[Patcheen]

Hi,

I'd like find an organic method to deter insects, mostly midges, moths and crane flys (daddy long-legs), from coming into the house at night while being able to keep a window or two open.

I'm waiting to take delivery of a fly screen to attach to the window which I imagine will help the situation but will be unslightly during the day.

Could plants help me out here? Either in window boxes on the outside or in pots in the inside? Or would the lure of the light at nighttime still be too powerful for any plant based deterent to be effective?

Many thanks for your comments
Pat

[James Kilkelly]

Patcheen, the screen will be a great help.
A piece I wrote about deterring them here..... Midges amongst the foliage.

and capturing them here...... Small flies (fruit flies?) all over my kitchen and bathroom.

[Sive]

I don't know where you live, but certainly in the country where there are few other lighted objects to attract insects, you just can't leave a window open in a room that has lights on. It's either one or the other, plain and simple.

[Patcheen]

Thanks a million James,
I had read those posts earlier. Might give the midge 'death' bowl a try.
Your help is very much appreciated.

[richard]

Sarracenia.
They do there job and are decorative

[galwaybeginner]

Simple method I have used is water and either honey or jam in a jar. They stick to it or drown themselves. But I'd say the fly screen is your best bet.

[sal]

in the old days they put tansy around,and burnt it on the fire,
i bought one of those plug in things cost me nearly 30 euro and didn`t work! my son persuaded me to buy him 2 venus fly traps,joke! he goes out catching flies to put in them on his window sill is a plastic box with a load of dead flies in it,suppose as he`s only 7 i should have known better