How to Keep Deerflies & Gnats Away
- 1). Keep your land well-drained. Standing water and marshy soil attract both flies and gnats. Add drainage to the grass by installing culverts or moving yourself away from the wetlands.
- 2). Stay indoors during the peak hours of sunlight to avoid deerflies, which love to bite people and animals during the heat of the day. Gnats come out during the day and night. To keep away gnats at night, change all outdoor lighting to bulbs that emit an orange glow.
- 3). Wear light-colored clothing if you must spend significant time outdoors during the day. Deerflies, in particular, love dark moving objects, states Ohio State University. For example, instead of wearing black shorts, choose khaki-colored pants and cover as much skin as possible.
- 4). Spray yourself with deet-based repellents if you plan on spending at least an hour outside. These types of bug sprays repel both gnats and deerflies.
- 5). Surround your house and property with citronella candles or products containing citronella to repel deerflies and gnats. Some people use the lit tiki torch variety in their yards for decoration and bug prevention.