Hoverflies are beneficial and totally harmless. However, their striking resemblance with their harmful cousins, wasps, puts them at a disadvantage as most people can hardly differentiate between them. As such people need to know how to get rid of hoverflies to position themselves on the safe side.
5 Effective Step By Step Guides to Get Rid of Hoverflies
1. Planting certain herbs that work as natural repellents
This is by far the most effective and long-lasting method for getting rid of hoverflies. Some of the herbs take time to grow, but once they’re fully grown, they release chemicals that naturally distance the hoverflies from your garden or home.
The most common herbs for this purpose are lavender, bay leaf, mint and basil microgreens. Another advantage of these herbs is their amazing smell and the layer of attractiveness they add to your garden.
2. Make a fly repellent
This is a temporary albeit highly effective way to get rid of hoverflies. You make use of natural fly repellents for this purpose to prevent any unforeseen effects on your pets and/or children. The following are some of the natural repellent ingredients and their usage:
- Vinegar Repellent
You will need: Vinegar, Water, Soap, Spray bottle
What to do: Mix the vinegar, soap and water together in any proportion you deem fit. Use a spray bottle to spray the hoverflies’ predominant areas and they’ll leave your garden.
- Citrus fruit peels:
Citrus fruit peels are repellents for all types of flies. You just need to cut the citrus fruit peels in pieces and place them strategically where the hoverflies have their nest. It will cause them discomfort and chase them away.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Repellent
You will need: Dish soap, Apple cider vinegar, Basil oil, Peppermint oil, Mineral oil, Rosemary oil
What to do: Mix all the above ingredients and pour in a sprayer. Spray in the areas where hoverflies or any other unwanted flies are congregated and they will leave in no time. Note that this mixture has a very strong smell and as such should be mostly used outdoors and sparingly used indoors.
- Lemon repellent:
This is the simplest amongst the natural repellents. It only requires you to cut lemon and spray clove on the surface. Place the lemon in the areas where the hoverflies have their nest, and they’ll quickly move away.
3. Use a fly trap
The use of a fly trap is not advisable because it kills the hoverflies. However, it might become the go-to option if the hoverflies are indoors and are threatening to take over some sections of the house. Below are some of the commonly used fly trap
- Vinegar Trap:
This is a very effective trap as hoverflies are easily attracted to vinegar. For this bait to work, you will need: Vinegar, Dish soap, Soda bottle, Plastic wrap
What to do: Cut a soda bottle in half and put vinegar in it. Add a little quantity of dish soap to the vinegar and cover with a finely perforated plastic wrap. The flies will be attracted to the odor of the vinegar, go into the bottle and get stuck in the dish soap.
- Fly Zapper:
Fly zappers are electrical materials with low currents enough to kill flies. All you need to do is place the zapper in the area of the house where the hoverflies are dominant, put bait such as vinegar at the other end of the fly zapper such that the hoverflies will have to go through the zapper to get to the vinegar.
Once they touch the surface of the zapper, they will be killed.
- Sugar water fly trap:
This is the simplest trap you can use to kill hoverflies. You just have to get a big bowl of water and add some quantity of sugar into it and use a neatly perforated plastic wrap as cover. The flies will swarm towards the bowl of water, get stuck and eventually die.
- Fly trap Plants:
These are carnivorous plants that kill flies once they come in contact with them. Sundew and Venus flytrap are the common types available.
4. Spraying fly spray
You can make use of the common insecticides and pesticides to get rid of hoverflies. In fact, they are very effective in getting rid of the flies as they are hazardous. Note that these sprays also have effects on humans and pets, and as such, should be used with care.
5. Citronella candles
Citronella candle smoke is effective in getting rid of hoverflies. You only need to burn the citronella candle or citronella oil in the garden and the hoverflies will stop coming to your garden.
FAQs
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Why do I have so many Hoverflies?
Hoverflies are usually numerous during the warmer months in areas with flowers due to their cold-blooded nature. At this time, there is enough food for them and the weather is conducive for their survival. Hence, if you have a garden with flowers, you might experience an increase in the number of hoverflies during the summer.
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What are Hoverflies attracted to?
Hoverflies are attracted to plants with nectar and pollen. They also love areas with pests like aphids. Lastly, they are usually attracted to vinegar, sugar and some attractive trees and spots.
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How long do hoverflies last?
Hoverflies have a four-stage life cycle which lasts for about a month. These stages are the egg, larva, pupa and imago – which is the last stage. At the imago stage, they have attained maturity and are old enough to die.
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Where do Hoverflies nest?
Unlike wasps that build their nests close to properties probably in the eaves, hoverflies build their nest on trees, plants with pollen and nectar and other attractive spots in the garden.
Conclusion
Knowing how to get rid of hoverflies can become handy if, at some point, you decide the downside of hoverflies in your garden outweighs the benefits. However, you should make use of methods not involving killing them as their benefit to pollination is immeasurable
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