Use vinegar or wine as a trap
You can make the simplest of home-made fly traps by using leftover wine or apple cider vinegar.
Whichever you use, pour some into a bowl or jar. Cover the top with glad-wrap and punch a few holes. The flies will be lured to the bait and crawl into the holes – but they won’t be able to get out.
Fill plastic bags with water
This is perhaps the strangest fly deterrent out there, but arguably one of the most effective.
Fill a few white plastic bags half-full of water and hang them in doorways and windows – or anywhere else in your home where flies seem to congregate.
The water that reflects through the translucent material pings light in hundreds of different directions and dazzles any critters flying nearby.
Flies may boast excellent vision with their compound eyes, but stray light reflections interfere with their senses and the bugs will soon escape to seek relief.
Lemongrass oil
There are many essential oils that double up as natural insect repellents, and lemongrass oil appears to be one of the most successful.
Use it in an oil diffuser or spray them in areas where flies are a problem such as doors and windows.
Cultivate some fly-repellent plants
If you have a herb collection on your windowsill, use it to your advantage.
The following herbs are effective at keeping flies and other insects away:
- Basil
- Bay leaf
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Lavender
Better yet, add a carnivorous Venus Fly-trap to your arsenal.
Keep it clean
Ultimately, flies come to visit your house for a reason – sustenance.
So keeping all surfaces clean and bacteria-free, especially in the kitchen, is vital for preventing flies from bothering you in the first place.
Flies are naturally attracted to food and uncleansed surfaces, especially if it’s moist, and other moist organic material.
Don’t leave food out – ever – or they’ll keep coming back for more, and give your kitchen and dining areas a good scrub after every meal.
Keep your rubbish bins tightly sealed and take them out regularly – and if you can bear it, given the bin a regular scrub too with hot soapy water.
