbish bag at the back of the garden in a closed container so that flies cannot reach it.

You can also reduce the fly and mosquito population by designing your garden and terrace cleverly. The flying insects hate fragrant plants and herbs, while we love to give them a place in the garden. Two birds with one stone! ;)

These plants keep the annoying winged creatures at bay:

• Lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon grass (citronella) and lemon geranium: in short, everything with a lemon scent. This may smell fresh to us, but to mosquitoes and flies it is a real turn-off.
  
• Garlic: some people love it while others do not like the strong smell and taste, opinions on garlic are clearly divided. But mosquitoes are in complete agreement: garlic is repulsive. So hang a few bulbs around the house or boil a few garlic cloves in water and place them by the windows and doors. That way you will keep flies and mosquitoes outside. Do not hesitate to eat an extra clove of garlic as well because the smell will stop the mosquitoes from visiting you at night.
  
• Herbs with a distinctive smell such as lavender, peppermint and rosemary.
  
• Hogweed: in the past, bunches of this dried herb were hung above the bed to keep the mosquitoes away.
  
• Catnip or nepeta: this herb is 10 times more effective than the well-known DEET. Beware: This is a beautiful, flowering plant but also grows very large.

• You can also place citronella candles around your terrace. These will not only keep the flies away, but will also create a real atmosphere when it starts to get dark. Do you like to be creative? You can make your own citronella candle with beeswax or soya wax and essential oil. You can decorate the candle with extra leaves of mint or lavender, which also form an extra barrier for mosquitoes and flies.
  
  
• Do you prefer a ready-made solution? Then you can hang an electric flytrap above your terrace table. This works on the basis of UV light and you can easily take it with you when you travel, for example to protect your tent against flies at the campsite.
  
• Or opt for an ecological flytrap which can catch 20,000 to 50,000 flies, depending on the size.

At home

You'd also rather keep the flies and mosquitoes at home. There is nothing more annoying than a mosquito that is intent on disturbing your sleep. Or a swarm of fruit flies that has its sights set on your fruit bowl.

In addition to the classic fly swatters and fly stickers, there are many other home, garden and kitchen remedies that have been used against flies for years:

• If you don't have green fingers, you don't necessarily have to plant lemon balm or geranium; you can also place a citonella candle in the house. It looks nice on the table and spreads a nice scent when it burns. The burning of essential oils can also offer solace. In any case, most of the plants against mosquitoes and flies (see above) are outdoor plants.
  
• Try a flytrap plant. This carnivorous plant not only helps you get rid of the insects, but also looks nice in your interior.
  
• Stick a few cloves into a lemon or orange and place them in the places where the flies hang out the most.

There are also other aids such as:

• Electric fly trap: Prism has a beautiful design for the kitchen
• Fruit Fly trap
• Flytrap (with glue or electric like the Insect Stop by BSI)
• Aerosols: Do you prefer to use ecological products? Then you better choose Zerox
• Window strip

In the stable

• During the hot summer months, there is often a hotbed of flies in and around the barn. Not only is this unhygienic, as they can potentially carry diseases, but fly infestations also cause a lot of discomfort and unnecessary stress to livestock. But why is it that cattle are so often terrorised by large colonies of flies? The manure pit is often the culprit. The rotting manure is the ideal climate for the larvae to grow up. It is warm, and the larvae can feast there.
  
  
• So tackle the manure pit first before applying all kinds of sprays and fly repellents. Make sure that the manure is homogenous and that no floating layers can form. Clean up manure and feed residues as soon as possible to prevent the larvae from finding food. Do not forget to clean the feeding and drinking troughs regularly.
  
  
• Vinegar disinfects, does no harm to cows or horses and flies don't like the strong smell. This way, your barn is no longer interesting for flies and they will stay away.
  
  
• The product Insect Free of BSI protects both horse and rider against annoying horseflies, flies and mosquitoes. This spray is harmless for humans and animals, has a pleasant fragrance and does not stain or stick.
  

Any other tips against pesky insects? 👇

• Herbs to ward off mosquitoes
• Combating annoying fruit flies in the kitchen
• Suffering from wasps on the patio?