Aaaargh! House flies!

ThisIsWeird

There must be - ooh - at least 4 of the bar stewards in the room right now...

Apart from spray - which I don't want to use, and the windows are open anyway - what's the best was to get rid?

Ta.

Annemos

Oh that made me laugh "bar stewards".  (Took me a few seconds!)

I have given up and keep the windows all closed in Summer, now, except for one where I have a net curtain in front, in my bedroom.

Things came to a head a couple of years ago, when I spilt some raspberry juice on the floormat, just ten minutes before going away for 2 days. I thought I had cleaned it all up!!! (The weekend when we were in the high 30's)

But when I got back 2 days later, there were about 35 flies in the kitchen. Empty shells round the kitchen bin, where I had thrown some kitchen roll. And about 4 maggots in the doormat! 

It took me a week to go down from 35 flies to no flies!   35, then 25, then 20 etc etc.  

This was so VERY gross, I cannot bear to have the windows open any more.


I did notice that they absolutely loved Mint flowers and so I never let the mint flower these days. 


(Just to note, there is no rubbish around me or my neighbour. One a bit lower down is a bit unkempt in his garden.) 

FlorayG

In my house it turned out to be the door and drawer handles - you use those when you've been handling food and leave minute traces on them, the flies can smell it but not find the food that's why they buzz all around. Try a Dettol or similar wipe over all your handles - especially in the kitchen and don't forget the kettle - it really got rid of most of them for me

daivid

Tactical deployment of fly paper and/or traps. Ensuring there is nothing drawing them in: floors swept, bins emptied, no food out, no standing water. If you want to go on the offensive I find a tea towel spun and folded in half gives a good hit rate - release one end at the right time for it to slingshot into the victim. The wand of a vacuum cleaner is effective against the slower ones e.g. fruit flies and midges.

In all honesty, at this time of year, and with the windows open, four doesn’t sound like a big deal. If those four find somewhere to lay eggs though the situation will change rapidly…

twopenny

They usually land on a window somewhere. Mine seem to aim for the north facing ones so then I open it and shoo them out............try not to let your hand go near them when you do this as that sets them off again.

I also notice there's one particular door them come in by so I have a string curtain across that on a tension pole. Doesn't work if there's a breeze lifing it.

Last house I planted lavender (bbig English Lavender) under the kitchen window and that worked.

You could try dotting some lavender oil round window and door or just soak some cotton wool in it and leave by where they are coming in.

You've made me think I shall put some lavender by the back door

Andyjflet

Little known fact, flies cant see white, so a piece of white kitchen roll, sneak up behind them and catch them flush them down the loo or in the bin. The ones you can catch anyway. 

FreeBear

Get a cat - Mine is an expert in catching them mid flight.

kimwp

My friend has a little tennis racket type thing which fries them on contact. Smells a bit though. 

flo22

We have moths and use a zappy tennis racquet to fry them

Albermarle

FlorayG said:

In my house it turned out to be the door and drawer handles - you use those when you've been handling food and leave minute traces on them, the flies can smell it but not find the food that's why they buzz all around. Try a Dettol or similar wipe over all your handles - especially in the kitchen and don't forget the kettle - it really got rid of most of them for me

For us the small waste food caddy in the kitchen is an obvious attraction. Problem is if you put something large in there and the lid does not quite close properly. So we try to remember to take the bag out and put a new one in before it gets too full.
Then the bag goes in a bigger one outside, which is collected once a week. Not that unusual to see a few maggots in there in the hot weather ! 

In all honesty, at this time of year, and with the windows open, four doesn’t sound like a big deal.

I agree.

Grenage

Our north facing kitchen had about 16 in it they other day, all doing their little mating dance in the middle of the room.

It happens every year, and there's nothing that deters them.  It's the location that attracts, not a food source.