To prevent flies from ruining your summer: all the ways to combat insects

In order to get rid of flies seriously and for a long time, you need to:

1. Reliably block insects from accessing the house from the street.
2. Destroy flying pests that have already entered the premises.
3. Find and destroy all clutches of fly eggs and their larvae.
4. Clear all traces of flies in the house.

The last point has more of a sanitary and hygienic orientation than a destructive one. The dirt that flies leave behind becomes an ideal breeding ground for harmful bacteria and mold. To get rid of it, you need to treat all possible surfaces using household chemicals. If things and objects become so infested with flies that they cannot be washed or cleaned, throw them away.

The first three points, which relate directly to how to deal with flies in a private home, require special attention and more detailed consideration.

Reasons for appearance

These harmful insects have an extremely developed sense of smell. Smells scare them away or strongly attract them. Thanks to this fact, you can both destroy flies and attract them. Let's figure out what should not smell in the room in order to avoid an unpleasant neighborhood.

• Food waste, human and animal waste products primarily attract insects. Therefore, we keep the toilet, cat litter box, and trash can clean.
• Like most people, flies love sweets. This means we close up the honey, jam, and other goodies and put them away.
• Arthropods also like the smell of meat, especially rotten meat. We immediately put the prepared food in the refrigerator, and take the waste to the trash can.
• We don’t put off washing dirty laundry for too long, as flies love the smell of human sweat.
• If there are animals, wash them more often, change the contents of the tray and bowl, and wash the bed.

5.Tubs of tomatoes and basil in a pot

Incredible, but true - flies really don’t like the smell that tomato tops emit. They don't really like the aroma of basil either. If you place pots and tubs of these plants at strategic points, e.g. on the windows or at the entrance to the house, then flies will fly around your home.

• Mini-vegetables in the garden and on the windowsill - is it worth growing them at all?

  Have you heard about the baby boom? No, this is not a fashion for children. This is the name given to the worldwide craze for miniature vegetables.

Types of pests

Before you get rid of flies in your apartment, let’s recognize the enemy by sight.

• The indoor variety visits homes more often than others; this insect does not live outside.
• Brownies are similar to the previous type, however, they are larger in size. In addition to food and waste, they will not refuse to enjoy indoor plants.
• Autumn flies feed on particles of human skin and, when bitten, cause irritation of the epidermis. The proboscis of these insects is longer and equipped with teeth.
• Carrion flies are more dangerous than other varieties: they feed on animal corpses, excrement, and manure, after which they spread pathogenic microorganisms on their legs.

We recommend reading: What to do if there is a rotten smell from the washing machine

Why are flies dangerous?

Psychological discomfort is not all the troubles insects cause to people. The villi on the paws of a fly's legs “help” microbes and bacteria move from rotten food, garbage, feces, and animal corpses to human skin, clothing, and food. It's unpleasant, isn't it? That is why the question of how to deal with flies in a private house or apartment requires an immediate solution.

Without taking the necessary measures, a person in the vicinity of them is at risk of serious illness. For example, these:

• conjunctivitis;
• cholera;
• anthrax;
• typhoid fever;
• tuberculosis;
• diarrhea;
• dysentery.

Why is it difficult to kill a fly

It is difficult to catch the insect by surprise and swat it because of the insect’s unique vision: there are 5 eyes on the fly’s head: 2 main and 3 simple. Large volumetric eyes consist of 4 thousand facets and provide a 360-degree view.

The fly sees all objects in front and behind, above and below, to the right and left with three-dimensional eyes, so it will not be possible to sneak up from behind. With simple eyes, a fly examines objects close up, distinguishes small and medium-sized things well, and ignores large ones.

The insect processes 100 images per second at a speed 6 times faster than a human. The critical flicker frequency—the number of frames a fly sees per second—is 250 Hz. In humans, this indicator is only 60 Hz. Therefore, lightning-fast hand movements that people feel are seen by flies as a slow change of frames.

The only skill that a fly cannot master is the ability to distinguish the infrared spectrum. In the dark, the pest prefers to sleep in a secluded place where nothing threatens it.

This vision device saves insects from any danger, including the threat of physical harm from humans.

Mechanical methods of exterminating insects

These options are safe for people and pets.

Duct tape

It is an adhesive strip of paper impregnated with an aroma (attractant) that is attractive to insects. The trap is hung in the kitchen, in the toilet, at the entrance, next to the lighting fixture. Do this higher up so as not to touch the sticky strip. The method for getting rid of insects is effective, but the appearance of the fly-covered tape is not aesthetically pleasing.

Traps with light

A method similar in principle to the previous one. Glowing screens and flashlights lure arthropods with bright light, and the sticky substance inside prevents them from getting out.

Traps with food bait

To get rid of flies, you can prepare a trap yourself, it’s not difficult.

• Take a jar, make sugar syrup. Cover the dish with a paper cone so that the narrowed edge is at the bottom, but does not touch the liquid. The flies will fly into the trap to feast on the sweets, but will not be able to get out. Instead of syrup, honey or jam is suitable, and instead of a cone, plastic film with a small hole is suitable.
• Leave a small amount of beer at the bottom of the bottle; this smell also attracts insects that will not get out through the narrow neck and drown.
• Mix sweet sugar syrup with hot pepper. Having tasted such a treat, uninvited guests will die a few days later.

Traps

To make protection more effective, traps are used. This method is considered one of the most reliable and effective, partly because the result is extremely clear.

Jars with sugar syrup are used as traps, inside which a cone or a lid made of a plastic bag with several holes is installed. It is this principle that is used in most traps: insects get inside, driven by the sweet smell of sugar, but cannot get out.

Trap tapes are also considered a fairly effective method, although for home use it is better to use homemade rather than professional products. To create such a trap, cardboard strips are covered with thick sugar syrup and hung in places where insects accumulate. Products should be replaced as they become filled with adherent insects.

Household devices for controlling flies

If you often have to solve the problem of how to get rid of small flies and other insects, purchase special exterminators. The devices have a number of advantages:

• complete safety for humans;
• 100% effective;
• compactness;
• aesthetic appearance.

The price range is wide, depending on the manufacturer, power, operating principle.

Electric trap

The insect falls dead from an electrical discharge, barely touching a screen glowing with ultraviolet light, covered with a metal grill.

Fumigators

The device comes with plates or a special liquid. If flies appear in the apartment, you just need to connect the fumigator to an outlet. Under the influence of electricity, the plate impregnated with fumigants will heat up and begin to evaporate a substance that is fatal to insects, but harmless to humans.

The fumigant has an elusive odor. As soon as the plate has become discolored, it is replaced with a new one. For large premises, several devices are purchased.

Chemical control methods

You can find fly repellents in a supermarket or a specialized store that sells antiparasitic drugs. Chemicals contain special substances that kill (insecticides) or repel (repellents) insects.

Raid

This is the name of not one product, but a series of products from one company. Fumigators, aerosols, and electric diffusers are inexpensive and help get rid of flies, as well as other harmful insects.

Raptor

The products are based on insecticides. The company offers a wide range of products to combat harmful insects - aerosols and fumigators (with plates or special liquid).

Mukhoyar

These professional products are also based on insecticides. In addition to aerosols and adhesive tapes, insecticidal bombs and gel are popular.

Dichlorvos

This is perhaps the most recognizable of the means. When flies appear in the house, dichlorvos is the first thing people think about, without going into detail about the types of the drug. However, they distinguish:

• Dichlorvos-eco;
• Dichlorvos-neo;
• Dichlorvos-universal.

All aerosols get rid of insects in the house; there is no fundamental difference between them.

Get

The drug is sprayed on areas where arthropods accumulate. The smell of the substance is faint and after a few hours is no longer noticeable. Naturally, it is harmless to humans and pets. But get is harsh with insects: after 5–7 days there are not only no flies left in a private house or apartment, but even larvae.

Agita 10 wg

The product contains a fly sex enzyme. This is a powder diluted with water. Agita affects the nervous system of insects and kills them after 5–10 minutes. Toxic to animals.

Flybyte

Granules with a yellow tint are poured into places where insects accumulate. Or an aqueous solution is prepared from them, which is sprayed in problem areas. The product rids the premises of unwanted neighbors for 90 days. Safe for humans and animals.

Minap 22

Milky, odorless suspension. Harmless to people and animals (toxicity class 4), effectively fights insects. You can completely get rid of pests within a day, and the first results are noticeable within two hours from the start of treatment.

Executioner

Under the harsh name lies a remedy that is no less harsh for insects. The liquid is diluted with water according to the instructions, and then the problem areas of the room are sprayed. The Executioner is harmless to humans, and also to animals.

Master

Microgranules are dissolved in water, after which the product is sprayed. The manufacturer recommends doing this entirely over the surface of the walls, while ensuring that the material is not damaged. After this treatment, annoying insects will die, and new ones will not want to fly into the house. Poisonous only to insects.

Calling the relevant services

To get rid of insects, contact a special company with a license to carry out pest control work.

The cost of disinfection depends on the region, the area being treated and the complexity of the work. A conscientious company provides a guarantee; if pests reappear, treatment is free.

Homemade Fly Traps (Instructions for Making)

It is not difficult to construct homemade traps; here you can use simple and available tools and materials that can be found in every country house and village house. The most popular and simplest trap is a bottle of liquid. You will need any unnecessary container (a glass or plastic bottle, of course, empty), and as a liquid you can use beer or plain tap water, slightly sweetened. If you want to turn the liquid into real bait, add a little honey, just a few drops. It is recommended to add milk to such traps, but this is an unnecessary measure.

It is best to leave such a trap indoors when you are not at home, and there is no need to isolate the interior - let them flock. Just don’t leave the windows open, you don’t need new visitors.

If the presence of flies has become completely unbearable, preventive measures do not help, and simple means of control do not bring results, you can then use a more radical method - make a special solution that will help destroy flies in the house and will serve as a repellent for quite a long time.

This poisonous trap contains chlorophos (less than a third of a teaspoon) and sugar (about half a teaspoon). Mix them, pour the resulting mixture onto a saucer and place it around the house.

Traditional recipes for flies

If you don’t want to buy special products or pay professionals, use proven folk methods.

Vodka

The pungent smell of alcohol is unpleasant to insects. Fill a spray bottle with alcohol and spray any noticeable accumulations.

Essential oils

To make flies leave the room, spray the smell of mint, eucalyptus, lavender or lemongrass that is unpleasant for them. An alternative option is an aroma lamp. Pour hot water into a ceramic container and add a dozen drops of oil. The product fights flies while filling the room with a pleasant aroma.

Carnation

This spice, useful in cooking, will also serve as an insect repellent. Place clove sticks in a vase or stick them into half a lemon to enhance the effect.

Getting rid of insects in an apartment and private house

Large flies that accidentally enter the house from the street are caught with sticky tape, lured into special traps, or exterminated with a fly swatter.

But if small flies appear in the apartment, the source is first discovered and eliminated. Fruit flies are numerous and annoying. Having noticed the attack, they immediately sort through the root vegetables and onions stored in the house.

To remove insects at home, use folk methods and household chemicals. Use essential oils with caution, making sure that no one in the household is allergic to the substance being sprayed, and when using chemicals, carefully follow the instructions on the product packaging.

How to get rid of flies in a wooden house and country house

Outside the city, problems with harmful insects tend to arise more often. If the household has pets, vegetable beds fertilized with compost, and a toilet with a cesspool, then you shouldn’t be surprised: even if the owners are clean, flies will fly inside the house.

It is advisable to get rid of insects in several ways:

• hang adhesive tape;
• throw insecticides into the cesspool (only if you do not raise bees or fish on the site);
• prepare several traps with food baits;
• plant plants that repel flies closer to the house (basil, lavender, mint, tomato);
• spread on the windowsill or simply spread out dried geraniums, marigolds, wormwood, and bay leaves.

Folk remedies

There is no need to discount the so-called “folk” means of combating these annoying insects. In fact, in many cases they are very effective, safe and easy to use, both in urban conditions and in the country.

Vodka

The most accessible folk remedy is ordinary vodka, the smell of which repels flies. The application method is simple - lock the room where the flies have accumulated, but leave them a place to exit, a window or a window. Spray vodka in the room and wait a while, the flies themselves will rush to escape.

Vacuum cleaner

There is another method that can be called the dual-use method - using a vacuum cleaner. You simply turn on this household appliance at maximum power and collect flies. Just remember to remove the brush attachment, this will make it easier for you to catch them. This way you can combine insect extermination and room cleaning. But remember that modern vacuum cleaners can fail due to catching insects.

Hazel lotion

The same dual-use product - just in a different form - is hazel lotion. Prepare a hazel decoction, approximately 100-120 grams, regular table vinegar in the same volume with the same amount of vinegar (apple or table), and eucalyptus essential oil, approximately 40-50 drops. Mix all these ingredients, pour the resulting mixture into a saucer and place it indoors. You will see the result very quickly. This lotion can also be used if you are outdoors. Just lubricate open areas of your body with it, and flies will fly around you.

Essential oils

Essential oils are often used in the fight against flies, which, by the way, are also included in many products sold in stores. The smell of lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus is especially successful in repelling insects, but clove essential oil is considered the most effective. Use these oils as flavorings by mixing them with citrus fruits such as lemon or orange.

Flower sachet

A very effective and inexpensive way to combat flies is a kitchen sachet. Just instead of aromatic herbs with a refreshing smell, place a fly repellent there - eucalyptus leaves, clover flowers, cloves and laurel. Place the resulting mixture in several bags and place it indoors.

Prevention is more important

Contrary to the popular saying, the best defense is not attack, but prevention. There is no point in thinking about how to get flies out of your apartment if you do not take the following actions in time:

• hang a mosquito net on doors and windows;
• regularly wash and disinfect waste containers;
• keep the premises clean, wash dishes and laundry in a timely manner;
• get a fly swatter;
• darken the rooms.

Flies are annoying insects that are dangerous to health. To combat them independently, mechanical and chemical methods and folk recipes are used. If the problem gets out of control, call specialists. You should get rid of insects immediately after they appear. It’s even better to take preventive measures in time.

Household substances

Household products not intended for such purposes are also suitable for fighting flies. Among them:

1. Glass cleaning liquid. To kill a fly, it is enough to spray a product containing ammonia on the fly from a spray bottle 5-10 times. This number of sprays is enough to kill a single adult.
2. Hair fixation spray. The same principle of spraying is applied, but most often 1-2 clicks on the bottle spray are enough to hit the target.
3. Dishwashing liquid and vinegar. The mixture of these substances is poured into a jar, the neck of which is covered with cling film. Pests fly into the small hole left, but they can no longer get out and drown in the composition.

The category of household appliances with special purposes includes fly repellers using ultrasound. The devices operate on mains power and emit ultrasonic waves that are not perceptible to human hearing, but are unbearable for flies.

The opposite effect is used in electron traps that emit ultraviolet light. The flies fly to the source and end up on the grid, where they die from the current. For humans, such a device is harmless (current-carrying elements are isolated), but for flies and other flying insects it is fatal.