I live on a farm in the South. I came across an old folklore fly repellent remedy that I had never seen.
Take a zip lock bag, 1 quart size is best. Put 2 pennies in it. Fill the bag around 3/4 full of water and close. Hang it near the door ways.
I tried it, (felt a little foolish when I did it) and the flies went the other way!
They used to fly into the house and drive me nuts. They would die on the window sills and floor beneath the windows. I had to sweep 'em up once a week. Bunches of them, now there's none. Now I may see 1 or 2 flies that sneaked in, the whole summer in my house.
I was told that flies have many facets on their eyes and they do not like the water reflecting the sparkles in their eyes. They don't like the copper either.
So if you see it, believe me it works. What have you got to lose? I have mine hanging all year round. I've seen them at other people's homes and I just giggle to myself. If they only knew how good that works, around the world.
What do you spray in your backyard to get rid of the flies?
How do I get rid of flies apart from pest sprays?
By Ashwin from Suva, Fiji
I have flies in my back yard, neighbors on both sides have dogs. This simply might be due to the multiple rains and not the dogs, but if you have a suggestion I'd like to hear it.
I have a horse next door which creates lots of flies. I use fly bait and they take it.
I can't get rid of flies. Is there a home remedy for this?
On my front porch I have flies. I had an exterminator come to see if something died under the porch they are so bad. But after paying $300, nothing was found under the porch. You don't open your mouth as you pass to the front door. Any help appreciated. Will the vase also work in this instance, as with the fruit flies?
By Jan W.
To catch and kill, a fly trap from local feed store. It attracts with an odor and they drown. At least they are not breeding. It might smell for awhile but better than walking quickly lest you need to open your mouth.
Flies here in south Alabama are terrible. A friend told about a natural fly repellent. I decided to try it. It's basil! It actually works. I planted seeds in two flower pots, thinned them out...
I have been noticing a lot of black flies this year in my office. The building is a typical Cape Cod style with two separate offices - one upstairs and one down. I have been renting the downstairs office for 23 years - the upstairs office has been vacant for 4 years. I went looking to try and find where these flies are coming from since I do not have open windows or doors.
I went up to the vacant office and found hundreds of dead flies all throughout the space and when I went into the bathroom I found the toilet lid open and literally hundreds of dead flies in the bowl! I am totally skeeved out now and am not sure what to do?Simple!
Someone should:
Clean the toilet and close the lid.
Clean the office.
Check all windows, doors, air conditioners in windows and other possible openings in the entire building and correct to stop all insect access.
Flies are yucky, however, there are much worse problems in this world!
How do I get rid of flies outside before a pool party?
By Diana Lading from midwest, IL
Citrus Repellent: Cut a lemon into quarters and place in a pint jug. Cover the lemon with boiling water and let it steep overnight. Next day you have a flea repellent that you can use in a spray bottle. Spray all over your dog remembering especially behind the ears and around the head generally (careful of eyes), around the base of the tail (once again keep away from delicate bits) and under your dogs "armpits."
Aroma Therapy Repellent: Using 10 ml. of Pure Almond Carrier Oil as your base, add 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and 5 drops of Cedar wood Essential Oil. Shake well and use 1 or 2 drops [of this mixture] spread over the skin at least twice a week to keep the fleas away.
A flea collar can be made by rubbing a few drops of one of the following into an ordinary webbing or rope collar or even a doggy bandanna: Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Citronella Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil or Geranium Essential Oil. Don't forget to do this weekly.
Your home: Fleas spend most of their time in your furnishings and only hop onto your dog or you for their next meal. Make sure you wash your dog's bedding regularly because no flea ever survived a hot wash cycle. If you add Eucalyptus Essential Oil to the final rinse it will also kill 99% of house dust mites according to research from the University of Sydney, Australia.
Vacuum your home very thoroughly and sprinkle a fine layer of ordinary table salt over your upholstery and carpets and leave overnight before vacuuming again to evict your unwelcome guests safely but don't forget to empty your vacuum bag.
Bathing: A badly infested dog really needs to be bathed so use your favorite dog shampoo. Rinse the dog off very thoroughly and in the final rinse add a couple of drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil or Lavender Essential Oil. An alternative is to make your own herbal flea dip which will also work on ticks. Steep two cups of fresh Rosemary Leaf in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon ( 8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over the dog until it's saturated. Do not rinse off and allow the dog to dry naturally so this is a remedy to use on hot summer days.
Internal Flea Repellents: Garlic may not be your favorite cologne and it's not the flea's favorite smell either. When your dog eats garlic, the smell is excreted through the dog's skin making your dog less likely to be the flea's next meal. In case you think you might need to give your dog a breath freshener along with the garlic, my dogs, Mack and Josh, eat a garlic clove every day and I don't find their breath smells from it at all. Brewer's yeast tablets will also help to make your dog less attractive to fleas because once again the smell is excreted through the skin.
Adding a dessertspoon of natural apple cider vinegar to the water bowl will make the skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks. If your dogs don't fancy apple cider vinegar in the water bowl, dilute it 50/50 with water and use in a spray bottle instead of the citrus repellent. [Or, you can use natural apple cider vinegar tablets.]
How do jugs of water placed around your yard help deter flies? I see them everywhere, and does this really work?
By Mary
I never heard of putting jugs of water around. I have heard of putting water in a ziplock bag and then hanging it by the door. It works a little. I read you can put lavender oil on paper or a cloth and it works real good. Just make sure you reapply the the lavender oil about once a week.
The flashing of sunlight in the water in the plastic bags is supposed to startle the flies into staying away. I don't know if this works or not. I do not put much faith in these sorts of solutions, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
I need some help with controlling flies in the pet area outside. I would like to use a home remedy if possible.
By alison from Garland, TX
I've just received an email stating that you should fill freezer baggies half full and put 4 - 5 pennies in them and hang them up. Flies and wasps don't like them - I guess they think that there other flies staring back at them. Other people have said that it works. Hope this helps.
I saw a hint some where that you can fill a ziplock bag with water and put 4 or 5 pennies in and zip it closed and hang it where you have a fly problem. I think a quart size would be large enough. I have not tried this yet, I would like to know if it really works.
I have chickens. The flies aren't to bad yet. But the hot weather is just now coming. I've put a basil plant in 2 garden windows and the bathroom and have not had a fly problem yet.
I have an infestation of tiny flies in my lounge and hall. They seem to want to gather around my window and sill. I don't know what they are, but at first I thought they were baby flying ants or fruit flies. I do have fruit in the dining room, but there aren't any flies in there and no flies in the kitchen. Could anyone tell me what I can do to eliminate them please.
By M. Coates
I have outside cats that I feed in a large platter. When the weather starts to get warm I have trouble with flies in and around their food and bedding. I've tried fly strips, but they don't work very well. Anyone have an idea how to get rid of and keep away the flies?
By Janet S.
