It’s hard not to spend a day with friends and family enjoying the summer sunshine.

Unfortunately, insects also enjoy the appearance of flies, mosquitoes and bees, often making it a little difficult to get some rest or relaxation.

Here are some top tips to avoid annoying noise, bloodsuckers and stings:

Mosquitoes:

Install or maintain fly screens on windows, doors, vents and chimneys.

Use insect sprays and repellants both inside and outside the home to kill mosquitoes – Use “knock-down” fly spray against mosquitoes in your home, mosquito “zappers” or vaporizers on indoor patios, and mosquito coils outdoors. These should always be supervised and intended for use in conjunction with insect repellents. If the problem persists, a long-acting surface spray should be used in areas where mosquitoes like to rest. Shaded areas around shrubs and bushes should be sprayed, but do not do this near fish ponds.

Remove standing water that provides the breeding ground, and also prevent items from filling with water, such as: tires, buckets and pits.

Change pet water bowls, birdbaths, and vases of water at least once a week.

Inspect and maintain rainwater tanks and water storage containers.

Flying:

Keep houses and patios clean – This is especially important after a gathering or barbecue, where any spilled food or drinks attract flies to feed on. Close trash bags and trash cans properly.

Lighting – Lights, especially white incandescent bulbs, act as mosquito and fly magnets. Turn off light bulbs, especially outdoors, and try to use yellow bulbs, or replace them with yellow or sodium vapor lights if possible. Turn off the lights at night.

Repellent – Spray mixtures of hydrogen peroxide, vodka, mouthwash, anise oil, essential oils or lemongrass oil, peppermint, lemon balm, citronella grass, basil, thyme, catnip, rosemary, marigolds, lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree are effective. sugar-water or milk, sugar and pepper traps can be set up, and other methods include clove and lemon decorative repellants, natural apple cider peel repellants, lighting citronella candles, or using a fan.

Bees:

Food is a major motivator for wasps, and they decide to hang around, with queen bees often hibernating in the cracks and crevices of homes during the colder months before reuniting in search of food come summer. During the warmer months of spring and summer, wasps look for protein-based foods such as meat scraps, so be sure to remove any scraps and bits of meat that might attract bees.

If you have a deck that has been or could be an ideal nesting place for bees, it’s a good idea to sweep safely. Wear heavy clothing and gloves to ensure full skin coverage when searching for a bee nest, and never approach a bee nest during the day, as they are most aggressive during this time. To see the nest at night, cover a flashlight with red cellophane taped over the light, as bees cannot see red light.

Tips to keep bees away from outdoor areas and especially swimming pools include buying or making bait hives, growing natural bee repellants such as eucalyptus, peppermint, thyme citronella and wormwood, sprinkling peppermint oil or cloves mixed with geranium and lemongrass and attracting them elsewhere. includes trying. wrap small strips of raw meat or put in a few cans/diesel cans.