Gardeners are sticking disco balls in their gardens to get rid of pests – and no, it’s not as bonkers as it sounds
Deter flying pests from your plants and patio in style
Garden experts have revealed a quirky method to deter pests from a garden and all you need is a handful of discoballs (just like these £8.89 hanging ornaments from Amazon).
Disco style may certainly be in fashion for 2026, and when it comes to your garden, it can be a really useful tool for deterring garden pests. If you want to deter wasps and flies and keep pests off your plants, a glittering mirrorball can be helpful.
The light that reflects off a disco ball can disrupt how flies and other insects navigate, in turn putting them off coming near your plants. It’s a harmless deterrent, but one that will also make your garden glitter like Studio 54.
The disco ball hack
Before you head off and make your veg patch glimmer like the ‘70s, it’s important to understand how the hack works, and luckily, the answer is simple. It’s all about using reflected light to disturb pests' navigation paths.
‘Gardeners can use disco balls to deter pests as insects like flies rely on light and reflection when navigating, and their sense of direction can be affected by the reflections cast by a disco ball spinning in direct sunlight. This will not harm them, but can be annoying enough that they may start to avoid the area,’ says Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture.
‘The reflections cast by the disco ball can interfere with pests' sense of direction, as they can be reliant on light and reflection to navigate. In order for this to work, the disco ball needs to be in direct sunlight with some wind to make it spin.’
As Richard explains, placement is really important for this hack to work. You need to put the disco balls where they can catch a breeze, and of course, near the areas you want to deter pests from.
‘For disco balls to be most effective, they must be hung where they will get maximum direct light and be able to catch any breezes to make them swing or spin. They also need to be placed close to where they are most needed to deter pests. For example, to keep gnats, flies, wasps or mosquitoes away from seating or eating areas, hang them over outdoor furniture, around patios etc, etc., says Lucie Bradley, garden and greenhouse expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.
‘If you have problems with gnats or flies near your bins, then this is also a good place to suspend disco balls. Or places where there is lots of footfall, such as next to gates or entrances. If you want to use them to deter birds from your fruits or vegetables, then place them closer to where they are growing, hanging them from trees, from shepherds crooks or basket brackets, as long as they are not in the shadows and not totally sheltered from the wind.’
Is this a good hack to use?
While the prettier of pest control hacks, it is best to use the disco ball hack alongside other forms of pest control such as attracting natural predators, companion planting and even sticking forks in your veg patch.
‘Although it can be a good method to use, the weather conditions may not always be reliable enough to supply enough direct sunlight and wind for it to be effective. If there is no wind to spin the disco ball, it can also potentially become a fire hazard if light reflects onto a dry, flammable surface for a prolonged period of time, such as brittle grass,’ says Richard.
‘The hack will also not work at night, so it is best paired with other methods of pest control that genuinely work, such as fly traps. You should also avoid things that attract pests in the first place, such as leaving food uncovered or leaving bins open.’
Lucie agrees, however, points out that the disco ball method is a cost-effective one and one that doesn’t rely on chemicals. Again, she recommends it with other methods as part of a multi-pronged approach to tackling pests.
‘To make them last as long as possible, keep them out in your garden only in spring and summer and then store them through autumn and winter to protect them from the worst weather. Ideally disco balls with blown plastic cores will be better than those with polystyrene centres as they will be better at resisting wet weather conditions,’ she adds.
Would you try this glittering garden hack?
