Warmer weather on the way, FLIES, how to stop them!!

spinningsheep

According to the weather forcast warmer weather is on the way and a glorious summer is to follow (won't be cleaning the BBQ just yet!) but if this is indeed the case, can anyone advise me on how to keep flies at bay! In the winter, autumn and spring I don't seem to get any issues at all. But come summer my lounge becomes a swingers club for flies! They're all buzzing around the big light fitting, sometimes (cough) mating! How can I stop them! We have pets, so we keep the place as clean as we can, no food lying about, rabbit hutch kept mucked out etc, but I really hate flies, can someone suggest the best way of deterring them when you have your doors/windows open?

BertieUK

This is a problem that most of us suffer during the hot weather, especially when all windows and doors are open. We have found that net curtains, weighted at the bottom successfully deter the flies from gaining entry, but still let our German Shepherd pass freely in and out of the house. The windows are treated in the same manner and are equally successful.

No doubt you will get many suggestions that have worked for many households, and its really up to you to judge as to the best solvent.

Regards

BobUK

daisy_darling

Keeping an eye on this thread. I hate flies and i'm half convinced we have a machine at home that manufactures the bloody things !

BertieUK

I understand what you are saying daisy_darling as they are not the cleanest creatures that one could wish to have in ones home. I detested them when I was younger, so much, that I went to the extent of spraying them with hair laquer and stamping on them. lol

Regards

BobUK

daisy_darling

Hair lacquer ! I'll try that because i'm always wary of pesticides and the residue they leave.

nonnatus

EUGHGHGHGH (shudder)

Flies are my worst nightmare. And I hate the day when the first one appears in my kitchen, wiping its dirty feet all over my surfaces, hovering around the dog food. (shudder)
I know it's irrational, they're not going to hurt me, are not sentient, vindictive creatures, but I can't help feeling they have some sort of network going on, where they talk to each other and encourage others to parade around in front of me.

I've tried EVERYTHING and have come to the conclusion that the only way to handle it is to stop them gaining access to the house in the first place.

Fly stickers on the window - attract more dust than flies

Strips of fly paper dangling strategically - Not only look gross but catch more hair and children than flies.

Fly spray - smells disgusting. Gives the fly brief asthma, makes the dogs sneeze constantly.

Fly Swatter - turns this mild mannered woman into charicature of insane Chinese martial arts expert - exhausting!

The rest of the year, I burn air freshener candles in the house, but during fly season I turn to those garden candles with something medicinal and lemony in them (the name escapes me...). A bit smokey but smoke preferable to flies...

EUGHGHGH, roll on October.

Buttercup2305

nonnatus wrote: »

EUGHGHGHGH (shudder)




The rest of the year, I burn air freshener candles in the house, but during fly season I turn to those garden candles with something medicinal and lemony in them (the name escapes me...). A bit smokey but smoke preferable to flies...

EUGHGHGH, roll on October.

I think you may mean citronella :j

VfM4meplse

Just reflecting that the field of science has made incredible progress, but the disgusting Musca domestica still evades universally effective management.

They're not harmless by the way, anything that is a vector between poo and food is hardly innocuous....

Biggles

Flies do come in the house. Calm down and ignore them, they will either leave or die. Problem solved.

My only concession is to cover any food left out in the kitchen in the summer months.

hock79

In summer I use the old fashioned type of fly curtain that my Nan used to use, like this:

Amazon
It's pretty effective, and they come in nicer colours nowadays!

becs

We tend to ony get them coming in through the conservatory doors so we bought the weighted net door curtains and they do work. We also use a couple of the "red top" fly traps appx 10 feet from the door so they get attracted to those instead! They are extremely effective however also truly disgusting! Not for the weak stomached!