How do i keep flies away from my trashcan outside? What can i repell them with?

Question

I have a really bad problem with flies and they always get into my trashcans outside and lay maggots! How could i stop something like this from happening?

Answer 1

After cleaning & disinfecting you trash can with bleach water, you can place a fabric softener sheet (Bounce) on the lid of the can to repell the flies.

This site gives several fly repellent ideas, such as a mixture of half Pinesol and half water:
http://www.moniteausaddleclub.com/flyspray_recipes.htm
OR this:
18 oz white vinegar
2 Tbsp dish washing soap.
add water to dilute.
Mix in a 20 oz spray bottle

Common fly repellent recipes often involve a combination of essential oils such as eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender and sandalwood. These are mixed with water in a spray bottle and sprayed on.

Slice lemon thinly. Place in a bowl with a few sprigs of rosemary and cover both in boiling water. Allow to steep overnight and strain the mixture the following morning. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake before applying to the can. Or just place sprigs of fresh rosemary on top of the can.

Some people use other fly repellent recipes on their animals, so it should work here. Garlic is the most common. Mix one part crushed garlic to five parts water. Shake the mixture and leave overnight. Strain and pour liquid into a spray bottle.

Some use white wine vinegar, water and any combination of eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or tea tree oils. Mix a few drops of essential oil (eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or tea tree oils) into a little Ivory liquid and add to the vinegar and water. Put the resultant mixture into a spray bottle and shake well before using. Variations include the addition of strong, cold tea instead of water.
Good luck! Hope this helped. (Just wanted to give you as many ideas as I could find.)

Answer 2

Scrub them out well and bleach them so they have no smell. Then only put sealed plastic bags of garbage in your cans and there will be nothing for the flies to be attracted to or lay eggs on. A good sturdy sealing lid will help too.

Answer 3

That was a Long Answer....I just tie my bag tight and throw it in, spray a little raid on top and close the lid...never had a problem.

Answer 4

it never ceases to amaze me that people can so blithely suggest spraying neurotoxins around (raid!) when there are effective non toxic remedies available, especially for something so minor as an event in your OUTSIDE garbage can, ferkrissakes!

Answer 5

Poke a hole in your trash bag. Flies can find their way in but not out.

Answer 6

Try vinegar and water in a spray bottle.

that should help

Answer 7

have you got a cover for it??
use two bags to put your garbage in and keep a cover on it.