You can easily control some pests within your house, but it gets more challenging when dealing with those on the balcony. Bugs such as mites, common houseflies, earwigs, pill bugs, silverfish, cellar spiders, and even hawk flies are very stubborn to common DIY remedies.
If you have some bugs on your balcony that you’ve been trying to eliminate but to no avail, worry no more. Today’s piece looks at the 8 best methods to keep bugs from your apartment balcony.

Keep your Balcony Clean

The first and most crucial remedy to bugs is keeping your balcony clean. Remember, bugs go wherever they get what they need. So, if you want to eradicate them, the most human natural remedy would be removing whatever they came for from your balcony. It can be waste food in bins, some plants, water puddles, or dark corners for breeding.
Hence, clean up any food or drinks on your table immediately after you’re done eating. Also, sweep and clean areas under your balcony furniture, as these areas provide good hiding spots.

Use Citronella Candles

Citronella candles are made from Citronella plant oils and are a proven pest repellent in homes. You can buy the candles and light them on your balcony to repel spiders, mosquitos, houseflies, and crane flies.
And, since they are not so practical for larger areas, you can opt to light up several well-spaced candles on your balcony. It is preferable to spray citronella oil around windows, eaves, corners, and weatherstripping during the daytime.

Plant Bug-Repelling Plants

As much as most plants attract bugs to your balcony, some actually repel them. And for a home, the best bug repellent is the nonpoisonous plant that may also improve the aesthetic appeal of your balcony. Also, get the plant’s sunlight needs, watering requirements, ease of growing, and nutrient requirements before planting.

Here’s a list of pest-repellent plants that grow well on balconies.

Basil Fennel Marigold
Catnip Garlic Peppermint
Citronella grass Lemon grass Petunias
Chives Lemon thyme Rosemary
Chrysanthemum Lemon balm Venus flytraps

Attract Ladybugs

Ladybugs might seem small and harmless, but they’re an excellent low-maintenance alternative method of balcony bug control. They’re effective for caterpillars and asparagus beetles, which may eat up your balcony plants.

Use Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets are a popular bug control alternative for many home balconies today. They work great in controlling mosquitos, weevils, flies, mites, gnats, critters, and even cockroaches. Most varieties of dryer sheets contain linalool, a natural plant pest repellent found in lavender, coriander, and basil plants, among others.

Adopt a Different Lighting

Flying insects usually swarm around lighting in outdoor settings such as your balcony. These pests are usually attracted majorly to white light; hence, you can opt for a dimmer light with a yellowish tint.

Remove Clutter

Bugs hide in dark spaces within your balcony. Therefore, remove any present furniture, plant pots, storage containers, umbrellas, and storage racks. Doing so leaves the bugs with no hiding room and makes cleaning easier.

Enclose Your Balcony With a Netting

If you’re tired of trying any of the above methods, you can opt to enclose your balcony using insect netting. Pest or insect netting is a see-through material that won’t affect your view of the surrounding by blocking off the light.
On the other hand, they’re effective for keeping bugs on the other side of the net.

Sources

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/drought-tolerant-plants-outdoor-13771625.html
https://balconyboss.com/guides/pests-and-problems/how-to-keep-bugs-away-from-your-balcony/