Flies can be a serious nuisance, and those in our homes can quickly breed. Flies are attracted to garbage and decaying food. Make sure your bins have tight-fitting lids.
Homesteaders can utilize natural ingredients and ingenuity to craft DIY traps and sprays that can effectively rid their properties of flies without resorting to toxic chemicals.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Fruit flies differ from other pests in that they tend to congregate near sink drains or houseplants that receive too much water, in that they prefer ripened produce on kitchen counters and surfaces as bait for trapping them. Apple cider vinegar acts an excellent deterrent against these insects.
Pour some apple cider vinegar into a glass and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving small holes for insects to enter. Next, roll up thin cardboard paper cone and place in the middle of the bottle so that its narrow end faces down.
Vinegar acts as an attractant to flies, drawing them closer for easier capture. Dish soap then breaks up its surface tension to capture them when they land – drowning them! Repeat this process in other areas of your home if necessary.
2. Plastic Wrap
Flies can be an ongoing problem on any homestead. Luckily, there are effective and nontoxic ways to control them without resorting to toxic chemicals.
Start by pouring some apple cider vinegar in a glass jar, mixing in some dish soap drops and covering it with plastic wrap. The soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar to attract insects while plastic wrap prevents any escapees.
One easy DIY trap solution is using a large milk bottle with cut off bottom and poked holes along its sides, then fill it with sugary water and bait that attracts flies, then hang the trap by your door or window sill to capture house and fruit flies as well as any gnats that prefer overwatered houseplants. This works effectively against both types of pests!
3. Water
Water (H2O) is an invisible, tasteless and odorless chemical substance found throughout nature that covers three quarters of Earth’s surface as a liquid form. Ice and gaseous forms (water vapor) also exist and it plays a critical role in life as part of body fluids – including those belonging to all living creatures. Water’s unique properties make it essential for survival.
An oxygen atom in water molecules contains six electrons in its outermost valence shell and, when bound with two hydrogen atoms, forms a polar molecule. The electrostatic attraction between positive hydrogen and negative oxygen atoms gives water its unique properties.
Place some pennies in a glass of water to keep flies away from your food, such as when hosting a party or picnic and need to keep away from their spread. This nontoxic trick can prove invaluable in keeping them away!
4. Fruit
Fruit is the seed-bearing structure produced from an angiosperm’s ovary after fertilization. This structure may become fleshy (such as in berries and drupes) or hard ( such as nuts). Fruits serve as dispersal mechanisms for their seeds.
An effective fly trap can be created easily by filling a glass container with sugary water or vinegar. Flies will be drawn to it, yet once inside they will have no way out.
Maintaining a clean kitchen can also help prevent fly infestations. Be sure to empty trash cans on a regular basis, store food in airtight containers and close all doors and windows properly before hanging clear plastic water bags near interior entryways; the reflective light will disorient flies enough that they will leave alone.
5. Dish Soap
Add a few drops of dish soap to apple cider vinegar in a jar to lure fruit flies and alter its surface tension, encouraging them to fall in and drown. The odor from the soap attracts fruit flies, while altering surface tension makes it easier for them to fall in.
This eco-friendly soap is an ideal way to wash dishes, cutting through grease quickly while being free from phosphates or parabens and fragrance/dyes, making it suitable for those with sensitive skin.
This dish soap was specifically created to break down milk residue on baby bottles and breast pumps. Made from plant-based materials that are nontoxic and fragrance-free, as well as being biodegradable. Gentle enough for double duty as hand soap with aloe vera gel and vitamin E to moisturize hands for ultimate hand care.
