Buzz off! How to get rid of annoying flies in your house

There’s nothing more annoying than a loud buzzing fly that won’t leave you alone. If you’ve ever spent a day in the kitchen swatting flies with a tea towel, then you’ll know all too well how frustrating it can be. But instead of reaching for the bug spray or wasting your time and effort chasing them around, there are other ways to banish flies from your household for good.

Apple cider vinegar

You can use apple cider vinegar to get rid of flies by creating a homemade trap. All you have to do is mix apple cider vinegar with dish soap in a bowl. Flies can’t resist the smell of apples and vinegar and will end up getting trapped. How? The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the apple cider vinegar, so the flies will simply fall in and drown.

Mint, basil or rosemary

There’s a range of herbs that flies can’t stand, particularly because of their very strong scents. Try planting herbs like mint, basil or rosemary around your home — they’ll keep the flies away and spice up your meals. As an added bonus, mosquitos don’t like basil either, while mint is also said to be revolting to fleas, ants, and mosquitos.

Orange and lemon peels

It turns out that flies can’t stand the scent of citrus either! Instead of throwing away leftover peels, place small slices of the orange or lemon peel along windowsills, doorways or near cracks or holes where flies are lurking about. They’re also effective against ants, cockroaches, and fleas.

Turn on a fan

Surprisingly flies actually can’t fly very well in the wind so turning on a fan means they can’t fly into your food or annoy you. So, if you’re having lunch under a ceiling fan or you can move a pedestal fan near your lunch table, turn them on. Not only will the fan cool everyone down, but it’ll also keep those pesky flies off the food!

Dispose of any leftovers

To avoid attracting flies in the first place, it’s important to dispose of any leftovers quickly, using sealed bags. Some people with larger freezers even freeze their scraps until bin day to avoid worrying about them. It’s also worth cleaning your kitchen bin thoroughly and frequently. Making sure your dirty dishes are put away and your benchtops are wiped down is also important if you want to keep the annoying pests away.