Flies can be a real nuisance in the home, particularly during the warmer months, but there is a quick and easy way to stop them from coming into your home for good
Flies can be a real nuisance in the summer, quickly invading your home, but there is a swift and highly effective method to deter them permanently. This summer, I’ve been plagued by flies, forcing me to keep my windows closed at night, yet these pesky bugs still manage to infiltrate my kitchen, writes Katherine McPhillips.
It might seem obvious to maintain cleanliness of your fruit bowl and rubbish bin, as flies are drawn to food, but I didn’t realise that it was actually my sink that needed more attention. Sink drains provide an ideal environment for flies, being warm, damp and often containing food remnants.
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They’re also hidden from view, making it easy for an infestation to go unnoticed. If you overlook these concealed flies, they can rapidly escalate into a larger issue. They’ll start laying eggs, which makes extermination significantly more challenging.
I’m grateful that I detected my own fly infestation within the first day, and I found that a really simple way to prevent them from entering my kitchen was to spend a few seconds pouring boiling water down the drain.
Boiling water will exterminate any flies or larvae lurking in your drain, but it also helps to dislodge any grease adhering to your pipes that attracts these pests, reports the Express.
Flies possess an incredibly acute sense of smell and are lured by the aroma of decaying food, but keeping drains clean will eradicate these smells and prevent flies from invading your home.
I absolutely detest using insect sprays in my home. I’m not keen on inhaling toxic fumes, and I’m concerned about the health risks of these chemicals lingering on my floors and worktops.
However, since I’ve started spending 10 seconds each morning cleaning my drain, I haven’t had to deal with any flies, and I can now leave my windows open without any fear of these pesky insects.
How to banish flies and prevent them from invading your home
Occasionally, I also pour soda crystals down the drain before pouring water down it, as this naturally breaks down grease and is one of the best ingredients for preventing blockages.
I poured boiling water down the drain once at night before hitting the hay, just to be certain I had eradicated any flies that could be sneaking into my kitchen.
Then, I ensured there was no grease, food scraps, or anything else in my sink overnight to ensure there was nothing to lure the flies. I’ve also been setting a simple apple vinegar trap next to my fruit bowl and on my windowsill, which has been really effective at keeping flies at bay.
For me, it seems to work best to use the apple vinegar trap when my window is ajar, and then pour boiling water down the drain each day when my windows are shut.
However, flies often invade kitchens because they’re attracted to the smell of food, so I’ve also been temporarily storing all my fruit in the fridge and making sure to change out the bin liner each day.
July is typically the worst month for flies, but I’m chuffed to say that since I started using the boiling water trick, vinegar trap, and keeping my grub out of sight, I’ve not had any bugs in my house.
It’s been about 10 days now since I last saw a fly buzzing around my kitchen. Now, I can enjoy having my windows open without fretting over pesky flies bothering me this summer.