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Flies will begin to become a problem in early April as the weather heats up (Image: Getty)
It is slowly getting warmer in the UK, which means people will be ditching bulk coats, rummaging for blankets to lie out in the sun and flies will start making their way into homes. Flies become a problem in late March when they come out of hibernation, which means you might start to see a few buzzing around your windowsills or food when eating outside.
However, flies begin laying eggs once the temperature is consistently above 12°C, which starts to happen in early April, so it is worth preparing to deter them now before they become a real problem. Many people resort to supermarket pest sprays, but these can be toxic to inhale, and the chemicals can linger on surfaces, posing a safety concern if you have pets or children in your household. Instead, Maat van Uitert, a homesteader and founder of The Frugal Chicken, has shared a natural way to deter flies from coming indoors using only a few plants.
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A natural yet effective way to deal with flies is using herbs that contain potent oils (Image: Getty)
She said: “ After some research, I developed an all-natural fly repellent using organic herbs, and I’m going to share the recipe with you. My recipe for all-natural fly repellent requires four ingredients: Lavender, peppermint, water, and witch hazel.”
Flies rely heavily on their sense of smell to find food and navigate, so plants with very distinctive scents can easily overwhelm them.
They often enter homes when they smell decaying fruit or rotten food, but herbs can mask these smells, so they have less reason to go near windows or doorways.
Witch hazel has a strong smell that flies hate, but it also contains tannins and a small amount of alcohol, which physically affects flies.
It will really irritate flies, so they are less likely to stay long in the area and help keep your home fly-free throughout the rest of the warmer months.
Simply boil the herbs up and then place the infused water in a mason jar (Image: Getty)
How to make a natural repellent to keep flies away
To begin, you will need some peppermint and lavender plants. Crush the plants slightly to release their natural oils and then place them in a pot of boiling water.
You will need roughly 500ml of boiling water. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid and then leave the herbs to steep in the water.
It is incredibly important to cover the pot; otherwise, the natural oils in the herbs will release into the steam, making your solution less effective. Using a lid will allow the oils to return to the water as it cools down.
Once the water is completely cool, strain the herbs out of the water and place the liquid in a mason jar. Then, add 500ml of witch hazel into the jar as well.
Mix one part witch hazel and one part water solution into a spray bottle to keep flies away (Image: Getty)
Maat said: “For this formula, I use a 1:1 ratio, so since you’ll use two cups of water, add in two cups of witch hazel. Just dump it right into your mason jar.”
Stir everything to combine it, and once you are ready to use it place the solution in a spray bottle. Use it around windowsills or anywhere else you think flies may get into your home.
This fly repellent should help keep flies away without having to use toxic sprays around your home, so you can keep your windows open without worry about these pesky insects.
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