Flies can be a real nuisance in the summer, but a simple natural fly repellent could help keep them away from your home – here’s everything you need to know
Houseflies are a real nuisance(Image: Ihsan Noer Qalby / 500px via Getty Images)
Ireland is preparing for a heatwave, and many of us will be delighted at the thought of warmer weather. And when indoors, opening windows and doors in the morning can help freshen things up and get you ready for the day.
While it’s something to anticipate with excitement, it does come with a few challenges. Flies become an ongoing annoyance during summer, prompting many homeowners to seek out practical solutions to keep them away. To address the issue and maintain a fly-free home, Neil McKenzie, home safety expert at Halton Stairlifts, has revealed a simple technique to prevent flies from entering your property this summer.
According to the expert, all you require to discourage flies from your home is a lemon and some cloves.
Neil describes this as a “perfect instant and short-term solution” to eliminate these bothersome pests. Slice a lemon in half and insert 10-15 whole cloves into the flesh.
To prevent flies from getting into your home, position these lemon halves in egg cups dotted around key locations throughout the property, such as beside fruit bowls or on windowsills, reports the Mirror.
The lemon juice mixed with the natural oil in the cloves is said to create a potent aroma that flies find unbearable.
It’s a much safer alternative when compared to potentially dangerous chemical repellents such as insecticides. These should be replaced once the lemon has dried out, which typically occurs after approximately three to five days. If you’re dining al fresco and want to keep flies away, you can enhance this method’s effectiveness by introducing heat.
Simply follow the identical process, but set the cloves alight until they start to produce smoke, forming a protective shield around both you and your meal.
Another powerful method to prevent flies from coming into your house is by creating a peppermint oil and white vinegar mixture.
To make this, mix one cup of water, one cup of white vinegar, several drops of peppermint oil and a drop of washing-up liquid in a spray bottle.
Spray this onto door frames, window ledges, outdoor tables and kitchen worktops, or any other areas where flies commonly gather or land.
Bear in mind that this mixture works as a deterrent rather than an insecticide, so don’t spray it directly at the pest.
It’s also important to remember that peppermint oil can be toxic to dogs and cats, so ensure you keep it safely out of reach of your pets.
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