How to keep the summer swarm of flies from entering ranch sliders?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › How to keep the summer swarm of flies from entering ranch sliders?

TeaLeaf

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#311049 10-Dec-2023 11:01

I dont know why as we are ultra clean/tidy living, but we get swarms of the common flies and some big bopper blow flies during the muggy months.

They only seem to enter the ranch sliders, prob because we keep most things shuts with the air con and HRV running.

Is there any way to make some kind of cheap temporary netting that can be made to help keep them out? Obviously not leaving the doors open is key, but as soon as its open, they are in......

Happy festive season everybody!!!

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#3170253 10-Dec-2023 11:06

No.
Use flypaper.
Looks gross, but is very effective.

timmmay

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#3170254 10-Dec-2023 11:11

https://www.exceed.co.nz/solutions/retractable-insect-fly-screens

We got fly screen doors. Turned out that most of summer it's warm enough outside that opening then doesn't help much. Better off keeping doors closed and using air con. If it's cooler outside for you these can help. Cost us about $3k for one double width and one regular door.

tweake

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#3170271 10-Dec-2023 12:09

why not look at some outdoor fly traps. get rid of the problem before the door. even with a screen, you still have to open the screen to get in/out. so they will still get in no matter what. only thing you can do is kill them when they get inside and/or kill them when they are outside.

Eva888

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#3170376 10-Dec-2023 17:01

I’m going to buy some string curtain/room dividers from trade me. They come in a variety of colours including black and white and you simply walk through the strings, they have a bit of glitter which and movement in a breeze which should scare the flies. Just get a couple of sets, only about $6 each so worth a try and better than an open door. I also got some wooden bead curtains for a porch door.

fe31nz

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#3170467 11-Dec-2023 00:18

You can get proper aluminium sliding fly screen doors that fit inside your ranch sliders. We have had that for our single slider off the kitchen since 1975 and had to get it replaced a couple of years ago and it was no problem to get that done. Ours has a C shape aluminium channel screwed to the door casing top and bottom and the fly door just pops into that, with its wheels running in the channel. If you do not like the shading from the fly screen mesh in winter, you can pop the door out and store it in the garage, but we have never bothered with that. There is a vertical aluminium panel with felt on the end of it to close the gap between the ranch slider and the fly door.

TeaLeaf

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#3172445 16-Dec-2023 17:59

Eva888: I’m going to buy some string curtain/room dividers from trade me. They come in a variety of colours including black and white and you simply walk through the strings, they have a bit of glitter which and movement in a breeze which should scare the flies. Just get a couple of sets, only about $6 each so worth a try and better than an open door. I also got some wooden bead curtains for a porch door.

Yep, thats a similar cheap fix Im looking at. My gran use to hang a curtain that goes the length of a door, made out of the old school mesh material people use to put on the inside of blinds. You simply push it to the side as you exit and the floppy movement scared the flies from entering. a bit like the string curtains. I was just going to use double sided velcro and take it down once summer is over and family have left. You will always get a couple, but with air conditioner the doors stay shut 95% of time.

With the external fly traps, what is most effective? I can put one near front door so nothing comes in there and one hidden to our outdoor dining zone but just to the side, which may help reduce the amount my screen needs to keep out.

and inside, same thing? I dont llike the idea of fly sprays, we have some good auto ones but its poison. I already have had my share, my gran use to spray the entire house with canned fly spray for the few that would make through. Nasty crap to inhale blah.

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Eva888

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#3172457 16-Dec-2023 18:39

No chance of flies in Wellington with all the wind we are having.

Maybe also worth getting one of those blue light, plug in zappers that BBQs them and leave it outside the doors so you don’t get the crispy sound.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#3172463 16-Dec-2023 19:01

Eva888: Maybe also worth getting one of those blue light, plug in zappers that BBQs them...

johno1234

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#3172511 16-Dec-2023 19:19

tweake:
why not look at some outdoor fly traps. get rid of the problem before the door. even with a screen, you still have to open the screen to get in/out. so they will still get in no matter what. only thing you can do is kill them when they get inside and/or kill them when they are outside.

This. These things work. You may find yourself emptying them quite often too. It makes me wonder about the source of the flies though.

MikeB4

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#3172560 17-Dec-2023 07:54

Autonomous drones with self aiming lasers backed up with cats with guns.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Bung

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#3172569 17-Dec-2023 09:04

johno1234:

This. These things work. You may find yourself emptying them quite often too. It makes me wonder about the source of the flies though.

We buy distilled water in 10l bottles for the steam iron. The cap from the 400ml jar sized fly traps more or less fits the 10l bottle. You can get large sachets of fly lure from farm supply stores. The bottle lasts all summer. Any large container could work without the gross visuals.

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TeaLeaf

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#3172666 17-Dec-2023 13:08

Bung:

The cap from the 400ml jar sized fly traps more or less fits the 10l bottle.

Sorry, that bit I dont quite understand, but looks ingenious way to deal with them outside, put it on the deck near the bbq perhaps..... (just dont look while having guests over lol).

as for what causes flies, is that a serious question? If so, "Nature" is the answer. Possibly being coastal may contribute. I can ask the Mrs, she is a Zoologist. But its usually Jan/Feb in the top north of NZ when the heat is on and the humidity is always around 80-100% ie Sub Tropical. But I think that's what triggers the common house fly to spawn in plagues this time of year. Its annoying as we have a home thanks to the euro Mrs being a neat freak constantly cleaning, we have a home which looks like one of those new staged homes in the US Xmas movies lol. Flies just don't suit, even though ecologically they are a huge heavy lifters in nature.

Bung

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#3172678 17-Dec-2023 13:58

What I meant is that the thread on the bottle isn't the same as the lid from the small fly trap but it fits. It is best left out of sight and far enough from where you sit that you don't smell it. It's like compound interest, every fly that ends up in the bottle represents 1000s of its offspring that won't be around a few weeks later.

We have an empty section of long grass next door. Flies and mosquitoes seem use it to shelter from the wind.

TeaLeaf

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#3173023 18-Dec-2023 14:24

Bung:

What I meant is that the thread on the bottle isn't the same as the lid from the small fly trap but it fits.

Oh, the blue thing is its own little fly trap? Sorry ive never seen on of these before. If you can link me to a small trap and the fly bait you mentioned that would help heaps :-)

I think also the bottle could be painted a translucent but not clear enough colour to hide whats inside for those that are squirmish.

I hadnt thought about the ones dead being the layer of thousands more, good point. also you could be right the grass. We dont have that, in fact all the sections around me are prim and propper but there is a lot of hedges. The above system doesnt happen to work on mozzies as well?

The flies arent so bad just yet but its only circa 25deg, in fact this years weather patter, Novemember was warmer it felt. But it will come. The mosquitos though, they are almost alll year round it seems. Hate using the sprays.

Thanks mate.

jonathan18

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#3173104 18-Dec-2023 15:41

We’ve similarly had a crazy increase in house flies in the house the past couple of days, thanks to the warmer weather, and they’re DRIVING ME CRAZY!

So I’m also really interested in these outdoor solutions, but similarly would appreciate some steer as to the best products, eg are any of these likely to be any good?

These ones all seem to be fairly similar, ie use a ‘natural’ bait mixed with water; any specific brands that people would recommend? Or are there other types that work better?

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/outdoor-fly-trap/p/227325

https://www.pestrol.co.nz/buy-online/pestrol-fly-eater-outdoor-fly-trap/

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/the-buzz-fly-trap-bottle-with-bait-2-pack_p0086962

https://shop.farmlands.co.nz/envirosafe-fly-trap-jumbo/5637147842.p

TIA.

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