Louisiana Camping Hack Keeps Your Patio Pest Free

(KMDL-FM) We did it even though we said we didn't want to do it anymore; we still did. The "it" I am referring to is "spring forward" for Daylight Saving Time. It's not that we're against extra daylight after the work day is over, we just are weary of having to remember the clock thing twice a year.

READ MORE: New Proposal Would Make Daylight Saving Time Only Half As Bad

One of the benefits of having that extra time with sunshine after the work day ends is being able to spend time on the patio or the porch. A lot of us in Louisiana like to unwind after a hard day, relaxing in those places. However, there can be a problem. That problem is quite simply bugs.

What's the Best Way to Get Rid of Flies, Wasps, and Bugs Around the Patio?

There are a lot of remedies you can try to rid your porch or patio of winged invaders that like to bite and sting, but most of those come with a chemical cost. You're going to have to deploy or spray something very near to where your children and pets play.

Granted, in the hands of professionals, these chemicals are safe. However, most of us are not professionals, and that's why we've offered this cautionary tale.

My dad was an entomologist. He studied bugs for a living. That means that I, via osmosis, I guess, learned a lot about bugs growing up. One thing I do recall about insects and other creepy crawlies is that they don't see the world the way we do.

The eyes and vision of insects are what make this camp hack to keep them away so incredibly simple and so incredibly effective. Because of their compound eyes and the way they perceive what those eyes see, you won't need chemicals to keep the bugs away. All you'll need is a ziplock plastic bag, some water, a few pennies, and maybe some string.

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Take your plastic bag and add some water. To the water, add about four or five pennies. Seal up the bag. Hang the bag with the string in the corner of your patio or porch. That's all you have to do.

READ MORE: Mosquito Buzzing in Your Room at Night? Here's How to End That

The way the compound eyes of flies and wasps see the bag of water and pennies, it looks an awful lot like a wasp's nest to them. Flies don't want to be around wasps. Other wasps don't like to be around wasps that aren't part of their own swarm. The water-filled bag serves as a "Keep Out" or "No Trespassing" sign to the flying insects, so they'll choose to fly away from your porch or patio.

Here's a video tutorial:

Nope, no chemicals needed, you might not even need your fly swatter, although I would like to try one of those "salt shooter" fly guns.

This hack is portable, and I know a lot of people will hang one of these bags in the vicinity of where they are grilling or underneath the big beach umbrella at poolside. It works, and you don't put any pets or little people's lives in danger.

Now, about getting that jar of pickles open for your cookout.