Emma Miller
It is difficult to find a person who would be delighted by the presence of annoying flies in the house. Besides the annoying factor, such insects are carriers of dangerous infections, so it is necessary to get rid of such “guests”.
How to catch flies
In the summer period to find flies in your apartment or private home is a common occurrence. Most often, the insects fly in from the street through open windows, doors, windowsills, or ventilation grilles. Flies can also be “brought” with you from the street – the insects lay their larvae on fruits and vegetables that you buy in the store. The third option – the fly “came” on your dog or cat after a walk in the street, or you stepped into the foul water – as it turns out, such an event will attract not only money but also insect larvae into your life.
Flies pose a serious danger to humans-they lay their eggs in places with lots of pathogenic bacteria (garbage, feces, food scraps), and the individuals that emerge from these eggs infect food.
From such insects, humans can get:
- helminthiasis;
- intestinal infection;
- tuberculosis;
- diphtheria;
- eye infections;
- anthrax.
Flies also often bite people and animals, and although they do not suck blood, they infect them with infection, and the bite site is very itchy and painful afterward.
How to get rid of flies quickly at home
In order to prepare an effective remedy for flies yourself, you need to know what flies do not like. Typically, this list includes plants and natural ingredients that repel insects. You can use one of the five options suggested below.
Vinegar
Dissolve 100 ml of 9% vinegar in 1 liter of warm water, soak a sponge in this solution, and wipe all surfaces of the house. Chopping boards, kitchen worktops, window sills, and windows are the most common places for flies.
Essential oils
Peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, clove, and basil are the most unpleasant plants for flies, which means their smell irritates the insects. Buy essential oils that contain the above plants, pour water into a sprayer, and add a few drops of oil. Then this solution should be regularly sprayed in the room. An alternative option is to buy an aroma lamp, then the effect will be more lasting.
Bundles of herbs
Cowslip, laurel, wormwood, elderberry, tomato haulm, and bird cherry – these plants will be your best friends in the fight against flies. Gather herbs from the woods or buy them, make a bundle of them, and hang them up at home. You can also put them in your closets, so you can chase away the insects and provide yourself with a pleasant aroma at home.
Geranium
Such a shrub affects the mind of flies extremely negatively – insects categorically do not tolerate the smell of the flower. So, if you love houseplants and want to get rid of flies, buy geraniums in a pot and just leave them on the windowsill.
Citrus
Take a lemon, orange, and cloves, slice the fruit, and spread it around the apartment, not forgetting the windowsill and cupboards. Place clove buds inside the slices – such a simple folk remedy will quickly scare away insects. Make sure that the fruit is not lost, otherwise, the flies will be replaced by pesky midges. In a previous article, we told you how to deal with gnats in the kitchen.
How to make a fly trap at home
The next option to combat flies is homemade bait, which is as humane as folk remedies. Insects in this case will not suffer but will leave the limits of your apartment. There are professional traps that you can buy in the store, but we offer options available to everyone.
The plastic bottle trap
To make such a trap you will need:
- A plastic bottle of 1-5 – 2 liters;
- Leather or scissors;
- Any sweet liquid or meat broth.
Take the bottle, cut off the top part of the vessel with scissors or a knife by 1\3, and remove the lid. Turn the cut portion over and insert it into the bottle with the neck down. Clip the edges of the two parts of the bottle with glue, tape, or a stapler. Pour any sweet liquid or meat broth inside the trap and put the bait in a warm place. The flies will flock to the trap and will not be able to fly back out.
Vinegar and Soap Trap
Another fly bait option can be implemented even on a minimal budget. You need to take a glass jar, and pour into it 100 ml of vinegar and a few drops of liquid soap. Foam the resulting liquid and cover the jar with transparent film. Then you need to make a few holes on the surface of the film into which the flies can fly and place the trap at home.
