Whether you enjoy your precious moments indoors or outdoors, buzzing colonies of corn flies can be bothersome.
These pesky little creatures are a real menace in agricultural areas, too. Since they are obnoxious, it is no surprise many people want to repel them.
Corn flies typically dwell in cornfields and around nectary plants. They are a common issue in cultivated fields and homesteads because they can ruin the crop.
If they also annoy you a lot, it is time to get rid of corn flies using some natural methods.
There are many ways to deter troublesome corn flies away. Just keep reading to find remarkable solutions to your corn fly problem.
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Why Do You Find Many Corn Flies?
Before getting rid of corn flies, you must know why you spot lots of corn flies. Without a doubt, understanding specific details will be beneficial to you.
Certain things attract corn flies. These tiny flying creatures favor high humidity hence they like wet conditions.
Apart from loving wet places, corn flies are climate-driven creatures. In addition, they need salt to survive.
If your environment is humid and moist at once, corn flies will swarm into it for sure. These flies are extremely attracted to high moisture levels.
Corn flies hover around you because they find you attractive. Humans’ sweats are one of the main reasons you see them in large numbers because sweats contain salt and water.
Typically, corn flies visit homes because they want to find food. Their instinct tells them to do so.
Furthermore, they love sweet fruits and sugary things. If your home has these things, you will spot corn flies in massive quantities.
Habits of Corn Flies
Corn flies are fond of nectar because it fuels them. Nectar gives them enough energy to mate, move around, and collect the pollen.
During the daytime, corn flies normally hover around sweet plants, searching for nectar. Unlike bees, they cannot make honey with their finds.
Corn flies love landing on people and flowers, too.
To finish their day, corn flies nestle on a stagnant water surface or piles of leaves. On some occasions, you can find them resting in an insect nest.
Additionally, corn flies often live in moderately large groups.
Corn flies are in the Syrphidae family. They go by several names, including helicopter flies, syrphid flies, flower flies, sweat bees, and hoverflies.
Appearance-wise, corn flies possess long, narrow bodies. Moreover, they feature dark-colored rings around their abdomen.
There are nearly 6000 species of corn flies in existence. Some subspecies of corn flies boast yellow markings on the backs.
Do Corn Flies Bite Humans?
Usually, people mistake corn flies for bees or wasps due to their similar looks. The fact is these flying creatures are very different from the honey bees.
Unlike wasps or bees, corn flies cannot sting. Although these pesky creatures are big fans of high moisture and salt, they will not bite you.
If corn flies approach you, then do not be afraid. The thing you need to worry about is your agricultural field.
Life Cycle of a Corn Fly
This fact might surprise you. Corn flies have a short life cycle. Likewise, they only live for about 21 days.
These little flying creatures can produce 3 generations or more per year during their entire lifetime.
Speaking of the corn flies’ life cycle, the pupae become adults in just 1-2 weeks. After turning into adults, they are ready to mate and start their new cycle.
The females of corn flies produce eggs on leaves with aphid infestations. Then, they collect some nectar for energy.
If these flies launch assaults against the corn seeds, chances are those seeds will not emerge. It is such a nightmare when they enter the cornfield and damage the crops.
The Importance of Corn Flies
You may have dreamed of a bug-free world, and I can see why. Corn flies usually bother sweet crops such as squash, peas, and sugar beets.
They rely on plants that produce nectar, no wonder they buzz around the agricultural grounds often.
The corn flies’ presence is not always a bad thing. These flies can cause some positive work too.
Corn flies make incredible pollinators. They will help in the pollination of certain plants like swedes and squash.
Humans and plants need corn flies to preserve the natural order. Larvae of the corn flies also feed on aphids which may destroy corn and soybean crops.
Related: Natural Ways to Get Rid of Whiteflies
How to Get Rid of Corn Flies Inside House
Although corn flies become helpful in some cases, you should not let them invade your home and cause indoor infestations.
Deterring corn flies away seems challenging, especially inside the house. However, you can reduce their populations using eco-friendly methods below:
1. Use Sugar Solution
As I mentioned earlier, corn flies are fond of sugary things. Moreover, they frequently hover around the sugar container.
This signifies sugar makes excellent bait. You can eradicate them swiftly by using a homemade sugar solution.
First of all, mix water in a bowl with some spoonfuls of sugar. Then, use plastic to cover the container and create small holes. Make sure they can allow in the flies.
This is how this method works. When corn flies get into the sugar solution, they will find it difficult to escape because they get trapped.
2. Install a Fan
If you are dealing with corn flies, it is time to buy a fan. Undoubtedly, fans increase the indoor air’s speed.
Of course, those bothersome flies will hate to hang out around the fan because it inhibits their mobility.
You will have to turn your fan on to prevent annoying corn flies from coming into your home frequently.
Fans ensure that your house is unconducive to their presence. This method encourages the flies to move elsewhere.
3. Utilize Vinegar
In addition to sugar, vinegar makes fabulous bait. Due to its pungent smell, it attracts many corn flies with ease.
If you hate indoor corn fly infestations, you should tackle them fast. First, grab a brightly colored bottle, bowl, or container to put the vinegar. Next, mix the vinegar with dish soap.
Only use a ¼ cup of liquid soap for 1 cup of vinegar. Choose a fruit-scented or floral dish soap for a more attractive mix.
When you make this vinegar-and-soap solution, the vinegar will entice the corn flies into the container.
Furthermore, the liquid soap acts as a solvent. It traps unwanted corn flies as they land in the bottle or bowl.
4. Grow Carnivorous Plants
Mama Nature is definitely magnificent. It provides some amazing deterrents to corn flies and their relatives.
Speaking of natural corn fly deterrents, consider insect-feeding plants.
As the name suggests, insect-feeding plants boast a unique mechanism to draw in insects like corn flies before killing them.
Such plants use insects as their protein source.
It is safe to say that carnivorous plants are very crucial plants to possess in your home. Venus flytrap and sundew are two popular corn fly trapping plants.
Since Venus flytraps are not picky eaters, they will eat any fly, including corn flies.
There are other carnivorous plants like pitcher plants and trumpet plants. They brilliantly work as corn fly-eating machines.
If you are looking to grow carnivorous plants, you must keep them indoors. Do not forget to put them in a nice pot and allow the corn flies to keep your bizarre plants well-fed.
5. Use Essential Oils
You can repel corn flies using essential oils of certain herbs such as lavender, rosemary, mint, and basil.
Besides them, other essential oils deter pesky flies on the market.
If you go this route, add several drops of your chosen essential oil into a spray bottle of water. Then, spray it around your home.
The essential oil also doubles as an air freshener. Select any of these essential oils:
- Lemongrass
Talking about getting rid of corn flies, lemongrass essential oils come in handy. They can drive away corn flies and mosquitos.
- Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is an Australian plant that produces earthy and pungent smells. I highly recommend using eucalyptus essential oils since they can keep mosquitos and flies out.
Another thing that makes eucalyptus essential oils remarkable is their ability to be bug repellent. Apply a drop of the eucalyptus oil onto the wrists.
Also, dab it behind your ears for extra bug protection.
- Cedar Wood
Well, cedar wood is an uncommon ingredient in essential oils. However, it repels flies, including corn flies.
Additionally, cedar wood oils act as a spray. Just mix them with lemongrass or mint essential oils. This homemade spray is ideal for indoor use.
- Tea Tree
This essential oil boasts antimicrobial properties. Moreover, it can help you deter troublesome beetles and flies in your home.
- Citronella
Citronella essential oils are not only for mosquitos but also for flying insects. This includes corn flies, of course.
If you have easy access to the oil, do not hesitate to buy it.
6. Fly Tape
If you are new to fly tapes, I have got you covered. Fly tapes feature sticky materials that stick well to the house’s wall.
Furthermore, it will be great if you attach the tapes to the trap.
Fly tapes are normally safer for indoor use than chemical ones. They use colors and attractants to draw in plant pests like corn flies. However, they do not contain chemicals.
Nowadays, many manufacturers produce non-toxic sticky materials like rosin. Those companies use it for their fly tapes.
You can combine sticky tapes with citronella essential oils to remove minor indoor corn fly infestations.
How to Repel Corn Flies Outside House
When picking methods for reducing the populations of corn flies, you should decide if you plan to kill the pests or just deter them.
Chemicals and pesticides can eliminate so many corn flies. However, such methods may be unsafe for pets, humans, and crops.
To drive corn flies away from the outdoor areas near your house, you can utilize deterrents. Here are outdoor deterrents you should try:
Set Out Fly Traps
Eliminating large outdoor infestations of corn flies is not easy. However, humans are great at inventing things to deter pests.
There are many human-made deterrents specifically designed for flies on the market.
Some people still rely on classic fly traps when fighting against pesky corn flies. These traps are available in all sizes and shapes.
You can use fly traps outdoors or indoors, depending on the model. Typically, the traps come in vibrant colors and feature attractants to lure in corn flies.
Corn flies get in the traps with ease. Due to brilliant structure designs, the traps keep corn flies from taking flight.
Moreover, fly traps range in capacity. Some traps even can attract more than 20,000 corn flies easily.
Setting out fly traps is an incredible way to remove outdoor infestations. This solution depends on the infestation location and the scope of the pest problem, though.
Read also: How to get rid of Mealybugs
Herbs
Talking about how to get rid of corn flies outside, you can use herbs. If you love gardening, try growing these herbs in the garden to repel corn flies:
- Rosemary
Rosemary has a strong odor that deters corn flies and flying insects. This plant thrives well in pots and gardens.
Consider drying rosemary in bunches. Then, hang them around your home to drive annoying corn flies away.
- Basil
This herb is not just for Italian cooking. Basil repels ants, corn flies, and biting insects because of its smell. You can plant basil in the ground or small pots.
- Lavender
Possibly the most gorgeous corn fly deterrent on the list. This herb drives corn flies away from yards and homes due to its scent.
Like rosemary, you can hang dried rosemary in bunches or grow it in the garden. Regardless of your choice, this herb will deter corn flies naturally.
- Mint
Since mint produces a pungent odor, it can effectively repel flies. It goes well with corn fly traps too.
Be careful when growing mint, though. This herb spreads swiftly and may invade the garden. It is advisable to plant mint in pots outdoors.
To Summarize
Don’t panic when corn flies are around because they do not harm humans. However, like other pests, they attack crop plants.
That is why you should get rid of corn flies using natural ways.
The methods above keep corn fly populations in check. That means corn flies can do their pollinating work and maintain the natural order.