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

We have Phantom fly screens and can recommend them.

Flies hate mint! Buy some from the fresh herb section for a £ or so. Keep watered. Not the most attractive house plant, but they do the job!

I bought some fly killer spray in Tesco today while I plan my next move. I've been spraying with wild abandon since a visiting dog went home.

I feel mean though. I hate killing things. I wish they'd just stop coming in.

Jonnycakes · Yesterday 23:30
I’ve heard (but not yet tried) a clear plastic sandwich bag filled with water and pennies hung over an open door or window will stop them coming in. I didn’t want to start pinning things in my plaster so haven’t tested it yet!

I was just going to mention this idea.

I haven't tried it yet though. Saw a video on YouTube which promised that this device would keep insects away. Worth a try!

They do this in Spain - a lot - so it must be effective?

I'm finding this thread a bit strange. Don't you have fly spray in the UK? I have an automatic dispenser, which shoots out an odorless spray every few minutes, it works well.

theold I prefer to not spray chemicals around. It might also kill something "nice" like a bee or ladybird. An electronic swatter kills precisely what you don't want in the house.

TBH I only get annoyed about flies in the house when they hang around. I'll even tolerate a blue bottle as long as it looks like its going to leave soon.

I see your point, but I rarely see bees or ladybirds in my flat. It's mainly flies and spiders who seem to want to come inside - or a moth or two on a summer evening, but they are soon despatched by the cats! I don't live in the UK, but there are lots of flies here in summer and I'm not prepared to live alongside them inside.

I bought some citronella incence sticks and have been using them with great success today! Finally no flies hovering around the kitchen. I've witnessed 4 or 5 flies come in and go straight back out the door again :)

I'm not keen on candles/incense etc due to the fire risk with pets, so thinking of trying an electric infuser with citronella essential oil in it. Anyone tried that? Good/bad?

Can anyone link to a hood and nice looking window screen??

*good!

@Theoldgreygoose could you show us / link to what you mean? Never seen what you are describing in the UK

I'm a carnivorous plant advocate like, @Billybagpuss . I have different ones for different flies. Drosera (sun dews) are great for fruit flies, gnats, and even daddy long legs! Saracenia ( pitcher plants) and nepenthes (monkey cups) are better for larger flies. Sarecenia are easier to care for. I keep some of each kind on most of my window sills, and on the garden table and around the pond. But I have the advantage on living minutes from one of the best experts in the country at Hampshire Carniverous Plants (not related just an enthusiast!)

We're the same, have 5 metre bifold doors and a massive 5 metre roof lantern. The doors open into the garden are lovely but a total nightmare for letting everything into the house. And of course the stupid things can't get out! I would love a nice solution which looks good.

I have never seen these. The fly spray killer aerosol we have is rank and I've definitely not seen it as an automatic spray.

Do you mind sharing the cost? I suspect these are mega expensive 😳

I remember those automatic spray things from living in New Zealand, but bug spray is pretty toxic to us too.

It's a more expensive solution, but I just got a roller blind insect screen, and it works very well (though I wish I'd got the smaller mesh for midges). You can get them for doors as well, though I"m not sure really wide bifold doors would work that well - but for normal kitchen/patio doors it probably would, if you had space at the sides to install it. You need to be able to drill into the frame. But a much neater solution that some of the other alternatives.

I have voiles over my conservatory bifolds. Open the doors in the summer, pull the voiles over, 98% effective, and look lovely floating in the breeze.

@murasaki I am thinking of updating my CV to put fly catching as a hobby. I love my fly zapper tennis racket but I have pulled my muscle from over enthusiastic swiping!

Maybe, but people have been using fly spray for decades and it doesn't seem to have affected us. The old fashioned spray smells awful, but I'm not even aware of the automatic one - I sometimes have to check that it is still working. Lots of everyday things are toxic but we still use them, and I would rather have less flies (which are not exactly healthy for us anyway).