How To Keep Flies Out Of Your House This Summer
May 28, 2020
source: Wide Open Country
There are few things more annoying to me than the sound of buzzing in your ear – especially when you’re in your own house. Summertime also happens to mean peak bug season, and they never seem to be content with just staying outside. And while flies are undoubtedly a nuisance, they can also carry harmful diseases. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to both prevent and rid your house of flies.
House flies carry a number of germs, making their presence in your home especially undesirable. In addition to carrying a wide range of general bacteria, they can also carry harmful diseases including E. coli, cholera, and food poisoning. When a fly lands on food in your home, they dispense the bacteria they carry in their stomachs, which can range from generally harmless to potentially fatal germs. They also lay eggs and multiply extremely fast, causing large volumes of flies in a very short amount of time. Of course, these are all things you want to avoid!
As with most things, prevention is the best method when it comes to dealing with flies. Here are some tips to follow to prevent flies from making their way inside your home:
- Rinse out your garbage and recycling bins frequently to prevent flies from laying eggs in and around your home. Store bins outside and away from main entry doors if possible.
- Ensure windows and doors are not left ajar, and ensure screens do not have any holes or tears in them.
- Clean up pet waste in a timely fashion, as animal feces are great breeding grounds for flies!
- Keep garbage and compost in a sealed bin.
- Clean up food, cooking residue, and spills as they happen to avoid attracting flies.
- When eating indoors and especially outdoors, cover your food and drinks when you are not actively eating or drinking to prevent flies from landing there.
- Remember, flies love alcohol! Always seal alcohol when you’re done pouring, and be especially careful when it comes to sugary mixed drinks and wine – these are huge attractions to both house and fruit flies.
If your house fly problem is minimal to moderate, you can try the following 5 natural solutions to get rid of them:
1. Lemongrass & Coconut Oil
Mix together some coconut oil and 20 to 30 drops of lemongrass essential oil. Put the solution in open jars throughout your home. Though the coconut and lemongrass smells great to us, flies can’t stand it! Remember, essential oils can be poisonous to pets, so you should not use them in places where pets are.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
This hack works wonders with fruit flies. Pour a small amount of apple cider vinegar into the bottom of a jar along with a drop or two of liquid dish soap. Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke tiny holes in the wrap. Fruit flies will be attracted to the smell and go through the holes, but won’t be able to get back out.
3. Basil, Mint, & Vanilla
Place a few cotton balls in the bottom of a glass jar. Add in vanilla extract, followed by mint and basil leaves. Secure a piece of cheesecloth over the top. Place in fly-prone areas, and they’ll be sure to stay away!
4. The Bag & Coin Trick
Fill a clear plastic bag with water, followed by some pennies. Hang the bag in a fly-prone area or near your exterior doors. The reflection created by the water and pennies scares the flies, preventing them from coming any closer. Find out more about this old Southern Hack here.
5. Vodka & Cloves
Add some vodka, water, and cloves (or clove essential oil) to a spray bottle. Spray the solution on exterior doorways, window frames, etc. to keep pesky flies at bay.
While not exactly aesthetically pleasing, hanging sticky fly tape can also help solve a fly problem.
Citronella candles are also a good way to ward off flies and mosquitoes when you’re spending time outdoors.
Some people also swear by hanging pieces of Irish Spring Soap in mesh bags to ward off a number of pests, including flies.
If you’ve tried a number of different methods to no avail, or if you think you have a serious fly problem in or around your home, it’s best to call a professional exterminator company to deal with the issue. Hopefully you can use these tips to keep flies outside where they belong all summer long. Good luck!