When summer is in full swing, it means it’s time to fire up the grill, enjoy a few ice-cold beers, and relax in the sun. But while you’re enjoying those warm summer nights with friends and family, you might notice some pesky flying bugs and critters around the patios and porches.
Patio pests can be a nuisance, and if not taken care of, they can easily ruin your happy moments with family and friends. Bugs, like mosquitoes and flies, can be a nuisance, while ants and termites can actually cause damage to your patio or porch.
Is your outdoor patio, porch, or deck being taken over by pests? Here are some ways to keep those flying and crawling insects away from your favorite space.
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Getting Rid of the Flying Bugs
Several different kinds of flying pests can invade your patio or porch during the summer. Flying insects can be a problem for people who don’t have much experience dealing with pests.
They fly through open doors and windows and may even land on you as you try to enjoy the outdoors. Some common flying insects include mosquitoes, flies, wasps, hornets, and bees.
Getting Rid of Mosquitoes Around Your Patio or Deck
Mosquitoes are some of the worst pests on your patio or deck. They suck blood and cause diseases. The good news is that you can easily get rid of them without spending a fortune on bug spray.
Here’s how to get rid of mosquitoes around your patio:
- Spray with vinegar and water (1:1 ratio) to kill the eggs.
- Add citronella candles.
- Use plants that repel mosquitoes like lemon balm, catnip, lavender, and marigolds.
- Use ultrasonic repellents.
- Place mosquito zappers near doors and windows, or invest in high-tech ones like the Skeeter Tornado Mosquito Trap, which uses UV light to attract bugs and then sucks them up in its powerful vacuum!
- Build a birdhouse. Sparrows and bats love eating mosquitoes. If you build a birdhouse near your patio or deck, you’ll attract lots of adorable birds who will help keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Getting Rid of Flies Around Your Patio or Deck
Flies are common in the summer months. They can be a nuisance when hovering over food or landing on your face, and they often carry diseases like salmonella and E. coli. Flies are attracted to light and warm places, and that’s why they are common on patios and decks.
How to get rid of flies on your patio?
- Don’t let food sit out too long.
- Clean up spills right away.
- Try using peppermint oil spray.
- Keep your patio doors closed.
- Place fly strips around your patio area to eliminate flies already there.
- Spray the area with vinegar and water solution.
Getting Rid of Wasps Around Your Patio or Deck
Wasps can be more than just annoying. They can be aggressive and sting you. Even worse, they also harm your property.
Wasps are attracted to sugary foods and sweet drinks, so if you have a picnic table or an outdoor barbeque, you will probably find them hanging around such areas.
If you have wasps around your patio or deck, there are several things you can do to get rid of them.
- Set up a wasp trap.
- Use lemon juice to repel wasps. Slice the lemons into halves and stick cloves in their flesh. Place these halves in strategic locations around your deck
- Use baking soda to repel wasps. Mix lemon juice and baking soda and spray the mixture into open holes and all the wasp nests on your patio or deck
- Use vinegar to repel wasps. When combined with equal parts of water, vinegar can make excellent wasp repellent spray. The mixture repels wasps without killing them.
- Use a wasp spray to get rid of wasp nests.
Getting Rid of Hornets Around Your Patio or Deck
Hornets are a type of wasp known for their loud buzzing sound. They can be aggressive and attack people or animals they perceive as threats.
If you have hornets around your property, it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible. Here are some tips on how to do just that.
- Keep food stored away in the kitchen whenever possible.
- Remove outdoor furniture with cracks and decorations with red colors that could attract the hornets to build their nest.
- Remove any standing water around your property.
- Put out yellow sticky traps around the outside of your home. Hornets love sugar, so they go after these traps and get stuck.
Getting Rid of Bees Around Your Patio or Deck
Bees are lovely creatures, and they have a place in our ecosystem. They are great pollinators and an important part of nature. However, they can sometimes be aggressive and sting you.
If you’re asking, how do I keep bees away from my deck? We have the answer. Try some of these options:
- Remove any sources of food near the area.
- Seal off any openings in your home where bees can enter.
- Install bee traps around your patio or deck area to attract them away from these areas.
- You can also use repellents such as ammonia or bleach to deter bees from entering your house or patio.
- Remove any flowers or plants in the area where they’re nesting.
Taking Care of the Creepy Crawlies
Another category of patio pests you have to deal with is crawling pests. Whether you’ve just moved into a new place or are looking for a way to make sure your patio is bug-free all year round, it’s essential to know what you’re up against. Here are the common types of creepy crawlies that can ruin your day (or night):
- Cockroaches: These insects are most often found in warm, damp areas like basements or attics. They can also be found in sewers and drains. Cockroaches are known for their disease-spreading skills.
- Termites: These small, white bugs eat wood, which means they’ll eat through just about anything—including furniture and your walls, destroying your patio.
- Spiders: Spiders are common pests that live outside—but sometimes find their way inside and build webs in your home. They like dark corners where they can hide from predators and people.
Getting Rid of Spiders Around Your Patio or Deck
Keeping spiders away from your patio or deck is easy! Here are some tips:
- Remove any clutter that might be attracting them.
- If there are cracks or holes in the wood on your deck or patio, seal them with caulk.
- Keep your patio or deck clean, so there aren’t any dead bugs around.
- Put out sticky traps with bait inside them—spiders like sweet things!
Getting Rid of Ants Around Your Patio or Deck
If you’re tired of ants invading your patio or deck, it’s time to get rid of them.
- Use a vinegar and water mixture as an ant killer spray.
- Sweep up any crumbs or food scraps on the ground immediately after eating outside.
- Get rid of any standing water in flowerbeds or other areas where ants might be living.
Getting Rid of Termites Around Your Patio or Deck
If termites are a problem on your patio or deck, you need to know how to deal with them. Termites can ruin your home and destroy its value. They can also cause damage that is expensive to repair.
Here are top tips on how to deal with termites around your patio or deck:
- Check for cracks in the wood. If you spot any, fill them with wood filler or caulk containing boric acid.
- Keep wood decks clean by washing them with water regularly.
- Prevent water from pooling near your house.
- Keep your lawn trimmed.
Getting Rid of Beetles Around Your Patio or Deck
Beetles can be a major nuisance, especially in the summer. They can destroy plants, trees, and flowers.
The best way to get rid of beetles is to prevent them from getting into your home in the first place. Here are some tips:
- Clean up leaves and other debris near your property so that it doesn’t provide food for them.
- Seal off any cracks where they could get into your home.
- Inspect your trees for holes where larvae might be living.
- Beetles can be attracted by smells such as pet urine or garbage. To reduce these odors, keep your deck or patio clean and tidy.
Getting Rid of Rodents Around Your Patio or Deck
Rodents are often seen as pests that you want to get rid of. They can damage your property, spread disease, and even carry fleas or ticks.
If you spot mice or rats on your patio or deck, here’s what you need to know about keeping rodents away:
- Use traps – Traps are the most effective way to catch rodents. You can buy them at most hardware stores or make your own using peanut butter and cardboard.
Place them near places where you’ve seen signs of rodent activity (such as droppings), and check them every couple of days until you catch the rodent.
- Surround garden beds with hardware cloth.
- Remove clutter from around the house.
- Keep a clean kitchen and seal your trash can tightly.
- Plant mint around the patio perimeter.
Getting Rid of that Skunk that Won’t Leave Your Patio or Porch
Skunks are animals that most people don’t want around. They can cause problems for pets and damage your home and garden.
The good news is that there are several ways to get rid of skunks to have peace of mind in your backyard. These include:
- Remove food sources from the porch or patio.
- Use bright LED lights and motion sensor lights to try to scare the skunk off.
- Sounds like whistles, barking doors, radio, and aluminum pans do a great job at scaring skunks.
- Smells like ammonia, predator urine like dig urine, citrus, and mothballs scare skunks.
- Fence your property.
- Install a motion-activated sprinkler system.
Final Thoughts
Patio pests can be a nuisance and must be eliminated from your patio. Getting rid of these pests shouldn’t be a hard task. We hope this article has given you some helpful tips on how to keep pests away from your deck, patio, or porch this summer.
We’d love to hear any of your favorite tips for keeping pests away—so please share them in the comments!
