3 ways to get rid of flies around your home
They buzz around, dive into your drink and land on food, flies are a general nuisance around the house so how can you get rid of them? Here are a few eco-friendly suggestions.
Having flies around your home is not only a nuisance but a potential health risk. The little critters can carry and spread bacteria such as Typhoid, E.Coli and Salmonella poisoning. Luckily, there are many different ways to get rid of flies around your house. There are a few products you can buy over the counter or at your local supermarket but what if you want a far more eco-friendly solution? Here are some tried and tested pest control methods that you can do yourself.
1. Create a spray concoction
Flies hate the smell of lemongrass oil so why not stock up on that essential oil, mix it with water in a spray bottle and spray on surfaces like doorways and windows.
Ingredients:
¼ tsp of lemongrass oil
1 cup of water
1 spray bottle
2. Plant some herbs that repel flies
There are many herbs that naturally repel flies. You can plant herbs in your garden or close to the entrances of your house (i.e kitchen windowsill). Flies hate basil, bay leaves, lavender and pennyroyal (from the mint family). Pennyroyal repels flies, mosquitoes and fleas while the others will keep flies away. Make sure you put a bed of these herbs at different place outside your home; not only will you have delicious herbs to add to your meals but you’ll also ward of those pesky pests.
3. Set up some fly traps around your home
The old-school method to ward off flies is to create a fly trap. All you have to do is:
- Clean an empty, plastic two-litre bottle
- Carefully cut the top of the bottle off (where the label usually starts)
- Pour a sweet liquid, like sugar water, in the bottom half of the bottle
- Turn the top third of the bottle upside-down, to make a cone shape, and place it in the opening of the larger part of the bottle
- Tape the two halves together
