There are several million different types of flies – fruit fly, common house fly, drain fly – in the world. Any type of fly is dangerous to your health in the long run. They buzz around your home, irritating you, contaminating foodstuff, and carrying disease-causing bacteria. Just one common fly could carry up to a million bacteria on their teeny bodies. They may pick up these disease-causing germs by sitting on fecal matter, garbage, rotten foods, animal refuse, etc.,
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They don’t need to bite or sit on your person to transmit these bacteria. They can do so by sitting on open foodstuff, contaminating foods you thought were safe to consume. When you consume such contaminated foods, your body gets ill with dysentery, diarrhea, vomiting, cholera, or even typhoid. So the best way to keep yourself safe from such flies is to get rid of them once and for all, and also covering any dishes you keep on your kitchen counter or the dining table.
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Common house flies, of all types, are attracted and multiply in decaying organic refuse like rotting foods, meat, vegetables, feces, animal refuse, etc., Fruit flies are lured by sweet, sugary substances like spilled soda, open sugary drinks/dishes, overripe fruits, etc., Drain flies seek out damp environs and organic matter to lay their eggs and multiply. Therefore, it becomes imperative that you keep yourself and your family safe by keeping your house and its surroundings clean and dry. Also, you need to take care to keep all food items covered, stored in air-tight containers, in a cool, dry place.
Home remedies for flies
If you’re still not able to get rid of flies, you could give these home remedies for flies a shot. Let’s take a look:
1. Apple
Apple and cloves make for a deadly combination for the flies.
Remedy
- Stick a few cloves into a cut apple and place it in fly-infested areas. Flies cannot stand the smell of cloves, which will help get rid of them effectively.
2. Apple cider vinegar
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Apple cider vinegar contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and antioxidant properties, which make it an effective home remedy to get rid of flies.
Remedy
- Take a jar and pour some apple cider vinegar into it. Now, place a funnel at the mouth of the jar, essentially blocking it. The flies will be able to enter the jar, but not come back out. Thus, they will drown.
3. Basil
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Basil is an amazing herb which contains several medicinal properties, but also quite effective in getting rid of flies.
Remedy
- Place basil leaves in strategic places in your home to keep these pesky flies away.
- Grow basil plants in your garden to keep flies far away from your home.
4. Camphor
Camphor again contains a pungent smell, which is aromatic for humans, not so much for the flies. Additionally, it contains anti-bacterial and anti-pest properties, which help combat the problem of flies effectively.
Remedies
- Place camphor tablets around the house to keep these flies away.
- Burn a couple of camphor tablets, whose fumes can successfully expel these pesky flies away from your home.
- Place a few camphor tablets in a bowl of hot water to get rid of flies.
5. Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper has a pungent odor and taste, which is super helpful in getting rid of flies from your home.
Remedy
- Mix 1 glass of tap water with 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and stir well. Pour this into a spray bottle and shake well. Cover your nose and mouth and spray this around your home to kill any flies.
6. Cinnamon
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Cinnamon is another aromatic and pungent spice, which is amazingly effective against flies. Flies cannot stand the smell of this spice, thereby helping get rid of them.
Remedy
- Cut strips of paper towel and pour a drop of cinnamon essential oil on each end. Hang these strips near windows and doors, near your kitchen counters, to keep these pesky pests from entering your home.
7. Cloves
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Cloves are an aromatic spice, which help keep flies at bay quite effectively.
Remedies
- Take about 15-20 cloves and 2 lemons halved. Stick the cloves, pointy end first, into the halved lemons. Keep them in strategic places around your home to get rid of flies once and for all.
- Tie a few cloves in a thin cotton cloth and hang them in strategic places around your house to keep these nasty pests away.
- Use a few drops of clove oil to wipe down counters, window frames, and doors to keep these pesky flies away.
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8. Cucumber
Cucumber has a pleasant fragrance, which irritates the flies very much.
Remedy
- Place cucumber slices or cucumber peels around the house to keep these flies away from your home.
9. Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is an essential oil that contains a strong odor, that is repellent to flies and insects.
Remedies
- Mix eucalyptus oil and water in a 1:10 ratio. Apply this homemade lotion on your bare skin to repel flies effectively.
- Soak a few fabric strips with eucalyptus oil. Hang them in doors, windows, near kitchen counters to help repel the flies.
10. Green apple soap
Green apple soap is known to attract flies. You can catch all the flies in one place and discard them.
Remedy
- Take a jar and pour 2 teaspoons of green apple liquid soap and a few inches of water. The fragrance of the green apple will lure the flies in, trapping them in the soap, where they drown eventually.
11. Honey
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Honey is a sticky substance, which helps trap the flies effectively.
Remedy
- Cut an unused plastic bottle in half. Make sure that the bottom half is slightly taller in size. Pour water till it reaches the halfway point. Add a few drops of dish soap and stir well. Now, spread 2 teaspoons of honey on the mouth of this cut bottle. Turn the top half of the cut bottle upside down in the bottom half, as a sort of impromptu funnel. Keep this bottle in a place where you’re sure you’ve seen flies. The flies will lured in by the honey, and they eventually drown in the soap-laced water.
12. Lavender oil
Lavender oil is known to be very soothing for human beings, but it is quite effective in repelling insects, bugs, flies, fleas, and black beetles. Additionally, it is also helpful in protecting against various kinds of insect bites.
Remedy
- Pour half a cup of lavender oil to a bowl. Dip and soak a small piece of cloth in the oil. Place it in a jar and cover it with a lid. Let it stay for a day like that. Now, remove the lid and place the jar in an area you’ve seen flies. Re-soak the cloth as needed to keep away the pesky flies. When you’re not using it, close the jar and store it in an easily accessible place.
13. Lemongrass spray
Lemongrass essential oil is another excellent choice to repel insects and flies away, thanks to its pungent citrus aroma.
Remedy
- To a spray bottle, add a quarter cup of hot water and 12 drops of lemongrass essential oil. Shake the bottle well and use it to spray around your home, especially focusing on doors and windows. Also, spray it on flies directly when you spot them.
14. Sugary trap
You could concoct a sugary trap that has milk in it, to get rid of flies effectively.
Remedy
- Put half a liter of milk into a saucepan. Add a quarter cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of black pepper powder. Bring this to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 minutes. Pour this concoction into shallow, disposable dishes and bowls, and place them around your house. The flies will be lured in by the sugar and milk, but will eventually suffocate and die in the pepper-laced concoction.
15. Wine
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Wine helps get rid of flies an easy, breezy task.
Remedy
- Pour some red wine into a shallow, disposable bowl. Cover it with a cling film, securing it with an elastic if needed. Poke a few holes that are large enough for a fly to get in, in the cling film and place such bowls all around your home. Flies will be lured in by the smell of the wine, and crawl in through the holes. Without a means to get out of there, they will eventually drown. Throw these bowls away after a few days.
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Additional tips
- Keep your house and its surroundings clean, dry, and hygienic, always.
- Use a good disinfectant to clean your house every day.
- Keep garbage bins and compost dumps always covered.
- Clean up your pets’ poop and pee immediately.
- Get screens fixed on all your windows.
- Spray essential oils in every room of your house, just as a precaution.
- Cover any cut fruits or vegetables always.
- Use over-the-counter insect repellent sprays to keep flies at bay.
- If you have pets, make sure to keep them free of any fleas and flies by giving them a bath regularly.
- Use clove oil as a cleaning solution to keep flies away from your home.
- Clean your kitchen counters after food preparations, and your dining table immediately after each meal.
- Place cedar wood chips around your home to repel flies.
These are all the effective home remedies for flies we have for you here. For more such handy home remedies, skin care secrets, and fitness tips, subscribe to our newsletter today!
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