YSK that spraying flies with windex will knock them out of the air rather quickly, allowing you to easily get rid of them. : r/YouShouldKnow.
Because Windex doesn't work as a repellent, it's no more effective at getting rid of the occasional bug than using a broom to shoo the critter outdoors or a paper towel to squish it. You're better off saving the cleaning solution for its rightful use.
Windex – Windex is one of the most common and most effective DIY household products for pest control. Windex is toxic to most pests, especially spiders. Spraying window cleaner directly onto small insects like ants or mosquitoes will kill them within a few moments.
Ammonia will dissolve oils and emulsify them. Insects use an oil based Waxy coating on the outside of their bodies (exoskeleton) which holds in their moisture. Dissolve those oil's, and they dry up.
For fast knockdown and killing flies, but no residual control, some aerosol fly sprays are available which contain synergized pyrethrins, tetramethrin or resmethrin (also called SBP-1382). These are appropriate for fast results and safe application around people, pets and food before or during picnics and outings.
From a single house fly to a swarm, kill them in seconds with Ortho® Home Defense® Flying Bug Killer With Essential Oils. This spray is safe to use around kids and pets when used as directed and will make quick work of your flying pest problem.
Windex is very effective for killing most types of bugs inside of the home. It's a bit less effective on Wasps for some reason, but many will die and those that do not will be slowed enough that you can easily trap them or slap them.
Spray a stronger mix of 1:1 water and vinegar (or Windex, or glass cleaner) at your window, so that the solution covers most of the glass. (I found Windex to work better, but if you have pets—or kids—who frequently lick outdoor windows, vinegar may be the best route for you.)
Windex, the glass cleaner, is a known insect killer. When you have an ant swarm in your house, spray them all with Windex and they will die nearly instantly.
Flies found inside in the fall may be removed with a vacuum or killed with a flyswatter. Since flies are drawn to light, attract them to a bright window in a darkened room, making it easier to vacuum or kill them.
The short answer is that while bleach may be able to kill adult fruit flies, it will not be effective against their eggs or larvae. Bleach works by destroying the cell walls of living organisms, which kills them instantly.
Cleaning Hacks
Spray Flies, bugs or insects with this Lysol and they die super fast. It's cheaper that regular bug spray and smells so much better.
✔️Mix apple cider vinegar and dish soap.
Combine equal parts of the two in a small bowl and add a pinch of sugar to the mix. Ideally, the dish soap will have a fruity smell. “The fermented smell from the vinegar can attract flies,” Pereira says. “But the soap is really what will kill them.”
Mix some isopropyl alcohol and water together and pour into a spray bottle. Spray it all over the area where the fruit flies are located, and they will die on contact. While you're spraying down the area for fruit flies, the mixture will also rid your kitchen of mold, bacteria, and other unwanted substances.
It's also important to mix vinegar with other ingredients carefully. “Never mix vinegar with other cleaning products like bleach or ammonia or those 'blue' window cleaning products [like Windex], because they can create dangerous chlorine gas,” Gayman says.
However, note that vinegar is acidic and ammonia is basic. When mixed together, they cancel each other out and removes their cleaning properties. You'll basically be creating a saltwater solution that's not cleaning your windows at all. It's best to avoid combining cleaning chemicals.
You can also make an all-natural window cleaning solution using a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and hot water. Adding a touch of liquid soap to the vinegar solution will help remove any streak-causing wax left on the window from commercial cleaners used in the past.
Overall, technically windex will kill spiders, but only if applied generously and directly on the spider. This makes it not a great solution for a spider infestation because the majority of the time spiders will hide from humans, and windex takes quite a bit of time to actually kill.
The soap will clog their spiracles, the pores that they breathe through, and will kill them almost immediately. To kill wasps with soapy water, mix 2 tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle or hose-end sprayer and fill it with water.
How Does Windex Kill Cockroaches? Windex doesn't have enough insecticide properties to physically kill the roaches via chemicals. Instead what happens is that when a cockroach if properly covered in Windex, the Windex covers their back, which they breath out of and ends up suffocating them.
Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.
When it comes to breeding, large flies need a substantial amount of decaying organic matter to be successful. The odors created by these breeding sources are usually very strong, putrid smells – decaying animal carcasses, rotting organic materials, etc. Most often, these breeding sources will be outdoors.