Flies can be a nuisance, but cleaning fan Lily has shared an easy homemade trap that will help keep them at bay – and you’ll only need three ingredients
Flies can be a common nuisance during the balmy summer months as windows and doors are left ajar to let in the fresh air. If you’re grappling with flies this summer, a cleaning enthusiast has shared a simple homemade remedy that will ensnare them for good.
Lily, known as Clean with Lily on TikTok, outlined two remedies you can utilise. A bonus of these solutions is that the ingredients required are likely already in your kitchen cupboards, reports the Express.
So next time you see flies swarming around you home, grab the vinegar, olive oil, and some lemon juice. Here’s what you’ll need to do.
How to trap flies
Lily utilised a clean jar – a mug can also be used – filling it with equal parts of olive oil, lemon juice, and white vinegar. Then place a piece of cling film over the top of the jar, poking some small holes in with a knife.
The scent of the solution will lure small flies into the jar, with the olive oil trapping them in the liquid. The addition of cling film will also prevent the flies from escaping back into the room, reports the Express.
The white vinegar will help draw flies into the solution, especially if you’re dealing with fruit flies. Vinegar contains acetic acid, a component of the scent that decaying fruit releases, making it attractive to flies seeking food.
Clegg’s Pest Control explained that flies may avoid both low and high concentrations of vinegar, so you need to ensure that the solution is balanced. While vinegar won’t kill the flies, the viscosity of the olive oil will lead them to become trapped.
The olive oil disrupts the liquid’s surface tension, leading to the flies sinking, drowning, and ultimately dying. However, if you’re contending with larger house flies or blowflies, they may be less likely to fall into the trap.
Incorporating lemon can also help to disorientate a fly’s senses. Lemons emit a potent, sharp aroma of citrus oils like limonene, which flies find off-putting.
Lemon serves as an effective natural fly deterrent due to flies’ distaste for citrus. Given that lemon also emits a strong scent, flies will invariably steer clear of them, while the vinegar continues to lure them in.
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