How to Get Rid of House Flies Naturally

How do you deal with house flies naturally?

1. Incorporate strong-smelling plants in your home
2. Use Essential Oils
3. Make Your Own Fly Repellent Spray
4. Create DIY fly traps

 

House flies are one of the most annoying insects homeowners have to deal with. Because of the many potential diseases and bacteria they can carry, knowing how to get rid of house flies naturally can not only help you foster a clean and healthy environment at home but also help you and your family avoid the negative effects of using chemical repellents and insecticides.

 

Incorporate strong-smelling plants in your home

The first thing you should know about house flies or flies, in general, is that they have an outstanding sense of smell. They were observed to have 21 olfactory sensory neurons contained within hair-like structures found around their bodies. That being said, there are certain smells that common house flies are attracted to like decaying organic matter like feces and garbage. It is also natural that there are smells that flies do not like, and this is what you have to take advantage of if you want to deal with flies without store-bought chemical products.

For example, there are specific plants that emit a smell that repulses flies. The most accessible one is basil because it can easily be found in shops. It also has anti-bacterial properties that help in promoting a healthy home environment. Simply acquire a basil plant and place it in problem areas of your house, especially near windows because these are common entry points for house flies. Plant some in your garden, if you have one, for added effect. If basil plants aren’t your thing, you can go for mint, tansy, or bay leaf plants.

 

Use essential oils

Another increasingly popular natural remedy to house fly infestations is the use of essential oils. Just like some of the aforementioned plants, flies have also been observed to loathe the scent of essential oils. Eucalyptus and lavender, in particular, are effective and have been used for centuries as an insect repellant. Not only do essential oils work on flies, but also on other insects such as mosquitoes and moths.

Purchase your preferred essential oil at your local homeopathic or specialty store then apply it on your clothes while you are at home. This will act as a natural repellent that smells really good — another plus-side of using essential oils.

 

Make your own fly repellent spray

If you want a more proactive approach to combating pesky house flies, then maybe a homemade repellent spray can be a better option for you. One of the easiest mixtures you can create is a cayenne pepper and water solution. Flies, just like many other bugs, are physically sensitive to the heat of a pepper. This is why spraying it on the access points of your house can prevent them from entering. You can also directly spray the mixture on the flies as it acts as a natural deterrent albeit in a non-lethal way.

To make the optimal solution, add 1 cup or 240 ml of water to a spray bottle. Add about 1.80 grams or 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix well. You can use freshly chopped or ground cayenne pepper, but dried powder is still the stronger and more effective option. Reapply the mixture when you can no longer smell it. If you find cayenne pepper too irritating, you can try using ginger as it is also a strong spice that mixes well with water.

 

Create DIY fly traps

Fly traps can also be an effective way to deal with infestations because they draw flies away from problem areas in your house and allow you to get rid of them once they are collected in the trap.

Vinegar is a good lure to use for flies because almost all types of flies are attracted to its smell. This is why using it in a trap will almost always be effective. To make one, you will need plastic wrap, apple cider or white vinegar, sugar, dishwashing soap, water, a rubber band, and a jar or empty bottle.

Add ¼ cup of sugar, two cups of vinegar, ½ to 1 cup of water, a drop or two of dishwashing soap to your chosen container. Lightly mix all the ingredients together, but don’t make it too bubbly. Cover the lid using plastic wrap and secure it in place using a rubber band. Make a big enough hole in the plastic wrap so that the flies can get in.

Done properly, this trap will lure those pesky houseflies and drown them once they get into contact with the mixture. Insects, in particular, are easy to drown because they aren’t big or strong enough to break the surface tension of the mixture. Once you have collected flies, you can throw the jar away or clean and reuse it as many times you want.

 

Key Takeaway

Now that you know how to get rid of house flies naturally, you have more tools at your disposal that can help you deal with potential infestations without resorting to chemical sprays and repellents. If you find that the infestation you are dealing with is becoming out of control, don’t hesitate to contact your local pest control experts because they are still your best bet at getting rid of any kind of pest-related problems you are experiencing at home.