It is very hard to deny that people hate flies, and you really do not have to dig very deep to find the origins of this bias: Not only are they insanely irritating, flies also pose a serious threat to our health. Although they cannot physically harm you, flies are known for preying on rotting food, trash cans, and even decaying flash, and each one of them is capable of spreading at least 200 known pathogens to humans. It should be obvious then that these pests should not be allowed to come nowhere near your house, so let us see how to do that.
Keep Your House Clean
Most of the flies are attracted to garbage, where some of them tend to lay their eggs. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to keep them away is to maintain your house as clean as possible. You will do that by tackling these duties:
- Disinfect in-house surfaces. Especially the kitchen, where organic waste is most likely to appear. Chlorine based, or bleach based cleaners will serve you just fine.
- Dispose the waste frequently. There is no general rule how often you should do that, so do it whenever you can. Also, keep your dustbins covered while the garbage is still in the house.
- Take care of your pets. Throw out any waste your pets may produce, clean their paws before they enter the house, and give them a regular bath.
Cover up Your Food
We already mentioned that flies like to prey on rotten food. That, however, does not make any of your fresh food and food remains, any safer. On the contrary, if you leave it lying around you may end up with salmonella, typhoid fever, or some other disease. Do your best then to put your food in some enclosed space, or at least to keep it covered. Pay special attention to fruit, which attracts a lot of fruit flies.
Keep Your Indoor Plants Well-Maintained
Unfortunately, indoor plants are yet another beacon which attracts a lot of different pests (flies included) because these invaders feed on the fungi and other organic matter in the planting soil. Get rid of them by spreading the layer of gravel or coarse sand over the top of the infested dirt, and monitor your watering practices. Eggs can survive in some soil only if it is moist all the time.
Use Non-Toxic Remedies
Finally, you can fight flies with numerous pest poisons and repellents. Keep in mind that, although very efficient, toxic repellent sprays will hurt not only flies, but possibly your family too, so you should use some of these non-toxic alternatives:
- Fly lights. Choosing truly effective fly lights will help you to effortlessly dispose the invaders during the night, and do not waste too much power in the process. Whether you are going to use some mobile variety, or you will opt for a full-fledged wall-mount is entirely up to you.
- A great deterrent for flies of all sorts. All you have to do is to place a piece of it in four bowls you will then put in all four corners of your room and wait. If the fly problem proves to be persistent, you can try to light the camphor and spread the fumes.
- Natural oils. Alternatively, you can soak a piece of cloth or a sponge in some of the natural oils (eucalyptus, lavender, lemon grass, peppermint, etc.), and store it in some airtight container. Open the container when you need to get rid of the flies, and soak the cloth again, once it loses its aroma.
These were some of the easiest, but at the same time most efficient ways to let flies know they are not welcome in your house, so you should definitely try them out. Flies may be small, but sometimes the smallest enemy can cause you the most damage.