Flies seem to make our lives miserable. They take over our homes, make prey from our food and annoy us by buzzing all over the place.
There are plenty of other effects on us we may not see. The studies show the fact that there are over 100.000 species of flies, but if you ask me, they seem uncountable.
Flies don’t look too dangerous, however they are carriers of lots of diseases like salmonella. Read this article and you will find out how to make flies fly out of your house.
Ready? Then, let’s put an end to this flying issue!
1. Clean, Clean, then Clean Again!
Before any other remedies, we must understand that it is essential to keep the house, and especially the kitchen, spick and span.
If we disregard this aspect, our homes will be full not only of flies, but of many other gross bugs. So:
- Remove any food source that may be accessible to flies, as this is what they look for.
- Don’t let any crumbs on the table/floor after eating.
- Do the dishes right after you eat, even if you are not in the mood for this.
- Don’t leave any rotten food in your kitchen. Throw it immediately, a fly may lay its eggs on it just now.
- Clean the kitchen after preparing food.
- Make sure all the other members of your family does the same as you, when it comes to cleaning.
After you checked all these things and everything is impeachable now, let’s bring some “soldiers” to help us fight better!
How to Get Rid of Flies Naturally
Herbs really help a lot, if we desperately try to get of these annoying flies. They don’t like at all the scent released by the plants below. In order to make this more efficient, just change the place of the herbs now and then, or simply shake them a little bit.2. Lavender
This is a powerful herb that works not only for flies, but for many other bugs. It repels them with a strong scent flies simply can’t stand.
Is the fly issue outdoors?
Just plant lavender in your beautiful garden and enjoy the perfume while flies run away! Or maybe you deal with flies indoors?
Grab some dried lavender, tie it in small bouquets and hang them all over the house. Moreover, you can grind the lavender and sprinkle the powder on the areas with problems.
3. Tansy
This flowering herb is better for dealing flies outdoors, than indoors. It is also highly recommended for the larvae of flies. So, you can place some bounds where needed in your house. Be careful! This herb resembling marigolds is invasive and there are people who get dermatitis because of it.
4. Rosemary
Yes! You can use rosemary not just in your tasty recipes, but for repelling flies! Because of its woody smell, the fly will stay away. Easy to plant and very efficient!
5. Peppermint
Don’t you love mint scent? Flies can’t say the same… This cheap herb is very useful for scarring flies away. Fresh or dried, mint simply deters them.
You can grow it in pots, as its spreads very quickly. In the past, this herb was used even in butcheries, to prevent flies trolling the meat.
DIY to Get Rid of Flies
Homemade recipes for getting rid of flies can be very helpful, especially when the problem is not totally out of control. Use these treatments if you want to protect your children and pets from chemicals.
6. Essential Oils & Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lavender oil
- Citronella oil
- Rosemary oil
- Peppermint oil
- Tea tree oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Water
- A bottle
How to do it: Mix equal parts of vinegar and water, then add about 20 drops of essential oils. You can pick just one, or you can put 2-3 drops of each of them. Stir the mixture and then spray where needed!
This can be applied even on animals, to make flies stay away from them.
7. Cloves and Lemon/Apple
- Cloves
- Lemon/apple
How to do it: Take a lemon/an apple and cut it in two. Grab one of the halves and insert about 10 cloves in it. Then take the other half and do the same. Put the halves on a plate and then you can keep the plate on your table while eating. Now you can eat in peace!
8. Camphor
Method 1:
- Camphor
- Plate
How to do it: Take 2 tablets of camphor and put them on a HOT plate. Now put the plate where the flies keep buzzing around.
Method 2:
- Camphor
- Hot water
- Bowl
How to do it: Put two camphor tablets in a bowl. Then pour some hot water on the tablets and mix a little bit to quickly make camphor active. Again, place the bowl where the flies are.
Using Non-chemical Methods
9. Water Bag and Pennies
Yes, it may seem insane, but it is very helpful.
Pick a plastic transparent bag and fill it with water. Drop 5 pennies in the bag and seal it. Flies get confused and are scared of the reflection of the pennies and water. Hang the plastic bag and keep flies away!
10. Fly Paper/Fly Ribbons
This is more like an ancient technique, but still efficient.
It is very important that these ribbons are also environment-friendly and also cheap. How do they work?
Well, fly ribbons have a coat of an adhesive substance with sweet scent. Flies love the fragrance and get trapped by the attractant.
Humans may not perceive the smell, but flies have a strong sense and get lured.
The ribbons are perfect both for indoors and outdoors, but need to be changed every 2-3 days. You can buy such tool on Amazon here.
11. The Classical Swatter
This works for those who don’t have too many flies visiting their place.
You need to simply wait for the enemy to land on a surface and then hit the fly with the swatter. Of course, if you deal with a massive population of flies this method is out. But when they are not too many, you can even count this is an exercise of blowing off steam.
So, it can be more like a therapy. Again, this can be found on Amazon in many sizes and shapes.
12. Venus Fly Trap
This carnivorous plant feeds itself with insects and flies are such a feast for them! Venus Fly trap lures the fly with nectar and then traps it inside. It is easy to grow this plant and it doesn’t need too much maintenance.
A trusted store you can buy this from is Amazon. Here is the link.
13. Use a Fly Vacuum
A kind of a vacuum-cleaner, but way smaller, this tool is very powerful.
It works with batteries and it is very easy to use. Even a child can play with it (though, keep this toy only for you…). The best time to hunt the flies is in late evening or early in the morning, as that are the moments when they sleep. After using it, you have to clean the vacuum, because the flies don’t die inside it.
14. Ultrasonic Fly Repellent
This works best if you simultaneously keep trapping the flies. It makes the flies dizzy and this is how they can end up in your traps.
15. How to Get Rid of Flies Fast
This is your last chance to get rid of the disgusting insects that fly all around your house. If the population is too large to handle with natural products, there is only this option left.
So, here is a list of some great products you can purchase on Amazon:
- TERRO T3400 Home Insect Killer
- Lynwood Laboratories SC152 Shoo-fly Screen And Surface Insect Spray
- Absorbine UltraShield EX Insectiside and Repellent
Prevention
- Periodically use disinfectant to clean your house and especially the kitchen.
- Pover or hide any foood source.
- Grow aromatical plants in pots: mint, basil, lavender.
- Use window screens to prevent flies and mosquitoes entering your home.
- Let the spiders do their job; don’t kill them, as they eat flies.
- Wash the dishes just after each meal.
- Disinfect your garbage bin frequently.
Conclusion
If you still cannot deal alone with this issue, there are professionals who can help you at anytime. Call an exterminator and you can sleep tight. Of course, this may be an expensive option sometimes, but you know your priorities.
These were some pieces of advice to get rid of flies. Don’t neglect this issue as flies carry plenty of dangerous diseases!
Now that you found out all this information, you have to act. Ready? Steady? Kill’em!