Houseflies might be a common sight in your locality, especially around the warmer months of the year. Despite their name, these pesky creatures are certainly not welcome in anyone’s house or apartment. They spread germs, buzz in our ear, and are generally regarded as an unhygienic pest that we must get rid of.
A fly swatter might be a useful addition to your DIY pest control arsenal. However, it’s not a foolproof method when you have a whole infestation. If you’ve been swatting and flicking at flies for too long, try out the following methods to get rid of them completely:
Herbs and Plants
While flies seem to land on whatever’s edible, they’re actually quite sensitive to several flavors and scents. Luckily, many of these can be a part of your kitchen. Since this is the place where you get the most flies, take a look at what herbs and plants you can grow to stave off those pests. Flies experience taste through the sensitive hairs on their legs, so they simply won’t land on any surface that has an unpleasant smell to them.
For starters, get some fresh basil, mint, bay leaf, or tansy plants in small pots. Arrange them on or near your kitchen window. These will provide fresh garnishing and seasoning for your cooking along with several anti-bacterial benefits. Plus, they will also deter flies from entering your space.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties. They’re also good for keeping your home smelling fresh and pleasant. Again, you can harness all these advantages and keep the flies away by using these oils as natural repellants.
All you have to do here is put a few drops of lavender, eucalyptus, or lemongrass essential oil in a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with water and give it a good shake. You can now spray the mixture all over your home, taking care to focus on areas where the flies seem to make their appearance. Make sure you don’t get any of the mixture on your food.
Another method here is to infuse fresh ingredients such as lavender in a carrier oil. This could be almond oil or any oil that’s pale and almost scentless. We want the smell of lavender to be apparent so that the flies will be driven away. Infuse this mixture in a warm area for two day, shaking it every now and then. After that time, strain the oil and put in a container. Use this in your spray bottle like an essential oil or put it in a place where the flies seem to gather.
Use Water Bags
Many homeowners might know the trick of using water bags to repel flies. Use clear plastic bags, fill them with water, and hang them outside any open doors and windows. It will look harmless to you, but a fly will perceive the light patterns as being extremely confusing. This will hopefully get them to fly away instead of outside.
Ziploc bags or anything similar will work best for this method. Fill these about two-thirds of the way with water. Tie them up with string, leaving enough length to hang the bag outside.
Camphor
Camphor is usually placed inside storage bins and trunks to deter moths from coming in. Incidentally, it can also be used as a natural way to rid your home of flies. Flies hate the strong smell of camphor, so try to place some of it in a heat diffuser or on a warm surface such as a hot plate.
Putting Cloves in Citrus
You can also combine citrus fruits and cloves in order to stave off those annoying flies. Slice an orange or lemon in half and stick about ten to fifteen cloves inside. Place these in several corners of the home or string them up in the most affected areas.
Setting Traps
You can also catch the flies that are coming into your home. One is a vinegar fly trap, which calls for some apple cider or malt vinegar. Put some of this vinegar in a glass and cut a hole in the middle of a plastic bag. Place the bag over the glass’ opening and secure it tightly with a rubber band. Push the plastic bag inside so that it forms a funnel. The flies wouldn’t be able to come up once they enter this trap.
Get A Venus Fly Trap
For a natural yet hands-off approach, invest in some Venus Flytraps. These will brighten up your space and also catch your flies for you. They’re fascinating organisms and will also work as a good conversation starter. The plants are also easily available at low prices, which means that you can buy several of them to deal with different areas in your home.
Some Non-Natural Ways
The most common short-term ways to get rid of flies are the use of fly repellant sprays and flypaper strips. While these might not be the best choice for your health, they’re certainly easy and convenient. Plus, all the flies die off or get trapped quite easily with the methods.
Conclusion
When it comes to pest control, there are usually ways to go about it organically and naturally. It’s not always necessary to use harsh chemicals that could be harmful for your kids and pets as well as flies. If the natural alternatives discussed above don’t work, though, it might be time to break out the chemical sprays. You may have to stay in one room or even at someone else’s home for a day, but it’s worth it when you want to protect your precious home.