Summer’s good. But spending it in the middle of flies is kind of annoying. Disease-carrying and dirt-associated, flies are notoriously bad.
It is true that their presence in houses is far from pleasant. But rather than go after them with chemicals and toxic products, why not simply try to scare them away with the 11 natural tips that follow in this article?
You should know that in nature, they too have a role to play: they help dispose of organic waste; they play an important role in the biological control of insect pests; and they are part of the diet of many living things.
But what is certain is that flies do not belong in our homes! Here are 11 tips from Grandma to help you hunt these flying bugs.
1. Perfect hygiene
To avoid the spread of flies, the first rule to follow is that of impeccable hygiene. Especially in your kitchen! Never leave dishes lying around, clean your worktops properly, don’t leave food out in the open and empty the bins regularly.
2. Garlic
Flies, like humans, don’t like the smell of garlic. To keep them away, you can boil fresh, juicy garlic in water to extract these soluble substances. Then filter it and place it on the edge of a window in a dish.
3. Lavender
Flies also have a hard time with the smell of lavender. It is possible to find it in different forms in bouquets, candles or as essential oils, it is up to you to find the one that suits you best. This scent will also make you feel like you are on holiday in Provence.
4. Cloves
Cloves are also good allies in fighting our flying enemies. To boost its effectiveness, put several cloves in an onion, a lemon or an orange cut in half. Then, put this in several cups that you must put in each room of your house. Repeat this operation every week.
5. Basil
Another repulsive smell for our enemies the flies is basil. It is doubly advantageous, because we can use it afterwards for our recipes. Put a basil plant anywhere in your home or remove a few leaves and place them in places that are accessible to flies.
6. White Vinegar
White vinegar has countless uses. It can also scare flies away in two different ways. You can heat it and leave it in a dish on the edge of a window or clean your windows with it to soak them with its smell and thus prevent these insects from entering.
7. Onion
Sliced or boiled in water and then filtered, the onions can be placed on top of cupboards or on the edge of windows. They can also be rubbed on the edges of windows, outside, to disgust flying invaders and therefore not let them in.
8. Absolute black
Flies, like many annoying bugs, are attracted to light. To get them out of a room at night, turn off all light sources in the room and turn on another one as far away as possible by leaving your door open. Then, wait until you see them move to the new room.
9. Fly Trap
Radical advice is to build a flytrap. To make it, you will need to cut the top off a transparent plastic bottle and pour a sweet liquid (or fruit mixed with water) into it. Then replace the cut piece, but upside down like a funnel. Flies, attracted by the liquid, will end up trapped in the bottle. Alternatively, you can use a vase and make a paper funnel, the result is the same. To kill them, make a mixture of hot water and washing-up liquid and pour it over them !
10. Sticky tapes
Another radical tip is to put fly tape inside your home. If flies land on them, they won’t be able to leave. As long as flies are generally attracted to other flies, you can put one that is already dead on your tape to increase its effectiveness.
11. Oscillating fan
If your parts are not too bulky, use an oscillating fan and set it so that it circulates as much air as possible. Our enemies the flies hate draughts, it will make them flee immediately. The bigger your room, the stronger your fan should be.
