Flies in the kitchen.
It’s not nice, is it?
Fruit flies. Drain flies.
Call ’em what you will flies.
They’re horrid aren’t they?
BUT as I’ve written before, all those fly sprays you can buy.
They’re not nice either.
And really nasty for all our friends we really need in the garden like bees, butterflies, ladybirds, lacewings, birds and more.
So how can you get rid of flies naturally?
Without using these nasty sprays.
Well, as ever prevention beats a cure.
And you can prevent fruit flies with these tips …
But assuming the little monsters have made their way in.
And have multiplied.
And multiplied.
And multiplied.
What can you do then to get rid of flies naturally?
As luck would have it there’s actually a bunch of natural tricks that work.
And I’ve rounded up some of my faves for you here.
Check them out and let me know what works best for you.
How To Get Rid Of Flies Naturally
1. Lemon & Cloves
Now I’m starting with a controversial tip for getting rid of flies naturally.
Some people do claim lemons attract flies.
But others, like the authors at Healthy World People have had enormous success.
Using them to destroy flies.
Particularly when combined with cloves.
They’ve also got a handy tip using lavender oil.
2. Blitz Your Sink!
If you have got a lot of flies, it could be your kitchen sink causing the problem.
As the flies will shelter and breed in the drain.
With all the gunge and stuff.
Hmmm. Lovely heh?
So as Erin from DIY Passion explains, you really need to blitz your sink to get rid of the flies.
Now personally, I wouldn’t use bleach as she suggests. Too many nasties.
But the principle is spot on. Deep clean you sink and drain 🙂
Boring I know. But less boring than flies.
3. The Fruit & Bread Trick
If you’re still a bit sceptical that you can get rid of flies naturally.
You have to check out The Real Farmhouse.
This lady cans fruit. She’s gets fruit flies!
LOTS of flies!
And she gets rid of those flies naturally with a bit of fruit, a bit of bread and some paper.
AND she’s got the photos to prove it!
4. Cider Vinegar
But just in case that doesn’t work to get rid of your flies.
You can try cider vinegar instead.
As Micro Abode explains.
They also have a handy tip about not letting the flies drink your wine.
Of which I heartily approve!
5. Cider Vinegar Mark 2
And there are in fact a number of different ways to use cider vinegar on flies.
Tots Family explains an alternative approach here.
6. Any Old Bread Bag
Finally, a completely different trick for getting rid of flies from Simple Living Country Gal.
Using nothing more than an old bread bag.
And a bit of banana.
Very nifty.
So there you go.
Use my tips to prevent fruit flies breeding in the first place.
But if you have got flies, there’s 6 different natural ways you can get rid of them. I really hope this helps and for more natural, non toxic tips to repel pests inside and outdoors follow me on Pinterest and try these :
Richard says
Thank you!!!
Evelyn says
I have an invention of flies for the 5th time outside on my deck patio this is the 3rd year and it has been the worst. I have used a few mastic container that I purchased in Home Depot comes with a packet of some sort of stuff that dissolves in water and flies are attracted to it but the smell after the 2nd week is horrendous. This time is so bad I decided to purchase an electric fly killer which also has worked but not completely. I poured bleach Thru out the entire deck and after all that and 3 weeks later the old flies does and new babies are back. There is no explanation from orkin pest control why they are there. No dead animals and no fruit around my patio. My next move will be to purchase basil and lavender plants and see if that helps
Alice says
The flies really are so distressing aren’t they? This might sound like a daft question but have you just tried really washing down the patio with soapy dish water? The amazing think about simple washing up liquid is that it changes the surface tension of things so most insects hate it and it’s very good at detaching things like fly eggs. Flies unfortunately are a bit like hair nits – their reproduction cycle is so quick that unless you shift the eggs they’ll keep coming back. If you can dish soap the patio down every day or so for a couple of weeks you might break be able to break the egg cycle. I haven’t tried this but from what I know about flies – !!! – it might do the trick. To kill the adult flies I really do recommend jars of washing up liquid & vinegar in some water. I have got rid of massive infestations with these. They drown themselves in it and it doesn’t smell. I do hope this helps, best wishes Alice
Maria Rochard says
My house is infested with flies. I feel like I live in Amityville Horror. They just keep swarming. I’ve tried everything. So upset I packed up my dogs and set off 12 bug bombs. Aside from moving and an exorcism, I feel disgusted, dirty and desperate!
Alice says
It really is depressing isn’t it. There are times when they’ve really taken hold that you need to take drastic action as they just breed so quickly. Can you work out what the source of them? If they are small flies, there’s probably not one thing causing them but for any big flies nearly always an underlying problem like drains or dead rodents that kind of thing.
Kim says
I use tea tree oil. Just dab it here & there. Flies & mosquitoes hate it. We even rub it on our skin when camping/fishing & are fly & mosquito free. Dab it on the tables if having a barbie or picnic. Works a treat.