The flies are swarming, and the wasps and bees are buzzing en masse! Our light-covered picnic tablecloth was so covered with flies and bees that I would not have even attempted to set the table or eat at it.
I remembered a tip I had read about cutting down on their numbers and decided to try it.
Pine-Sol to the rescue as a bug repellent. It really, really did work! Not only did it work on the flies, but the wasps and bees got one whiff and fled. In fact, it worked so well instantly that I wiped down our small camp tables and grill side table too.
Evidently, the strong chemical smell messes with the bees’ and the flies’ sense of smell. They get disoriented and can’t even land.
I mixed about one cup of water and about one-half cup of Pine-Sol together and put it on the tablecloth and benches. Gone! Instantly! Although the wasps in particular were plenty mad, they stayed away from the table and, thankfully, me too.
I am headed to the dollar store to get another small bottle.
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Good info but I can’t stand how it smells so it would probably keep me away along with the flies and bees.
Wow, good to know, thanks!
Luckily, I like the smell of Pine-Sol. I’ll definitely try it.
Good to know. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the recipe and recommendation, Nanci! I do enjoy the odor of Pine Sol. However, we don’t typically travel with any. Instead, we use the coils that smolder (https://amzn.to/4sBj9dg) to repel insects. We added these wristbands (https://amzn.to/4915×38) for our Alaska trip this past summer. Because they tie together, we could attach them to caps, zippers, or dog collars, in addition to wrists to ward off mosquitos and no-see-ums. Have a great day, a grand 2026, and safe travels!