India 25 November 2016: We all get irritated with house flies in our homes as they are quite irritating. These flies are not only irritating but at the same time they spread many diseases as well. The house flies that we find in our homes are only one of the 1.2 million species of flies that exist in the world. A single house fly you find buzzing in your home can actually carry about a million bacteria with them in their tiny body hair called tarsi. Flies are always seen around contaminated places like fecal matter, garbage disposal sites, rotten foods etc, where they go and sit and get these bacteria from. Flies don’t bite but they will spread bacteria to you by sitting on the open foods. These nasty bacteria spread by flies makes you ill with diseases like dysentery, typhoid, diarrhea, and cholera. The best way to prevent these dreadful diseases is to keep your house always clean and food items covered. To get rid of house flies it’s very important to keep your house clean and cover your food items. Read on to know some of the natural home remedies you can try to get rid of flies from your house.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Flies Naturally
1. Make Flypaper Strips at Home to Catch Flies
Today in the market you can find loads of different brands of flypapers,also known as fly ribbons, which can be used to catch flies and get rid of them. These Flypaper strips are made of a paper which is coated with a fragrant, sticky and often poisonous substance which works to catch flies and other flying insects. If you don’t wanna go for a store bought flypaper strip they you can easily make your own homemade flypaper strips which work efficiently to get rid of flies.
How to make homemade flypaper strips
Material to make flypaper strips:
•½ cup Corn syrup
•¼ cup Sugar
•You can use any Paper, brown paper or thin cards
•1 Scissor
•Thread
Instructions to make flypaper strips:
•Cut the paper into 2 inch wide strips. Punch a couple of holes at the top of each strip and put a thread through it to make a loop to hang these traps.
•Now mix the corn syrup and sugar to make a sticky solution.
•Use the corn-sugar syrup to coat one side of each strip. Place a bowl below the strips when you hang them so as to collect any syrup that drips from the paper.
•Hang these Flypaper strips in the flies prone regions of your home. Flies will get attracted to the sugary syrup and will sit on the trap and they’ll get stuck to it.
2. Use Plastic Water Bags to Keep Away Flies
One of the most interesting and a very effective way to get rid of flies is to use a plastic water bag. You will be surprised to know about this remedy that for this You just need to hang a clear plastic bag filled with water near the entrance of your home. When you do this flies will not enter your home. There are two reasons for this. First is that the flies due to their structure of the eyes, see the water filled bags as something that resembles a spider’s web. Secondly the reflection of water disorients the flies creates some unexplainable illusion to them. This method is commonly used by fruit vendors on their fruit stands to keep the flies off the fruits.
For this remedy of keeping flies away you need:
•1 gallon sized Clear plastic bag
•Clean Water to fill the bag
Instruction to use this fly trap:
•Fill water in the plastic bag till it’s halfway full.
•Now Tie the mouth of the bag securely. For doing this you can also use a thread or a rubber band.
•Just hang this water filled plastic bag near your entryways to your house from where the flies enter.
3. Try Apple Cider Vinegar to Trap Fruit Flies
One of the best home remedy to eliminate fruit flies which are instantly attracted to smell of anything which ferments. Fruit flies can’t resist Apple cider vinegar which is made by fermenting apples, heating it up a little makes it smell more tempting to fruit flies.
Make a fly Trap with Apple Cider Vinegar
Material to make Apple cider vinegar fly trap:
•½ cup Apple cider vinegar
•1 Glass jar
•1 Funnel or you can also use a paper to make one
Instructions to make Apple cider vinegar fly trap:
•Just Heat the apple cider vinegar a little.
•Fill the jar with heated cider vinegar and place the funnel over it, with the narrow side inside.
•Let it sit there for a day. The smell of vinegar will attract the Flies and they will enter the jar through the funnel. Once they are inside, they will get trapped in the cider vinegar..
4. Homemade Flies Repellent with Lavender Oil
Lavender oil has excellent insect repelling properties. For ages people working on farms have used Lavender to protect themselves from moths and other insects. Lavender oil is also known to repel mosquitoes as well. Lavender oil helps to control infestation of flies and other insects like fleas, black fly, black beetle, greenfly and white fly too.
How to Make Lavender Fly Repellent at Home?
Materials to make Lavender Fly Repellent:
•1 Cup Lavender oil
•1 Tin can with lid
•Cloth or a dish sponge
Instructions to make Lavender Fly Repellent:
•Just Dip a cloth or a sponge in the lavender oil.
•Now place this cloth or sponge in the tin can, and close lid of the tin and let it sit aside for 24 hours.
•Now remove the lid and keep the tin in a place where you see most of the flies in your home.
5. Use Cloves to Repel Flies
Flies hate the smell of cloves. Cloves are very effective in repelling house flies. For this remedy we are gonna use lemon as well cause flies hate the smell of that too.
Materials to make clove fly repellent:
•2 Fresh Lemons
•25-50 Cloves
Instructions to make clove fly repellent:
•Just cut the lemons into two halves.
•Now simply poke 12-15 cloves into each of the pieces of lemon. The bud of the clove should remain out.
•Keep these lemons in a plate to keep flies away.
6. Make Lemongrass Spray to Keep Away Flies
Do you want to get rid of flies and also make your house refreshingly aromatic. Flies hate the smell of lemongrass. To make this homemade fly spray use lemongrass essential oil which also has wonderful aroma.
Materials to make lemongrass spray:
•10-12 drops of Lemongrass essential oil
•¼ cup Hot water
•1 Spray bottle
Instructions to make lemongrass spray:
•To make this amazing spray just pour 10-12 drops of lemongrass essential oil into your spray bottle.
•Now pour hot water over this oil and shake the bottle well to mix the oil and the water.
•Spray this mixture all along the entrances to your home from where flies enter your house.
•This spray can also be directly sprayed on the flies whenever you spot them.
7. Use Wine to trap Flies
If you don’t mind wasting some wine then you can try this remedy to trap flies in your home. As we know that flies get attracted to anything that is fermented, wine is no different and makes for a good choice to trap flies. You can use any type of wine be it red wine or white wine any that is available with you.
Ways to Use Wine to Make a Fly Trap
1.Just pour ½ cup of wine in a glass and place it in areas that have been infested by flies. After a while you’ll find some of them floating in it.
2.You can also add some dish wash liquid to the wine to make sure that the flies just dont drink little and fly away. Dish wash liquid will not let the flies escape.
8. Basil and Other Herbal Plants to Get Rid of Flies
The fragrance of plants like Basil is something that flies don’t like. To keep the flies away you can just plant a basil in a pot near your doorways. If you can’t plant it you can just get some dried basil leaves and tie them up in a muslin cloth or bag. Keep this bag in a fly infested area or hang it near the doorways and windows. Apart from basil there are various other herbal plants which work to keep flies away from your house. Plant these plants or you can use their leaves just like that of basil to repel flies. Here is the list of such flies repelling plants.
List of Plants that Act as Flies Repellents
•Bay Leaf
•Tansy
•Mint
•Rue
•Wormwood
•Marigold
9. Make Clove Oil Skin Lotion to Keep Away Flies
We saw how we can use clove as an effective remedy to repel flies, similarly clove oil can also be used to make a skin lotion to keep flies and other insects away from you. Direct application of clove oil on your skin is known to cause irritation and burning sensation along with damage to your nerve functioning. So make sure you always use some diluting agent to make this very useful skin lotion to keep flies away from you.
How to Make Flies Repellent Skin Lotion with Clove Oil?
Materials to make Clove oil skin lotion:
•1 tsp Clove oil
•10 tsp Olive oil or Witch Hazel
•1 Small bottle to store the lotion
Instructions to make clove oil skin lotion:
•To make the lotion just pour the clove oil and olive oil or witch hazel into the bottle and shake it well.
•Apply this lotion on your skin to keep the flies and other insects away from you.
10. Milk-Sugar-Pepper Trap for Fruit Flies
If you are trying to get rid of fruit flies then give this age old home remedy a try. Make a sugary milky trap to get rid of fruit flies. This home remedy to get rid of fruit flies has been used since ages in England. We already know that fruit flies are attracted to sugary substances making this a perfect trap for fruit flies.
Materials to make Milk-sugar-pepper trap:
•½ liter Milk
•¼ cup Sugar
•4 tbsp Ground black pepper
Instructions to make Milk-sugar-pepper trap:
•For making this trap just pour the milk in a saucepan.
•To which you add sugar and pepper.
•Simmer this solution for 10-15 minutes.
•Pour some of this milk solution in a shallow dish.
•Place these dishes in areas in your house infested by fruit flies.
•Flies get attracted to this solution and drown in this solution.
11. Honey Trap for Flies
This is a very simple trap which only uses honey to trap flies. The properties of honey are perfectly put to use in this trap. The sweet fragrance of honey attracts the flies, and the sticky nature of honey traps the flies not allowing them to escape. Fruit jams also can be used instead of honey.
Materials to make Honey trap for flies:
•1 Soda Can or a Plastic bottle
•1-2 tsp Honey
•Water
•Dish soap liquid
Instructions to make Honey trap for flies:
•Making this trap is pretty easy, for this you just need to cut a soda can or a bottle in two halves.
•Fill the bottom half of the bottle with water halfway through.
•In this water add a few drops of dish soap.
•Now place the top half of the bottle inverted the water filled portion of the bottle.
•Now apply the honey or fruit jam all around the mouth of the bottle which fits inside the bottom part.
•Place this homemade honey trap close to areas of your home infested by flies.
•The honey in the trap will attract the flies and once they enter it they will drown into the water.
12. Use Camphor to Repel Flies
Camphor is the dry waxy, white substance that we generally keep in our cupboards. Camphor is derived from the wood of the Camphor Laurel tree. This substance has a strong smell which is hated by flies and other insects. Camphor has strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral and insect repellent properties.
Ways to Use Camphor to Get Rid of Flies
1.Place 2 camphor tablets on a warm surface like a mosquito repellent device or use a heat diffuser. Heating camphor lightly increases the smell of camphor. Flies hate the smell given out by camphor.
2.Place these heated camphor tablets close to places where flies have infested in your house.
Note: Pregnant women should avoid using camphor as a fly repellent
13. Use Eucalyptus Oil to Get Rid of Flies
Like lemongrass, Eucalyptus is also known to be a good fly repellent due to the strong odor of this tree is hated by flies. Eucalyptus oil is completely safe for use by humans. Lemon eucalyptus can repel flies more effectively. Make sure to dilute the oil with water or other oils such as grapeseed oil before you apply it on your skin. Fly strip made by using eucalyptus oil also work well to keep the flies away from your house.
Materials used to make Eucalyptus oil repellent:
•Eucalyptus oil
•Ribbons or cloth strips
•Just apply several drops of eucalyptus oil onto the ribbons or cloth strips.
•Place these cloth strips on window sills or hang them near windows and doors just like the flypaper strips.
Precaution: Pregnant women or people suffering from conditions like high blood pressure or epilepsy should avoid using eucalyptus oil.
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