Houseflies are one of the most annoying pests that invade your home. You can chase them around with a fly swatter or rolled up newspaper, only to discover a new fly traveling through your house as soon as you kill the old one. You can purchase many different products in stores designed to help you take care of your fly problem. Try a few home remedies, however, before you break out your wallet. Does this Spark an idea?
Prevention
Get rid of garbage in the house, especially garbage that contains food matter. Repair any screen doors or window screens that have holes in them, which allow flies into your home. Wash out garbage cans with a disinfectant.
Take care of anything outdoors that may attract flies. Remove any pet feces from your yard.
Basil
Keep potted basil plants around your home, or sprinkle dried basil on your windowsills and other areas where flies would likely enter the home. Mint can also be used to deter flies.
Wine
Mix a little dish soap with white wine (flies are attracted to wine), and leave the mixture out on a saucer or in a coffee cup. Flies will ingest the mixture and be poisoned by the dish soap.
Homemade Flypaper
Mix together 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1 tbsp. each of brown sugar and white sugar. Dip strips of a brown paper bag--the kind you get at a grocery store--into the mixture. Lay the strips out on a sheet of wax paper overnight to dry. Hang the strips in the corners of rooms where flies frequent. You can hang them by punching a hole near the top and threading string or yarn through the holes. Make sure that you change the strips frequently; you don't want strips of dead flies hanging in your home.
Tags: your home, dish soap, where flies