It can be difficult to know how to get rid of flies. These annoying insects can transmit viruses and bacteria, lay eggs and excrete them on surfaces. By contaminating water and food, flies can also spread food poisoning, E. coli, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, and many other allergens.
To get rid of fruit flies, insecticide sprays can be used. However, the typical components of insecticides can be as harmful to the home and family as the pathogens transmitted by the flies. Fortunately, there are many harmless alternatives and you can learn how to repel flies without using harsh commercial products. You can learn how to get rid of flies easily by following good hygiene habits and using harmless fly repellent products.
How to get rid of fruit flies in the home
Houseflies are attracted to places where they can lay their eggs. These are places filled with wood chips, garbage, animal waste, and rotting food.
The best way to keep houseflies away is to stay away from their favorite places.
- Make sure nets, windows, doors, and vents in the home are airtight and free of holes, cracks, and crevices.
- Use containers with tight-fitting lids and remove bags as soon as they are full.
- Store food in airtight containers, especially outdoors.
- Do not leave dirty dishes or glasses on counters or outside.
- Don’t leave grass clippings or dead leaves in piles in front of your house.
- Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights at night.
- Don’t kill dead mice with toxic substances, as they can attract flies.
- Dispose of animal waste, including cat litter, immediately.
If you have a large garbage can at home, you may want to switch to a smaller one, at least during fly season. This way, you will have to dispose of the waste less often and the number of beetles attracted to the waste will be reduced. If you have a large number of fruit flies in your kitchen or laundry room, it is best to drop the containers completely for the duration of the fruit fly season.
Home remedies for fruit flies
There are many aromatic plants that can be used in cooking and aromatherapy to stimulate appetite and ease anxiety. Some of these plants repel pests such as houseflies and fruit flies, so you can have a healthy and uncluttered summer. Read on to find out how to get rid of houseflies in your room with these safe and effective home and family remedies.
Cloves
Stick about 20 whole cloves into a ripe apple or citrus fruit, place them on a plate and watch as the flies disappear. This pomander keeps flies at bay and its sweet scent lasts for weeks.
Lavender Color
Lavender comes in many forms and is one of the easiest ways to get rid of houseflies. Planting lavender plants outside, placing bunches of fresh lavender in vases, or burning lavender essential oil in home entrances and on windowsills will keep flies at bay.
Citrus
Many over-the-counter fly repellents contain orange and lemon extracts, not only for their scent but also because citrus oil is a natural fly repellent. Citrus peels should be placed in areas where flies may be found. Place the peel in a small towel on a plate to keep it moist and wipe the peel off occasionally to keep the scent fresh.
Basil
Basil is a versatile herb that can be grown in the garden, in flower beds, or in pots in the bedroom. If you plant basil near a window or in a doorway, you’ll keep flies at bay, and if you plant it in an outdoor garden, flies will be deterred when they are outside.
Pine
Pine resin is a powerful natural fly repellent and disinfectant. Put a few drops on a piece of gauze and place it where you see flies and watch how they dissolve. You can also soak absorbent cotton in pine resin and place it where you see flies.
Other repellents
Other natural fly repellents include lemongrass, peppermint, eucalyptus, camphor, and cinnamon. Whether you use these scents in the form of essential oils or powders, these natural pest control products do a great job of making your home smell wonderful.
Sometimes it takes more than a natural fly control product to attract and capture flies. Here you’ll find some tried and true fly traps that will quickly solve your fly problem.
Vinegar and dishwashing liquid
A mixture of cider vinegar and dishwashing liquid can be used to catch and kill flies. Mix about an inch of cider vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a tall glass. Cover the jar with cling film, secure it with a rubber band and make a small hole in the top. The vinegar in the glass attracts flies, which then fly out through the hole. The soap film causes the flies to sink rather than land on the vinegar.
Venus flycatcher
Venus flycatchers are carnivorous plants that attract, capture, and eat insects. If planted outdoors, it naturally gets rid of flycatchers, but it is not as effective indoors. When a fly lands and triggers it, the plant closes around it. It then secretes digestive juices to dissolve the fly, which opens up and sheds its exoskeleton after about 10 to 12 days.
Light traps
A light trap is a box with a light on the back that constantly attracts flies. When flies try to approach the light, they are killed either by the discharge or by the trap, depending on the trap you use. Light traps should be placed about three feet off the ground, away from entrances and windows through which flies enter.
Sticky traps
Sticky traps are strips of adhesive paper that can be hung or placed around the house. They are coated with a sticky substance and can attract and capture most pests, including flies and mosquitoes. Care should be taken when using them indoors, as they tend to stick to everything.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Outside the Home
Once you know how to get rid of fruit flies inside your home, you should consider keeping them outside and preventing them from entering your home. Just as the inside of your home is unattractive to flies, you can make your garden unattractive to flies. Whether you want to build a barrier to keep flies out of your home or you want to fight them and enjoy your outdoor space more, here are some things you can do to keep flies out. Visit also: best lounge cleaning in Penrith
Outdoor Fans
Flies may be fast, but they’re not very powerful. Install oscillating fans to diffuse the air in your yard or on your deck. When flies enter your “airspace,” they will naturally fly away and not be attacked by strong winds. Use fans in areas where you want to keep pests away, such as near barbecues and picnic tables.
Flycatchers for the backyard
Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a jar. Roll a piece of stiff paper into a cone shape, cut off the end, and place it in the jar so that the pointed end is just above the sugar water. Tape the larger end to the neck of the glass so that there is no gap between the paper and the glass. The flies will not be able to resist the sweet nectar and will not be able to leave the glass.
Lemongrass candles
Lemongrass smells good to us, but it stinks to flies. This popular pesticide comes in a variety of sizes, so it’s easy to find the right candle for you. Light a few candles and place them on the patio, or use a large citronella candle on a patio table. With the smell of fire and citrus in the air, annoying flies become a no-go zone!
Homemade fly strips
It’s easy to make a natural fly repellent from essential oils that flies don’t like. Cut fabric into strips about a foot long and an inch wide. Add 10 drops of clove essential oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and hang them in the important places. Hang them in doorways and on windowsills, attach them to patio umbrellas, or staple them to the edge of picnic tables.
Backyard Maintenance
Flies prefer standing water to lay their eggs, so keep standing water to a minimum. Bird waterers should be changed frequently, collected rainwater should be drained, and depressions in the garden should always be filled with water. If you have an outdoor pool and the pump doesn’t work often, cover the pool or have it drained.
Just as the inside of your house is unattractive to flies, you can make your garden unattractive to flies. Flies prefer stagnant water to lay their eggs. Bird waterers should be changed regularly, anything that collects rainwater should be. Removed and water features in the garden should be filled.
Now that you know how to get rid of flycatchers, you need to give your home a thorough cleaning. You can do it yourself with the help of our cleaning guide, or you can hire a cleaning expert to do it for you. Browse our varied and cheap cleaning services to find the best solution for cleaning your home. Request a free quote and see how easy it is to enjoy a clean home without any extra work.
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