What's the best way to use lavender to keep flies away from outdoor areas?

Lavender can be a fantastic natural tool to help keep flies away from outdoor areas, especially patios, decks, and gathering spaces. Its strong, pleasant scent is generally offensive to flies and can help create a less inviting environment for them.

Here are the best ways to use lavender for outdoor fly repellent:

1. Planting Live Lavender Plants

This is one of the most aesthetic and low-maintenance ways to deter flies.

• Strategic Placement: Plant lavender bushes around your patio, deck, or near outdoor dining areas. Placing them near doorways or windows can also help deter flies from entering your home.

• Variety Choice: For stronger repellent properties, consider Lavandin varieties (Lavandula x intermedia), such as 'Grosso' or 'Provence'. These often have a higher concentration of camphor in addition to linalool, giving them a more robust and pungent scent that flies tend to dislike more than the sweeter English lavenders.

• Crush Foliage: Gently brushing or crushing the foliage of the lavender plants occasionally can release more of the essential oils, intensifying the scent and increasing their deterrent effect.

2. DIY Lavender Essential Oil Sprays

These offer a more concentrated and immediate repellent effect than live plants.

• For Surfaces (Patio Furniture, Decking, Screens):

  • Ingredients: 1 cup distilled water, 1/2 cup white vinegar (helps remove pheromones and is a natural cleaner), 20-40 drops of pure lavender essential oil. You can also add other fly-repelling essential oils like peppermint, citronella, lemon eucalyptus, or lemongrass for an enhanced effect.

  • Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use, as oils and water separate.

  • How to use: Spray generously on outdoor furniture, deck railings, window screens, and other non-porous surfaces. Avoid spraying directly on delicate fabrics without testing first. Reapply every few hours or as needed, especially after rain.

• For Air/Atmosphere:

  • Ingredients: 1 cup distilled water, 1/4 cup witch hazel or high-proof rubbing alcohol, 30-50 drops of pure lavender essential oil.

  • Instructions: Mix witch hazel/alcohol with essential oil first in a spray bottle, then add water. Shake well before each use.

  • How to use: Lightly mist the air around your outdoor seating area. This creates a scented barrier that can deter flies from hovering too close. This type of spray can also be used to lightly mist outdoor cushions or tablecloths.

3. Lavender Sachets or Bowls with Essential Oil

These create localized scent zones.

• Dried Lavender Sachets: Fill small, breathable fabric bags (muslin, organza) with dried lavender buds. Place these sachets in strategic locations like:

  • Under patio table centerpieces.

  • Tucked into outdoor planters.

  • Hung near doorways or windows.

  • Refresh by squeezing them to release more scent, and replace every few weeks to months.

• Essential Oil Soaked Objects:

  • Place a few drops of pure lavender essential oil on cotton balls, felt pads, or unfinished wooden blocks.

  • Place these in small, open decorative bowls or tins on your outdoor tables or ledges.

  • Replenish the drops every few hours as the scent dissipates in the open air.

4. Diffusers (Outdoor Specific)

While common indoors, some diffusers are designed for outdoor use or can be placed strategically.

• Electric Diffusers: If you have an outdoor power source, an outdoor-rated essential oil diffuser can disperse a continuous scent of lavender (and other repellent oils) into the air.

• Terracotta Diffusers: These porous terracotta or ceramic pieces absorb essential oil and slowly release the scent. Place a few drops of lavender oil on them and position them around your patio.

5. Burning Dried Lavender

• Bundles: If you have dried lavender bundles, you can carefully light the end of a bundle (like a smudge stick) and let it smolder. The smoke and strong scent will release the repellent compounds. Use extreme caution with fire, ensuring it's in a fire-safe container and away from flammable materials. Never leave unattended.

Important Considerations for Outdoor Use:

• Concentration Matters: The effectiveness of lavender as a repellent is directly related to the concentration of its active compounds. Essential oils are much more potent than live plants or dried buds.

• Reapplication: Natural repellents evaporate more quickly outdoors due to air movement, sun, and heat. You'll need to reapply sprays or refresh sachets/diffusers more frequently than indoors.

• Not a Silver Bullet: While effective as a deterrent, lavender might not completely eliminate all flies, especially in areas with very high fly pressure (e.g., near livestock, garbage). It's best used as part of an overall strategy that also includes good sanitation (removing food waste, keeping trash cans covered) and possibly physical barriers (screens).

• Combine with Others: For enhanced effectiveness, consider combining lavender with other fly-repelling essential oils or plants like citronella, peppermint, basil, rosemary, or lemongrass.

By using a combination of these methods, you can significantly reduce the nuisance of flies and enjoy your outdoor spaces more.