4 Effective Techniques To Keep Flies Away

Flies appear whenever the weather starts to warm up, or you’ll often find a flurry of them just before it cools. The rest of the time they are hidden away in cracks and other places, sheltering and waiting for the weather to warm again. 

Flies are a nuisance as they buzz around your head and some will even land on you and ‘bite’ you. It should be noted that flies don’t actually bite. When they land on you they sense whether there is food available. If there is they will spit acid onto the food and then plunge a straw-like object down and into the acid and suck it up. Of course, you aren’t generally considered food so the fly won’t do this to you. But, simply landing on you can leave bacteria behind that can make you ill. Flies are known to carry an array of diseases.

You should be aware that some flies, such as horse flies, do bite. If you have a lot of flies around your home then you may have an issue that needs professional help. It’s worth contacting them to get an assessment. Find out more info here.

There are some very effective ways to keep flies away from your home:

1. Use Fans

Flies and mosquitoes are not good flyers. This is mainly because they are small and easily moved by the wind. That means you can set a fan up at between 4-6ft high and the flies will be unable to fly in this area. It’s a good way of keeping an area fly-free although they are likely to congregate elsewhere in the house.

2. Use Fly Traps

You can purchase fly traps in your local store or make them yourself, the principle is the same. In effect, you need a container that will hold a sticky or sweet-smelling liquid. Above this you’ll need a smaller entry point, allowing flies to enter but making it almost impossible for them to escape. 

When making your own version of this simply cut the top third off a soda bottle and invert it into the base. This creates the funnel and allows you to ass a sweet liquid to the base. 

3. Fly Paper

Fly paper is effectively normal paper coated in a very sticky, yet sweet, substance. You can buy the paper in a roll and simply hang it up, the paper unrolls and hangs down. Within a few days, it will be covered in flies. Simply remove it and put a new one up.

You can make your own fly paper, simply coat a brown paper bag in corn syrup and leave it to dry thoroughly before hanging it up.

4. Carnivorous Plants

There are plants that emit odours which flies don’t like. These can be good at helping keep flies away. But, adding a few carnivorous plants to your home and garden is even better. The Venus fly trap is one of the most famous but there are others. Simply put them in the desired spot and water them occasionally. The plant will eat the flies.