How to Control Flies and Wasps in your Yard

This last winter was unseasonably warm which means a few things. There was less driving in the snow, and more bugs that survived the winter. It is going to be a good year for bugs if you would call it that. I have already noticed an abundance of bugs around my yard. In one of my flower beds, a fly must have laid eggs because there was a bunch of flies just in that one little flower bed. So I decided that I need to take action early this year to control the flies and wasps so that it doesn't turn into an even bigger problem.

I was given some new flying insect traps and lures from BlackFlag® Brand for flies and wasps. The traps are reusable and the lures can be effective from 2 weeks to a month. One of the things I liked about the traps is that they have the option to put them in ground with a stake or hang them up. As soon as they arrived I put one out in the flower bed that had all those flies. All I had to do for the fly lure was pour in a packet and add water. Then I used the stake and placed it in the garden right where the flies were. Almost immediately, there were flies trapped in the trap. One of the things I was apprehensive about was it attracting and trapping bees. We get allot of bees in that area too because of the flowers, and I did not want this to trap the beneficial bees. I am happy to report that I have not seen one single bee in the trap, but it dose have quite a few flies so far and it has been out about a week.
I also like that the outside of them is a nice design so that they do not look like bug traps, and they actually look quite decorative.
The other trap I put a lure in for the wasps and hung it in the back yard where I thought I saw some wasps making a nest. But so far I haven't seen any wasps caught in the trap. It has gotten a few flies, however. I think I will try a new location and see if I get better results. I have not seen any wasps in that area anymore, so I think they might have moved somewhere else.
Other then putting these well designed traps and bait out, what can you do to help make your yard an unattractive place for flies and wasps this year? BlackFlag® provides some good information for us on that:

For added control, be sure to follow these tips from the Black Flag brand for keeping your backyard pest free.

·        Keep gutters clear and direct water from downspouts away from your home.
·        Cut back bushes and tree branches around your house.
·        Clean up all pet and animal feces promptly.
·        Dispose of kitchen scraps and other organic waste properly.
·        If you have fruit trees in your yard, pick up any fruit that falls on the ground.
·        Place lids on trash and recycling bins and move them away from the house.

One of the bees that we do not want to trap.

 For more information, or to purchase your own traps and lures visit Black Flag on the web. Happy Gardening!