Bug Solution for Patios

Citronella plants naturally repel mosquitoes.

A perfect night on the patio with friends and family can quickly be ruined by an onslaught of pesky bugs. Ants, mosquitoes, flies and fleas are a few of the insects that can invade your yard and buzz and sting until the party is called off or moved inside. To solve your patio bug problems there are candles, natural bug repelling plants, treated paper strips or food-based traps available that don't rely on chemical sprays or unpleasant smelling body treatments.

Citronella Candles

Citronella is a type of grass related to lemongrass. Citronella is a grass native to Sri Lanka and is a natural insect repellent. The most common form of citronella used for insect control is in candle form. Citronella candles are available as table candles or as torch-style candles with long stakes for inserting into the ground around the patio. PC Lifeline website reports that in studies conducted concerning the effectiveness of burning candles to ward off mosquitoes, 42 percent of individuals situated near burning citronella candles experienced less mosquito bites than those not near the candles.

Fly Strips

Fly strips, also called fly paper, are straight or spiraling strips of sticky paper coated with various chemicals or natural substances and sold under several brand names and can be purchased in grocery stores. The strips, once the staple for catching flies and other flying nuisances, saw competition with the invention of the electric light-based insect traps. Fly strips are hung from house eaves or under an awning or patio umbrella to catch flying insects around the patio. Earth Easy website suggests mixing 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/4 cup syrup and saturating strips of brown paper (craft or bag) in the solution. Allow the strips to dry overnight and then hang by inserting a string through the top of the strip.

Plants, Flowers and Critters

There are plants and flowers that can be planted around the patio or in pots on the patio that naturally repel various insects. Fleabane produces violet-hued flowers that grow to about 2-feet tall. These flowers, which resemble daisies, are hated by fleas. Marigolds ward off flying insects. Earth Easy suggests Thai Lemon Grass as a mosquito repellent more potent than citronella. Another plant similar to citronella is the Citrosa plant. Citrosa plants also ward off mosquitoes, but not bites. If you prefer hosting bats over bugs, bats are a natural enemy of mosquitoes. Some bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes nightly, according to Earth Easy.

Food-Based Traps

Traditional home remedies for catching flies and flying insects include dishes full of buttermilk, sugar water, vinegar and other liquids used to entice the pests. Glass bells, bottles and other "traps" are filled with liquids inviting to the flying bugs, which result in the pest flying into the liquid. Planet Natural says that white wine mixed with liquid dish detergent will fatally attract fruit flies. Some food products deter the bug rather than lure it to its liquidy death. Cucumbers, cloves and mint leaves will discourage ants from your patio. Try cayenne pepper, cinnamon, lemon or citrus juice or oils and coffee grounds to chase off pesky ants. Slimy slugs that slither over your patio can be lured into a shallow dish inserted into the ground and filled with beer. The slugs won't exactly be the life of the party after a few sips.

References

• Butterfly Expressions; Citronella; LaRee Westover
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Cymbopogon Nardus (L.) Rendle; John T. Kartesz
• Colorado State University Extension; Flies in the Home; W.S. Cranshaw, et al.; May 12, 2010
• Earth Easy; Natural Insect Pest Control; 2010
• PC Lifeline; Mosquitoes and Repellents; Roy Linker; 2011
• Planet Natural; Natural Born Pest Killers; Eric Vinje; 2009