Did you know that there are no less than 1.2 million species of flies?
No wonder they come to bother us as soon as the weather is nice!
In addition, with all the bacteria they carry on their bodies, flies can present a real danger.
Luckily, there are natural solutions to eliminate flies from your home — effective, chemical-free solutions.
Here are our 13 natural tips to permanently drive flies out of your home:
Did you know that flies carry millions of bacteria on their hairy little bodies?
This is because they are attracted to places where bacteria abound:feces, garbage cans, rotten food, etc.
But you don't need them to bite you to transmit these bacteria to you (by the way, flies don't bite).
They will simply land on food (food on your counter, on the dining room table, etc.).
There you go:the bacteria are on your food, ready to eat!
By consuming food contaminated by flies, you expose yourself to serious diseases:dysentery, typhoid, diarrhea and even cholera.
The best way to protect yourself and your family from these diseases is to have a clean home and keep your food safe.
House flies are attracted to organic matter that is in a state of decomposition (rotting food, meat, feces, etc.).
Drosophila (small fruit flies) are just as dangerous. They are attracted to anything that contains sugar:very ripe fruit, sodas, alcohol, etc.
Flies lay their eggs in damp places — in homes, they are particularly attracted to sink and sink drains.
Therefore, the basic gestures for chasing flies are:
- have a clean house
- a sink as clean and dry as possible
- and protect your food from flies.
Beyond these basic measures, there are several effective and natural tricks to chase away flies.
Surely you know the fly paper. This is a method that has been used for a long time.
It is made of sticky paper, soaked in a poisonous substance to kill flies and other insects.
The problem is that the toxic substances used by manufacturers are often as toxic to humans as they are to pets.
Why not use your own fly paper?
It's as effective as commercial ones — plus it's extremely easy and much more economical.
- 120 ml corn syrup
- 50g of sugar
- paper (kraft paper, cardboard)
- scissors
- string
1. Cut several strips of paper 5 cm wide.
2. Punch 1 hole on one end of each strip (this is for threading the string and hanging the fly paper in places where flies congregate).
3. In a container, mix the corn syrup and the sugar.
4. Apply this mixture to each side of the paper strips.
5. Hang your fly paper in places in your home where flies congregate.
6. If the paper drips a little, place a small container just below.
Flies are attracted to this fly paper.
They land on the strips, but they can no longer come off.
Here is an original and highly effective method to get rid of flies.
It consists of filling a transparent plastic bag with water.
When you hang the bag filled with water at the entrance of your house, the flies will no longer enter.
It's weird, but it really works. There are 2 reasons to explain this phenomenon:
1. The first is that the flies do not perceive the plastic bag as a plastic bag.
Because of the structure of their eyes, the plastic bag filled with water looks more like a spider web — which they carefully avoid.
2. The other explanation is that the light reflections on the plastic bag create an optical illusion for the flies.
As a result, they are totally disoriented and avoid your front door.
Moreover, if you look closely in the markets, many vendors use this method to keep flies away from their stalls.
- 1 transparent plastic bag.
Freezer bags are best suited, as they are stronger.
1. Fill the plastic bag with water (halfway).
2. Tie a knot at the opening of the plastic bag.
You can also use string or a big rubber band.
3. Hang a plastic bag at all entrances to your home (front door, garage door, etc.).
This home remedy is particularly effective against fruit flies (Drosophila).
This is because this variety of small flies are attracted to anything that ferments.
And, since vinegar is made by fermenting apples, fruit flies have a hard time resisting it.
It works even better if you warm up the vinegar a bit, as this diffuses its scent even more.
- 100 ml cider vinegar
- 1 jar
- 1 funnel (or a sheet of paper rolled into a funnel)
1. Heat the cider vinegar, either in a saucepan or in the microwave.
2. If your jar has a metal lid, drill several holes in the lid.
The holes should be large enough to allow fruit flies to pass through.
3. If you don't want to sacrifice your lid, use a funnel.
If you don't have a funnel, roll a sheet of paper into a conical pyramid shape. Use staples or tape to keep it in shape.
4. Fill the jar with the hot vinegar and close the lid.
5. If you are using the funnel, place it in the opening of the jar.
The narrow part of the funnel should be inside the jar.
6. Place the jar in areas of your home where fruit flies congregate.
Wait a day. Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of vinegar.
They will enter the trap (either through the holes in the lid or through the hole in the funnel).
Once inside, they are trapped! Why ? Because the fruit flies can't get out of the hole through which they entered the jar.
Lavender essential oil is renowned for its pleasant smell and restful effects.
But few people know that it can also be used to keep insects away.
Indeed, our ancestors used lavender to protect their clothes from moths.
In addition, lavender essential oil can also protect you from mosquito bites and many other insects.
In fact, it's the ultimate essential oil for repelling fleas, houseflies, beetles, and aphids.
- 100 to 200 ml of lavender essential oil
- 1 tin box with lid
- 1 cloth or 1 sponge
1. Dip the cloth or sponge in the lavender essential oil.
2. Place the cloth in the iron box. Close the box and wait 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, remove the lid and place the box in areas of your home where flies congregate.
4. From time to time, add a little essential oil to the cloth (this is because the air weakens the concentration of the oil).
5. Remember to close the lid of the iron box when you are not using it.
6. Warning:be careful not to touch the essential oil. In undiluted form, it can irritate the skin!
To keep flies away, you can replace lavender essential oil with other essential oils:citronella, eucalyptus, pennyroyal or peppermint.
On the other hand, it will be necessary to dilute these essential oils (1 part of essential oil for 3 parts of water or alcohol).
The downside is that oil and water don't mix well — that's why it's better to use alcohol.
Due to its effectiveness, the best choice for repelling flies is by far lavender essential oil.
Cloves have a pleasant scent to humans — but not to flies.
They can't stand the smell of this spice. Therefore, cloves are a great way to keep flies away from your home.
This remedy also uses lemon — another food whose scent is unbearable for flies.
- 2 lemons
- 25 to 50 cloves
1. Cut the lemons in half.
2. Push 6-12 cloves into each lemon half (pulp side, not rind side).
Push in the pointed end of the cloves — so the buds are facing outward.
3. Arrange the lemon halves on a plate.
4. Place the plate in areas of your home where flies congregate.
The advantage of this trick is that it also makes a beautiful table decoration - aromatic to boot!
It is an ideal repellent for picnics or when eating in the garden with your friends.
Instead of using a plate, you can also wrap the lemon halves in cheesecloth bags.
Then place these bags in the areas you want to protect.
This remedy has 2 advantages.
On the one hand, it will allow you to keep flies away from your house.
And on the other hand, it is also an excellent home fragrance, with refreshing and revitalizing effects.
Like lavender, flies dislike the smell of citronella and carefully avoid it.
That's why you can use it as a repellent AND air freshener spray.
- 10 to 12 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 4 tablespoons hot water
- 1 sprayer
1. Pour lemongrass essential oil into the sprayer.
2. Add hot water to the essential oil.
3. Close the sprayer. Shake vigorously to mix the ingredients.
4. Spray this mixture near entrances through which flies are likely to enter (windows, front doors, garage, etc.).
5. You can also spray this mixture directly on the flies (you just need to have the sprayer handy).
If you have leftover wine bottle bottoms that you are not going to drink, you can use it to get rid of flies.
Since flies are attracted to fermented products, wine is an ideal bait.
They are not fussy about the variety of wine:red, white, rosé, whatever — it will attract them.
- 1 bottom of a bottle of wine (about 1/2 glass)
- 1 glass (or other container)
- 3 to 5 drops of washing-up liquid
1. Place 1 glass in an area of your home where flies congregate.
2. After a while, the flies are attracted to the wine and will drown in it.
3. You can also put the wine in a bowl and add a few drops of washing up liquid.
The dishwashing liquid will change the structure of the liquid and prevent the flies from taking off.
4. You can also leave the wine in the bottle. Place it in a place in your home where flies congregate.
If flies come out, place stretch wrap over the neck.
Then drill a hole they can get in (the flies won't be able to get out).
Basil is one of the most popular aromatic herbs.
But did you know that flies can't stand its characteristic scent?
1. Plant basil in several pots.
2. Place these pots next to the entrances to your home.
3. If you can't plant basil in your home, use dried basil leaves.
4. Place the basil leaves in cheesecloth bags.
5. Hang the sachets of dried basil leaves near places where flies are likely to enter your home (front door, garage, windows, etc.).
This simple gesture makes you benefit from the repellent properties of basil.
As a bonus, basil will clean the air in your home — because it is also a powerful antiviral and antibacterial herb.
But it's not just basil that keeps flies away. Other varieties are just as effective at repelling flies.
Here are some that you can put in pots in your house or around your patio to get rid of flies:
- lavender
- laurel
- tansy
- mint
- the fetid street
- mugwort
- the concern
How to scare away flies? With cloves!
Cloves are an effective fly repellent (see tip #5).
You can also use clove essential oil, so as not to be bothered by flies, while waiting for our remedies to take effect.
However, undiluted essential oil can irritate the skin and create a burning sensation.
Here is our recipe for diluting essential oil and using it as body oil.
- 1 teaspoon of clove essential oil
- 10 teaspoons of diluting agent (olive oil or witch hazel oil)
- 1 small bottle (to store body oil)
1. Pour clove essential oil and your choice of diluting agent into the bottle.
2. Warning:always use 10 parts of diluting agent for 1 part of essential oil.
3. Shake the bottle vigorously before each use.
4. Use this body oil when you need to keep flies away.
If you have an infestation of small fruit flies (Drosophila), try this old-fashioned grandmother's remedy.
Sweet mixes are notorious for attracting fruit flies, so this milk-based trap is all the more effective.
- 50 cl of milk
- 50g caster sugar
- 4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1. Pour the milk into a saucepan.
2. Add sugar and pepper.
3. Cook over low heat for 10 - 15 min.
4. With this mixture, fill a few soup plates.
5. Distribute soup plates in areas of your home where flies congregate.
Flies are attracted to this mixture.
When they land on it, they can no longer take off and drown.
Here's a trick that's literally a fly trap.
The sweet scent of honey will immediately attract flies, and the sticky texture of this food will prevent them from taking off.
- 1 empty soda can (or 1 plastic bottle)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey
- water
- washing up liquid
1. Cut the can (or bottle) in half.
Warning:for this to work, the lower half of the can must be higher (larger) than the upper half.
2. Fill the lower part of the can with water (halfway).
3. Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the water (this prevents flies from taking off).
4. Invert the top part of the can (or bottle — without the cap) and place it in the bottom part.
The neck must be inside the lower part of the can (but not underwater).
5. Spread the honey around the neck of the can, which is now inside the lower part.
6. Place the trap in an area of your home where flies congregate.
Attracted by the honey, the flies come to rest on the honey.
They enter through the neck of the can and drown in the water mixed with dishwashing liquid.
You can also substitute honey with fruit preserves — they also attract flies.
In its pure state, camphor is a white, dry, waxy substance. It is derived from camphor wood (a variety of laurel).
Camphor has a strong smell that repels flies.
Moreover, it has also been used in India for centuries to purify the air.
Camphor has antibacterial, antiviral and insect repellent properties.
It is sold commercially in the form of tablets.
- 2 camphor tablets
1. Lay the camphor tablets on a warm surface (heat diffuser, hot griddle, etc.)
The smell released by the tablets naturally repels flies.
2. If you don't like the smell of camphor, you can place the camphor tablets in a bowl of hot water.
3. Place the bowls in areas of your home where flies congregate.
4. Caution:pregnant women should avoid the use of camphor.
Eucalyptus is also a well-known fly repellent — they can't stand its smell.
Another advantage is that eucalyptus poses no risk to humans.
According to experts, lemon eucalyptus is one of the most effective methods of repelling flies.
It is believed that this plant acts on flies by confusing them.
Indeed, eucalyptus masks the carbon dioxide and lactic acid emitted naturally by humans.
Warning:since it is an essential oil, eucalyptus must be diluted (with water or grapeseed oil). Otherwise, it may irritate your skin.
You can also use eucalyptus essential oil in homemade fly paper (similar to tip #1).
- eucalyptus essential oil
- cotton ribbons (you can cut strips from fabric you no longer use)
1. Pour several drops of essential oil on the ribbons (or strips of fabric).
2. Hang these ribbons or strips near places where flies are likely to enter your home (front door, garage, windows, etc.)
3. Warning:avoid using eucalyptus if you are pregnant or if you suffer from epilepsy or high blood pressure.
Most of the fly products in our tips are commercially available.
To buy now, we recommend the following products:
- corn syrup
- Kraft paper
- card stock
- freezer bags
- organic cider vinegar
- funnel
- organic lavender essential oil
- organic cloves
- stamen
- clove essential oil
- organic witch hazel oil
- camphor tablets
