Firing up the grill is a popular summer pastime, but nothing ruins a barbecue like a swarm of mosquitoes! Fortunately, you don’t have to coexist with these pests — here’s how to keep flies away from your grill.
1. Spray Your Skin
Grillmasters can keep mosquitoes off their skin — and away from a barbecue’s immediate area — with a simple spray of celery extract.
First, purchase some celery and run it through a juicer. Next, place the celery juice in a spray bottle and spray away! Or wet a small cloth and rub the liquid on your skin — your choice!
Want another natural mosquito repellant? Mix 20 drops of essential oil — like eucalyptus, cinnamon, or lemon oil — with two tablespoons of olive oil. Then rub the solution on your skin. It’s another non-toxic alternative to common chemicals such as DEET.
2. Turn on the Fan
A simple, $ 20 box fan — or a bigger industrial one; your choice! — that you can purchase at any home center may be all you need to keep mosquitoes away from the grill.
Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so they’re no match for a three-speed fan’s generated wind. But there’s another reason why fans deter flies from a cookout. Fans break up carbon dioxide — which mosquitoes use to find hosts for feeding — and spread it around.
You probably won’t want to run a loud fan all the time, but this is a good temporary fix for grillmasters who are sick of fighting flies.
3. Repel Them with Plants
Mosquitoes can’t stand some smells — and if you want to know how to keep flies away, just grow these natural repellants.
Marigolds, lavender, sage, rosemary and lemongrass are just some of the plants that mosquitoes don’t like, can’t stand and will avoid every time.
However, put some careful thought into this. Marigolds may look nice but their pungent odor that offends mosquitoes may have the same effect on you! Lavender has a nice scent, but does the flower fit in your backyard?
Visit the local nursery, consider each option’s look and smell, and then decide what works best for your backyard.
Now you know how to keep flies away from your grill, so the only thing left to think about is what to make for the cookout.
What are your home remedies for keeping mosquitoes away? Tell us in the comments!
