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We Have 20 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Rid of Houseflies! Say “Bye Bye” Flies!
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Summer time is here! Unfortunately, this also means flies are here as well. Even with screens on windows and doors, those little stinkers manage to find their way inside, don’t they? They are so annoying, and is there anything more disgusting than seeing flies walking around on your food?!
Even though houseflies don’t bite, they still spread diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and dysentery. Yuck. It doesn’t take much to support a housefly either. They can live happily off of a few crumbs on the floor, the trash can, the dog’s food bowl.
If you don’t want to use those electronic bug zappers inside the house (who can blame you?), and you definitely don’t want to poison the air with toxic chemicals, what other choices do you have?
We have 20 of the best non-toxic ways to deter, trap and kill those miserable houseflies in a jiffy, and keep your home more sanitary and less annoying.
1. Lemongrass Spray
This remedy will not only keep the flies away, but it will also make your home smell really nice. Humans love the smell of lemongrass, but flies don’t. Mix about 12 drops of lemongrass essential oil with ¼ cup of hot water. Shake well, and spray along doorways, screens, and any other place flies like to hang out. You can also spray those flies directly when you find them.
2. Camphor
This is one of the best fly deterrents around. Flies hate this stuff, and they will make a hasty retreat from it. Camphor also has powerful antibacterial and antiviral compounds that can keep your home healthier. Camphor has long been used in India to purify the environment, and keep insects at bay. Camphor is a dry, white, waxy substance from the wood of camphor trees. You can buy it almost everywhere in small tablet form. You then place the camphor tablets in areas where flies usually hang out. They work best when you warm them a bit, so you might want to put them in some wax or potpourri warmers, or hang them in small mesh bags where they will get some natural sunlight.
3. UV Traps
Using a trap with ultraviolet light is a good way to catch flies. Flies are attracted to UV light and, depending on the kind of trap you buy, they are either killed by the heat from the light, or they are sucked into a holder, similar to a vacuum. This is a great option if you are sensitive to smells, or if you have small children.
4. Make Your Own Flypaper
You can buy flypaper just about everywhere, but did you know that many are made with a poisonous substance that can also harm to animals and humans? However, it’s really not necessary to use poison. All you need to do is to trap the fly so that it can’t get off the paper. Make your own sticky flypaper with these natural ingredients:
Get some stiff paper (old paper grocery bags work well), and cut it into 2-inch strips. Punch a hole at the top and thread it with string or a paperclip for hanging. Mix ½ cup of plain corn syrup and ¼ cup of sugar in a bowl. Coat each side of your paper strip with this sugar mixture. Once it stops dripping, hang the strip where ever you see flies. The pests cannot help but be attracted to the sugary treat, and they’ll get stuck on the paper. Keep these out of reach of young children.
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