If flies and mosquitoes have been plaguing your patio this summer, pest experts have revealed how a mix of coffee grounds and bicarbonate of soda can deter them from your garden, leaving you free to host, relax and enjoy.

It’s always helpful to know how to get rid of flies and mosquitoes. These buzzing pests can be a real nuisance when trying to enjoy your garden, and in the case of mosquitoes, carry a nasty bite, too.

Recently, Ideal Home’s Cleaning Editor Lauren Bradbury used coffee grounds to deter flies from her home, and now pest experts have revealed you can apply a similar principle to your patio. Here’s how.

What’s the hack?

Coffee has a strong fragrance that flies and mosquitoes can’t stand, and once lit and smouldering, they won’t go anywhere near it.

‘Flies and mosquitoes locate food and hosts primarily by smell, and strong, unfamiliar odours confuse and deter them. Coffee grounds produce a powerful, bitter aroma that insects find deeply unpleasant and that masks the smells that attract them in the first place, such as food, sweet drinks and carbon dioxide from humans,’ explains Mosh Latifi, Co-Owner, EcoCare Pest Management.

‘Bicarbonate of soda used as part of a mixture can produce carbon dioxide when combined with an acid, which confuses mosquitoes whose tracking systems are tuned to follow CO2 towards a host. Used together, they create a reasonably effective scent barrier around a patio.’

Many pests, including flies and mosquitoes, rely on scent to navigate and communicate, and so scent deterrents are an effective way to keep them at bay. This scent deterrent method is easy to follow, too. Burn dry coffee grounds in a heatproof dish on your patio, and pests will stay away.

‘Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda in and around rubbish bins or in areas where food odours tend to linger,’ suggests Daniel Steward, Managing Director at Shield Pest Control.

‘Before using coffee grounds, ensure they are completely dry. Place them in a heatproof container outdoors and light them so they smoulder rather than burn with a flame. Position the container near seating areas, while keeping it well away from flammable materials.

‘These natural methods work best alongside good patio hygiene. Regularly empty rubbish bins, wipe away food and drink spills promptly, remove fallen fruit, and eliminate standing water from pots, buckets, and other containers to prevent attractive odours and mosquito breeding sites from developing.’

Is this a good hack to use?

While it definitely works, this method is most effective when the coffee is burning. So, unless you’re a full-blown coffee addict and have a steady supply, or have one of the best coffee machines at your fingertips, you might need a more permanent solution.

‘The benefits last only while the bicarbonate of soda continues to absorb odours and the coffee grounds are still smouldering. Once the smoke dissipates or new odours develop, flies and mosquitoes are likely to return,’ confirms Daniel.

However, this doesn’t mean the method is without benefit; it should be used alongside other deterrents.

‘It is a reasonable first line of defence for casual outdoor use and has the advantage of being cheap, natural and widely available. It will not replace a citronella candle or a pheromone trap for serious mosquito pressure, but as a supplementary measure around a patio table, it is worth doing. The burning coffee grounds method in particular is something I genuinely recommend for evening use outdoors when mosquito activity peaks,’ says Mosh.

Don’t let pests put you off enjoying your patio this summer. Employing the right deterrents means you can have a practically pest-free summer.

Although it’s often the smallest area in our homes, we expect our hallway to hold everything from shoes and coats to bags and dog leads. And that’s before I mention the important letters and parcels we receive – or the ones we want to send out. That’s why I was incredibly intrigued when I spotted this clever Seagrass Letter Holder Basket (£8 at Dunelm).

Yes, while I do everything I can to be like the people with consistently tidy hallways, I find that paperwork and parcels create clutter that I can’t seem to shift – especially when they’re important letters that require my attention before they can be thrown away or popped in the post box.

The Seagrass Letter Holder Basket offers an alternative, though. By hanging this on your hallway wall, you can prevent letters from cluttering your console table (or even your floor) while still keeping them within easy reach so you don’t lose them. And it’s the clutter-busting addition my hallway has been crying out for!

Many of the hallway storage solutions out there aren’t equipped to deal with the onslaught of paperwork and parcels we receive on a daily basis. Instead, they focus on larger hallway items like shoes, bags and coats.

Even the best pretty-but-practical storage baskets are typically too large to safely store loose paperwork in small hallways without them crumpling, ripping, or getting lost at the bottom. Plus, they’re typically shoved in a corner to be forgotten about, taking up much-needed floor space.

But Dunelm’s Seagrass Letter Holder Basket allows you to keep these important documents front-and-centre, while adding some natural warmth and intrigue to your hallway walls. All you have to do is hang it from your walls using a hook like these KINGLAKE 115 Pcs Screw in Hooks (£7.99 at Amazon).

If you’re a renter or just don’t want to make any permanent holes in your wall, you could also avoid drilling by using these Command Wire Toggle Hooks (£16 at Amazon). Either way, the sturdy rope handle will keep the basket slightly open, so you can easily grab what you need without having to take it down every time.

It also takes advantage of vertical space, which is a must when you want to create order in small homes with limited storage, as it keeps everything off the ground and makes a small space – like a hallway – look even bigger and tidier.

However, I think the beauty of this letter holder is that it doesn’t just have to store letters. In fact, I’m going to snap a second one up to hold all of my ugly dog walking accessories that I don’t want on show. This way, my dog’s leads and treat pouch will be readily available by the front door, without cluttering up the space.

The textured seagrass weave is also incredibly versatile, suiting any hallway style, whether you’ve opted for a natural boho look, a cottage-style vibe, or a more modern look. And for £8, can you really go wrong?! I don’t think so.

Shop letter organisers and baskets

A tidy, clutter-free hallway doesn’t have to be expensive!