Are you looking for ways to keep flies away from food at your outdoor party? If you are hosting an outdoor party, the last thing you want are those pesky buzzing flies at the buffet table. It’s the worst to have to constantly shoo the flies off the food on your outdoor patio. After all, you don’t want the flies to ruin appetites! Below are easy and effective ways to keep flies away from food outside.
How to Keep Flies Away from Food Outdoors
There are many ways to repel those pesky flies. Below are easy ways to keep flies away from the food at your outdoor party.
Use Basil Plants to Keep Flies Off Food
Flies are repelled by the smell of basil. You can discreetly place basil plants near your buffet table by arranging basil plants in beautiful decorative pots. Then, strategically place these potted basil plants near the buffet table and places where your guests will be eating.
Add Mint to Your Floral Arrangements
Flies don’t like the smell of mint. One way to use mint as a fly repellent at your outdoor party is by adding mint leaves to the floral arrangements. Mint leaves can be tastefully included in floral arrangements and strategically placed near the food.
Make several floral arrangements—place one mint floral arrangement on the buffet table and another mint floral arrangement as a centerpiece on the outdoor dinner table. The mint in these floral arrangements will keep flies away from the food at your outdoor party.
Use Lemon and Cloves
Flies can’t stand the smell of lemon and cloves. If you combine both lemon and cloves, you can scare away the flies off your buffet table. Cut a lemon in half and stick cloves into the lemon. Put the lemon and cloves in a decorative bowl and strategically place them on the buffet table or near your guests to keep flies off the food.
Use Citronella Candles
Citronella candles are effective in keeping flies off your outdoor patio. Light citronella candles and put them strategically around your patio to keep flies away from your outdoor party. Citronella candles also have the added benefit of keeping mosquitoes away. Another pro to citronella candles is that the glowing flame adds an inviting ambiance to the outdoor party. I like this citronella candle because it has a classic lantern design and is very effective in keeping flies away (I used it on a camping trip!)
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Use Tiki Torches to Keep Flies Off Your Patio
Tiki torches are effective in keeping flies off your outdoor patio. Fill tiki torches with Citronella-scented torch fuel and place them around your backyard.
Tiki torches will keep flies and mosquitoes off your outdoor space. If you are imagining the bamboo tiki torches more suitable for a luau-themed party, don’t. There are stylish tiki torches that will go with any type of outdoor party.
Use a Fan to Keep Flies Off Food Outside
Stop swatting flies. Let an outdoor fan do the “swatting” for you! A fan outdoors is effective in keeping flies away from food at your outdoor party. If you have a ceiling fan, turn it on, and it will keep flies off the food.
Otherwise, you can strategically place an oscillating fan in front of the buffet table to keep the flies off the food. You can also use tabletop bug fans to keep flies away from the food at your outdoor party. The great thing about using fans to repel flies is that it is an odorless, chemical-free way to keep flies away from the food at your outdoor party.
Aside from keeping flies away from food, fans also have the added benefit of increasing air circulation and cooling your guests down at your outdoor party on hot summer days.
Use Bug Zappers Around Your Patio
Bug zappers are effective in keeping flies off your patio. Position bug zappers in inconspicuous spots around your patio so they are out of sight and not noticeable to your guests. If you can’t keep your bug zappers out of sight, you can get aesthetically pleasing bug zappers.
Many bug zappers have hanging hoops, so you can hang them on low branches near your patio. There are also solar-powered bug zappers that you can put on the table. These solar-powered bug zappers are great because you don’t need an outdoor outlet to run your bug zapper (these portable solar bug zappers are also great for camping).
Aside from keeping flies away from food, the bug zappers will also catch pesky mosquitoes so everyone is comfortable at your outdoor party.
Combine them All
Remember, the fly-repellent methods on this list have limited coverage and usually only work on keeping flies away from the immediate area. The best way to completely eliminate flies from your outdoor party is to combine the different fly-repellent methods.
For example, I always have a tabletop fan on the buffet table, an oscillating fan on the patio, I add basil and mint to my floral arrangements, and I have a few bug zappers scattered around my patio. This will make sure you are protecting your entire outdoor patio and not just one section of it. Have fun and enjoy your outdoor party!
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