Why are flies gathering on my covered patio in the same spot?

a couple days ago I noticed flys all over my large deck. On the railing, furniture, siding, on everything. Other than my usual flower pots, my (new decking put on last summer) everything is clean and in good condition. No one seems to have an answer why or what to do. I am going to try spraying with white vinegar.

We have the same problem on one window in my child bedroom. It has happened for a couple of years. I sprayed and cleaned the window but they were back in few days. Really horrible and we can not open the window. I will try the cd hunting in the wind. The flies seem to like the window because it traps the sun in the afternoon but it is also the coldest and more humid side of the house. Not sure what the solution is yet!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL31_8ckxCQ

one more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lB3lV4x58w

I live in Northern California and these types of flies show up every spring a summer. They are not Hover Flies or Cluster Flies. They are small and just circle around and around right outside my front door where we have a large awning. The area is shaded all day and the flies hang out there during the day and disappear as the day cools and night comes. They are not yellow and black striped like Hover flies and they are not large like cluster flies. They are smaller than house flies and bigger than fruit flies. They look more like a house fly in coloring and eye shape. But they never seem to land on anything, ever! We don’t have flowering plants in the front of our home or garbage cans. I just cannot figure out what they are or where they come from?! They don’t bite and are really just more of an low grade annoyance. Passing through a swarm of flies every time you want to go out or in the house is annoying but not painful. It is annoying when they get inside too as they just circle round and round at the center of the room. Ugh. I’d happily relocate them if it was possible. Mostly, I just want to know what kind of fly they actually are.

Same problem in our our covered patio. They bite my dogs. I have tried many repellents (basil, lemongrass, clove, mint, vodka etc ) to no avail! Sticky yellow fly sticks work, but are unsightly. Electronic light zappers are no help, because they are not attracted to the blue/white light. Old fashioned fly swatters work but some days I swat over 200 flies! Got a zapper racquet which sometimes kills the slow speed flies during their copulation. Bag traps work, but stink like death. My neighbor complained because the wind blows in his direction. My research so far tells me that there is very little we can do about those buggers other that swatting, occasional racquet zapping. and those yellow sticky things. I refuse to enclose my patio with screens.

So we just have to suffer? We don't want to spray anything because of our pets....it is on our covered deck...so there might be some moisture underneath...we water the plants a lot....

I think Karly is right. Little House fly. Smaller than regular house fly, hovers around our head level on porches, doesn't really try to come inside, not attracted to typical fly traps. Fans sound like the only things that work.

I sprayed three different times, Clorox, vinegar and insecticide and all are white and dead.

Hang fresh bunch of Lavender purple flowers attached with twig.....it worked for me 100% gone within 24hours.

I started having this problem when I moved here 3 years ago. I have an uncovered deck and they're all over it. They're also attracted to the large succulent I have there. It's really bad during spring and summer, and it's every size and type of fly imaginable. For some reason they also like hanging around the landscape rocks and pavers. Weird. I pick up my dog's poop immediately and hose down the area too. I'll try vinegar but the deck already smells like lemongrass I use to fight fleas and mosquitoes. The combo will be interesting. Lol

We live in downtown Chicago and in a condo building. We have one unit above us and the decks line up so we have a covering. Flies have been congregating in one corner just below our neighbors boards and circle nonstop. It’s disgusting and making us dread being out there. This wasn’t the case last spring/summer so it’s new to us and we’re clean freaks so have already scrubbed our deck boards patio furniture and railings. Not sure if they are just hanging out for the atmosphere we provide or if there’s something on the neighbors deck they smell and are just unfortunately on our side of the boards? Would love a solution so we can enjoy our deck this summer.

They don’t harm anything. We’ve had them for all the 20 years I’ve live here. You can try to find where they’re breading and clean that up but these ones you see are just the males.

Don't try to kill them with chemicals or natural pesticides, it will not work. You’ll just ruin the space for yourself and kill innocent bystanders.

These guys are cool and harmless and fun to watch when your bored, in deep thought, or just stoned. Check em out. At night they sleep on plants on my patio, I see them and they’re kinda cute as if they’re just another animal going about its life.

Like us they want shade, a mate, and a safe place to sleep at night.

Hi I have the same problem, utilised lots of remedies and sprayed pesticide and even pour bleach on the patio area and they still comes back. But then.... one day after washing my patio and let it dry, seen 4 of them flying & hanging on my chairs... I was so annoyed and so I smeared my washing detergent all around my chairs and floors without adding any water. FINALLY they left for good!!!

But everytime after a heavy rain, they returned. I just repeated spreading washing detergent or shower cream around the area they loves to hang out. Anything that is sticky, fragrance will do. Do dont add any water, just let the detergent to dry by its own. Unlike bleach, sticky detergent dont corodes my chairs that easily. This works like a charm for me... I hope it works for others too. Thanks.

I’m so mad we have these. Found this bit of info when googled. Took our fan down so they wouldn’t have a landmark to fly a around under and there is more than there has been ever!!!! 🤬

I was just looking at about 4 flies on my patio I've tried bleaching the whole patio with lemon bleach and lemon washing up liquid to no avail so I went onto this post read a few comments looked back and they've all gone....maybe the answer is reading this post 🤣😂🤣😂🤣......scrap that... 4 are back 😅🤣😂 I literally hate them..... No garbage can, no moisture unless it's the concrete underneath??, No food stuff, no plants, no bbq and no animals. There is literally nothing for them here but they still return, they just clearly like my patio or the fact it's an enclosed patio with no wind either way they're sooooo annoying and just make the place look dirty!! I'm constantly cleaning the whole house and garden wandering if I've missed something but I've checked everything and everywhere and now I'm at a dead end and don't know what to do??!!

Interesting about roofing material, except my house & deck is covered with a 50 year (on year #2) steel roof. We’re on top of a smallish mountain with woods around. I use a fan most evenings as it keeps the mosquitoes away naturally but seems like some days decreases flies & some days they invite more friends to their own amusement park ride. Bug zapper racquet is fun for the first 30 minutes or until the beer gets warm, but doesn’t decrease the overall number. As soon as my back heals from surgery I’m going to pull off the lattice & clear out debris under the deck. My wife likes to remind me that they were here first!

I noticed Dragonflies, Lizards....and the ubiquitous flies all gathering daily in the self same spots. As I’m writing this I see NO DragonFlies and no lizards YET MORE sluggish flies just hanging round. Usually I watch the DragonFlies and lizards hunt the flies while the flies attempt to escape.

Guess I will get stoned too and just watch them! 🤣

We used to get them on our covered porch, it was a shaded area and the concrete always felt damp and cold. Once we removed a tree nearby and the porch got full sun, the flies disappeared.

A simple solution is to set up a fan on the porch. They can't land with moving air.

There is probably something spilled there that they are sensing. I would clean the area with bleach. I would also agree with Ann, adding a fan with moving air should help. You can also try using a Thermacell product out there, they are for mosquitos, but if nothing else works, I would try it.

We have had this problem as well. For us (unfortunately) previous owners put up vinyl siding, but there were slight gaps that the flies could get in (and behind). Many died back there, and more and more flies kept showing up.

We finally removed the siding and left the wood open to the air for a few days. Boarded it up properly and haven't had the problem. So maybe your flies smell that and are trying to get in?

There must be something that's attracting them but I'm unsure what that is. I'd suggest cleaning up around that area, cleaning surfaces well and letting everything dry out. Moving your traps to another location might help.

I've tried several internet fly tricks, including the ziplock bag one; none work. The best fly trap I ever used was taking a 2 liter bottle, cutting off the top 1/4 of the bottle, toss the cap, pour in some water, add some sugar, and a packet or two of yeast. Invert the top into the bottle, staple it together, and set it out. It'll be super gross in a few days but it works.

Hello,

"When looking for a mate, flies will gather around a noticeable landmark such as a bush or under a tree. When indoors this is commonly under a lampshade or equivalent. Potential mates will head towards this landmark looking for candidates. Since flies are poor at hovering they will circle around the area." What you want to do is put something there to deter or repel them, Mint, spearmint and peppermint are great deterrents for black flies. Add a couple of drops of essential oil to the sctreen

I have been spraying a mixture of one cup rubbing alcohol, tablespoon of dish soap and water in a spray bottle on them over the last few days and they’ve drastically disappeared! I had over a dozen, I’m down to one or two a day, every time I see one, I have the spray bottle on the porch and go to attack mode! I’m hoping they don’t return in masses lol! I’ll update in a couple of weeks otherwise.

This REALLY works!!!!

it’s called Fly Stick -/-

I use them every year, and they work so well, I seriously recommend them to any person or family trying to get rid of the flies inside or outside of their house, actually I am about to go to Lowe’s to buy five of them (One for the kitchen, one for the bathroom, one by the front door, and two for the porch, (one for each end of the porch.). It’s a hexagon shape and the colors attract flies big time. On the directions it shows you at the top of the fly trap (where it’s not sticky) is a little ring and you pull it back, then you figure out where you’re going to hang it, and then you pull it out of the box and hang it, because once it’s out of the box– it is VERY STICKY.

they are $4.99 a piece, bulk size of eight fly traps for less than $35. And once they get completely filled with fly stuck on them, then it is time to replace the trap.

seriously, they work very well, I use them every year, and I would recommend them to anyone with a fly problem. Probably even a horse barn, of course they wouldn’t need many of those traps. So, best of luck, and if you are not sure about them, just buy one, and when you see how well it works you’ll be back to Lowes for another few of them

DIE FLYS!!!

After I get back from Lowes, I will show a pic of what these fly traps look like out of the package

Hey guys anyone help me with swamp flies that's all over my resin driveway. I think it's because it's damp all the time as I have dogs so im constantly washing the drive and now the flies are back again with the warmer weather and as I leave the back door open for the dogs the house is covered in these small black flies so much so that I've just put my porridge down for 2 minutes and there was a blooming fly straight on it. I'm at my wits end here and I don't know what to do. The water must be lying under the stones with dog pee mixed in so I can only imagine these flies think it's some kind of swamp but I cant not hose it or it smells bad. Please help with any solutions! And no I cant get rid of the dogs 🤣

The flies are there because they like the stagnant air.

I put in 2 vents at the top of my patio roof and that resolved the fly issue once and for all.