Flies can be a nuisance, especially during the summer months. However, a cleaning expert has shared a simple yet effective hack to keep the pesky insects out of your home for good
Opening a window to let in some fresh air, only to have a fly swoop in and start buzzing around, is a common annoyance. While commercial fly sprays are convenient, they contain toxic chemicals that can pollute your home and be harmful to breathe in, so it’s better to seek a more natural alternative.
Cleaning expert Andre Kazimierski from Sophia’s Cleaning has revealed a simple trick using cayenne pepper to keep flies at bay without resorting to chemical sprays. He advised: “Mix cayenne pepper with a cup of water to make a simple spray that repels the common fruit fly.
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“To be exact, mix one tablespoon of cayenne pepper in two cups of hot water.” This might sound odd, but flies heavily rely on their sense of smell to locate food and navigate an area. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which has a potent smell and is also spicy, thus irritating flies’ senses.
Not only do flies find cayenne pepper uncomfortable, but it also deters them from lingering as it masks the smell of food that attracts them to homes, reports the Express.
How to keep flies out of your home this summer
Allow the water to cool down completely before transferring it to an empty spray bottle. Spray bottles can typically be found in the cleaning section of most supermarkets, but pound shops, garden centres, and hardware stores also sell them.
Spritz the solution around windows, doorways, and the kitchen – basically anywhere flies are known to hover. The spicy scent naturally repels flies, helping your home stay insect-free throughout the summer.
However, it’s worth noting that the spices in cayenne pepper can become airborne after spraying and irritate pets’ eyes, so it’s generally not recommended if you have a cat or dog.
But don’t fret, you can substitute cayenne pepper with apple cider vinegar or even use cucumbers as a pet-friendly alternative to keep those pesky flies at bay for good.