If having flies became one of the most irritating things about this summer, it’s time to purchase an efficient fly killer. Also, there are a few methods to keep them away, using homemade solutions. You can use natural remedies or build fly traps to get rid of house flies.
Orange peel
After eating a delicious orange, don’t throw away its peel as it can be used in the war against flies. Using fresh orange peel is a great way to keep flies away from your house.
Because of its capacity to deter insects, citrus extracts are usually used in some of the commercial bug repellents. Place some orange peel around windows or besides doors. Not only this will keep the flies from entering the house, but it will add a fresh fragrance.
Don’t forget to rub the skins now and then so more natural deterrent is released into the air and the effect lasts longer. For this method to be successful, replace the orange peel when it dries out.
Essential oils
Using essential oils is one of the most efficient methods when it comes to repelling house flies. You can purchase essential oils from any decent homeopathic store or you can make it yourself. If you plan on making your own fly repellent, you should use Lavender or Eucalyptus as these are very efficient.
First, purchase oil with a light color that doesn’t have a strong scent so it does not cover the lavender smell. Put a few lavender leaves into the oil and let them infuse for 2 days in a warm spot and shake regularly.
After the infusion is complete, remove the lavender and pour it into a container. You can either move the essential oil-filled recipient around the house or use it to spray the scent around the rooms.
Bags filled with water
Although it might seem weird, this is a harmless way to repel the house flies. First, get a big plastic bag (it is better if it has a ziplock). Fill 3 quarters of it with water and tie it firmly so it doesn’t slip off. Place the bag outside of doors or windows.
A bag filled with water works as a repellent because of the way flies perceive it. We all know that flies have an incredible number of lenses in their eyes, which make them capable of detecting easily light patterns and movement.
The bag of water will reflect light all over the place so it will disorient the flies and make them stay away.
Herbs and plants
In the war against flies, strongly scented plants might be the best weapon. The most common solution is to use basil. Besides being really easy to get hold of in stores, basil has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. This helps create a healthy climate for your home.
There are a lot of other options for you to use in case you don’t like basil’s smell. Lavender, mint, wormwood, tansy, and bay leaf work as great repellents for flies. Place one of these scented plants anywhere in your home, preferably close to a window to keep the flies away.
Using camphor
Camphor comes from the wood of the camphor laurel tree and using it is an easy, natural method to keep the flies away from your house since they absolutely hate its strong smell. You can get it online or from any homeopathic shop. In general, you can buy it as tablets or shaped like blocks.
Place the tablets on any heated surface like a heat diffuser to maximize the effect. Put them around the house under open windows or close to doors to let the scent float out. Other advantages of camphor are the anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.
Cloves
In some places, inserting cloves into an orange is a Christmas tradition but it also can be used as a fly deterrent. Almost any citrus fruit has the property of keeping flies away and mixing them with cloves only adds to their efficiency.
It will be more efficient if you use oranges, lemons, or grapefruit. Stick 10 to 15 cloves into the citrus fruit. You can keep the fruit as a whole or you can cut it in half so more of the citrus scent floats into the air. You can use a ribbon or a string to hang them up or simply place them around the house.
Fly traps
Using traps to get rid of house flies will not stop them from entering your house. However, it will keep them away from kitchen tops or food. Here are some fly traps that you could try.
Venus fly trap
In terms of traps for flies, this is the most environmentally friendly solution that you can use. The best part of it is that you are adding a plant to your home and you get to see the plant at work.
You can get a Venus plant from almost any garden center and they are not that expensive. So you may buy more of them in order to place them in different areas of the house.
The vinegar trap
An easy way to lure flies from your house is to use vinegar. In order to make a vinegar trap, you need a small amount of apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar, a glass (or a bowl), a plastic bag, and a rubber band.
Fill one quarter of the glass with vinegar, place the plastic bag on top of it and use the rubber band to secure it. Make a hole at the center of the bag. The hole should be large enough for the flies to go through it but not big enough for them to get out of the glass.
The best way to do this is to push down the plastic bag into the glass to create a tunnel. Now all you have to do is to place the trap and wait for the flies to enter it.
DIY fly strips
Of course, you can buy fly strips from any store but making them is very easy. Mix equal parts of golden syrup and sugar in a small cup. Make some strips out of brown paper and punch a few holes on the top.
Pass a small piece of string through the holes so you can hang them. After that, apply the sugary mix on then and wait for it to dry. Hang the strips where you consider it necessary.
How to make a trap out of plastic bottles
This method is generally used for outdoor traps. They can catch more flies and don’t need to be replaced as often as a smaller trap. For this trap, it is better to use honey or jam to attract the flies.
Take a big plastic bottle and cut it in half. Pour into the bottom half a mix of honey and water. Turn the top part upside down and put it over the bottom half of the bottle. This way, it will be impossible for flies to get out of the trap.
If you planned a picnic, using the fly strips or the traps made of plastic bottles is recommended as they are more efficient than other fly traps.
The wine trap
Flies are big fans of everything fermented. This is why you sometimes see flies around garbage or spoiled food. So using wine for setting up a trap makes sense. Don’t worry about the flies’ preferences as any wine will get the job done.
Fill half of a glass with wine and add some washing liquid. This will poison the flies when they drink the wine. You can make a cone out of cardboard or paper so flies can enter the trap but they can’t escape.
DIY fly killer spray
In case you want to take the matter into your own hands, you can make your own fly killer spray. The fly sprays available in stores should be used in well-ventilated rooms and are in general full of harmful chemicals so the commercial sprays might not be the best choice.
You can make an efficient spray with some washing liquid. The washing liquid will act as an insecticide without any harmful effects for your kids or pets.
In an empty spray bottle, pour two cups of hot water and 10-12 drops of washing liquid. Securely screw the top and give it a gentle shake. If you are fast enough, you can spray the solution directly on the flies.
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