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.
Plant herbs like basil, rosemary, and lavender around patios and garden borders. Use sprays made from essential oils like citronella or eucalyptus on outdoor furniture. Incorporate scented candles or sachets near outdoor dining areas to create a fly-free zone.
Picaridin: Though it's been around for fewer decades, its efficacy is considered comparable to DEET for mosquitoes and ticks, and it works better on flies. Picaridin also has minimal odor and no damaging effect on plastics and other synthetics.
Flies hate the smell of basil and ginger. Boil a pot of water on the stove and remove from heat. Slice up a 2-inch nub of ginger and add the water along with two cups of fresh basil leaves. Leave to steep for an hour. Remove the herbs and place the water in a spray bottle and spray your surfaces for a fly-free home.
Use fly paper or fly strips. Clean with Pine Sol. Use essential oils. Flies hate the smells of Pine Sol, citronella, peppermint oil and clove oil. Use cinnamon as an air freshener as flies hate that smell also. Spray house with lavender, eucalyptus, or lemongrass essential oils. Use fans or light candles.
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.
Yes, using Pine-Sol to keep flies away is safe. According to the Pine-Sol product page, it is biodegradable and safe for use around pets. However, Thaeler suggests waiting until treated areas have dried before letting children or pets near to be safe.
Use Citronella-Infused Incense and Candles
Citronella essential oil is one of the most effective natural repellents for flies and other bugs. Another plus side of citronella is that it emits a pleasant lemony scent, so you can leave it around your patio space while you're outside.
Vinegar attracts, not repels flies; however, a container with vinegar and dish soap will function as an attractant trap as the vinegar lures flies to enter the trap and the dish soap will cause the flies to sink and die. Oils like lavender, mint, lemongrass, clove, rosemary and eucalyptus may help in repelling flies.
Lavender – Lavender is available in many different forms, and flies hate them all. Try growing fresh plants in your garden, especially near any doors or windows. You can also use dried lavender and scented candles to help keep the flies at bay.
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.
“Flies tend to avoid certain strong scents, many of which come from natural sources,” says Harlow-Ellis, who recommends these proven fly-repelling scents in diffusers, candles, sprays, or even plant form: Lavender. Eucalyptus. Peppermint.
Cayenne pepper is an excellent natural fly repellent that also deters many other insects. Mix one cup of water and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a misting bottle and spray it near entryways and wherever you see flies. Other natural fly repellents include lemongrass, peppermint, eucalyptus, camphor, and cinnamon.
It seems there are a lot of outdoor events being decorated with plastic bags filled with water these days to frighten these bug-eyed creatures away. The bags may even contain pennies, small bits of aluminum foil and other shiny items to make the redneck water globes even scarier to the disease-laden insects.
He said the show Mythbusters also tested the idea and determined that the water bags weren't effective. Still, many theories are abuzz as to why it might work. The most common is that the flies' complex eyes are overwhelmed by the refracted light produced by the bags, and so they fly away.
According to Wide Open Country, zip-top bags filled with water and a few pennies adorn many restaurants, porches and doorways in the South to keep flies away. Supporters of this DIY fly repellent claim success based off a couple of theories, but the most popular has to do with the mechanics of a fly's sight.
Homemade fly repellent spray: A mixture of dish soap, water, baking soda, and vinegar can be filled into a spray bottle. The mixture should contain a few drops of dish soap and a tablespoon each of vinegar and baking soda per cup of water. A few sprays of this mixture can be an effective fly repellent.
Smoke Flies Out With Citronella Candles
Citronella is a great fly repellent but it only works effectively in a small area per candle. The amount of candles it would take to be effective would be so costly that this is really not a viable solution either.
It is not recommended to use Pine-Sol® for stain removal on fabric/soft surfaces, including carpets.
Some soaps with essential oils can repel insects for a short time but, “Irish Spring soap specifically doesn't have enough quantity to register for mosquitoes [and] no ingredients that would repel flies,” he says.
It will kill flies and roaches when you spray them. I don't like this page.