Sick of houseflies! How do you keep them out/get rid of them?!

[morelippy]

Our kitchen always has bloody flies. I don't have a kitchen bin.. I throw rubbish straight in to the wheelie bin after each meal prep, which is nowhere near the kitchen door.

My worktops are clear, and cleaned every time I cook.

No pets

I hate them! I want a fly killer but I can't stand fly papers (vile). Should I try something over the kitchen door? I need it open else we'll bake

100% carnivorous plants!

We have several around the house, where flies tend to be worse.

Sarracenia, as a PP suggests, or Nepenthes, which have little cups hanging off the ends of the leaves, are the most effective ones. I get them from my local garden centre but you can get them online.

Buy a mint plant from fresh herb section of supermarket (it works)

Citronella tea lights by the back door seem to have cut them down by about 80 per cent. For the ones that brave it in, I use the executioner, an electric tennis racket shaped thing from amazon that I wield like a pound shop Federer.

@cloudjumper it is very satisfying. I'm a bit shit, but DP is on to win Wimbledon. He was super pleased when he got 3 tiny ones with one brutal forehand.

I’ve done this for a couple of years and whilst not 100% fool proof (or fly proof!) but it really does help

We got a lot over lockdown. They're attracted to windows apparently. So got some of this from Tesco. There was fly nests on the window frame on our back window. I still get the odd one but nowhere near as many. If they do come in the house I grab the nearest household product and spray it. Usually does the trick Dettol surface cleaner or something with bleach in or even polish seem to work best. And as others have said fly paper. They lay eggs so you need to catch the babies before they also lay eggs.

Forgot to post this is the window spray.

I’ve a fly zapper cos we are rural and get loads we did have the fly paper but it looked vile and I’d hear them buzzing whilst dieing which was gross.

@morelippy I recently started at thread where I said how, on a whim, I dabbed Vicks menthol VaporRub on to the bottom of my overhead lampshade.
Over 2 weeks later, still NO flies hanging around my overhead shade!
I am thinking of dabbing some Vicks around windows and door frames to maybe deter flies coming in. Nothing to lose(except flies).

Bug bat from the Poundshop.

We live rurally and the only thing that works for us is to keep windows and doors shut in the day time. We have a fly zapper for the odd flies that do get in. If they are stuck by the window we try to let them out.

@morelippy I think it's just that time of the year. They will find a way inside. I have lavender and citronella reeds in small glass jars near the windows. I'm planning on getting the plug ins with those smells. Supposedly it deters flies.

We’ve got fly screens on all the windows , haven’t seen an insect inside the house so far this year and didn’t get any last year . We have roller ones on our windows from Newblinds , they are an extremely helpful company .

Citronella candles are only safe used outdoors. They are certainly not recommended if a smelly option is required. I would never use a fly killer spray in a kitchen. But agree the sticky strips are super unsightly.

That should say candles not recommended if a smelly option is not required

Citronella candle - the big ones you buy for outdoors. We light one by the patio door and it does help. Also either lavender or eucalyptus essential oil spray around doorways and windows deters them as they don't like the smell.

I’ve done this too. I was told a while ago that either lavender or eucalyptus oil deters them. I’ve got a spray bottle of dilute eucalyptus oil and I spray regularly around window and door frames and ir does seem to work. I believe lavender oil is effective too.

Going to try this, might as well, i'm so sick of them, i hoover them up every night when we close all the windows etc but it's such a faff.

Pleasantsong 6PCS Ultrasonic Pest Repeller, Spider Repellent/Mosquito Repellent Plug in Treatment for House, Electronic Insect Repellent for Pest Control, Anti- Mice, Spiders, Rats, Moths https://amzn.eu/d/fKBUMH2

I live in an area that's brutal for flies. I have these plugged in every room and they've cut them down by about 80%.

For heaven's sake - please don't use zappers and chemicals outside in the garden to kill insects. We have a genuine crisis with a lack of insects in the UK at the moment. Our wildlife is in crisis. Our bees are in crisis. Kill the insects and ultimately we kill ourselves.

Okay rant over.

Agree. Although fly populations are on the up… along with human populations. (And all the junk we create and then throw away.)

Soon it will just be us and the flies… what a thought.

We had a bad year last year with fruit flies and it hasn't been so bad this year. I got my apple cider vinegar traps out early and we had a cold winter than I hope killed them off. I am very diligent with cleaning the kitchen and the drains, around bin area's etc. I am also merciless with flies in the house. I used to always try to capture and release but they just get back in so now they get hoovered up also bigger house flies. Blue bottles will mostly fly out if I open the window.

If your bin is outside they could still be breeding or being attracted to your bin and home. We have a neighbour who doesn't rinse out food packaging and their bins are always swarming with flies in summer.

The best way is to get on it early, and show no quarter.

My citronella tea lights said for both indoors and outdoors
Quite mild in smell, but enough to deter flies.

And they are only lit if the back door is open anyway. I blow them out if I shut it.

Oh yes! We have had a few of those zapper bats now & recently got a high voltage one. My partner is very adept at getting flies and moths & some spark like mini fireworks. The malevolent glee on his face is very amusing.👹😈
I've heard those tiny fruit flies or whatever they are lay eggs in banana skins so bananas should be washed, not sure if that's BS though. I have a skill which involves flicking an old tea towel at flies with speed, force and accuracy.