UPDATE: Top tips to help get rid of flies

January in South Africa is pretty much guaranteed to be hot – wherever you are in the country – and with a rise in temperature comes a rise in the number of flies! The Gauteng region is seeing an unusually high number of flies this summer, as reported by our call centre agents who handle our pest control inquiries. We also know that South Africans are a  handy bunch generally and like to at least TRY the DIY approach to pest control before calling in the experts. So we asked our pest control experts to prepare a few tips to help you get rid of flies this summer.

DIY tips on how to get rid of flies at home:

1. Did you know that flies can lay up to 600 eggs in a lifetime and at temperatures of 30 degrees, they can mature into adults in only 10 days! Rubbish bins are the ideal breeding place for maggots (fly larvae) so be sure that the lid on your rubbish bin fits tightly.
2. As flies need moisture to proliferate, cover or remove any bowls or dishes that contain standing water.
3. Flies like to eat faeces, manure and rotting food, which means they can pick up and spread diseases such as Salmonella, E.Coli and TB from those sources, by landing on uncontaminated food. To prevent this, make sure to cover food any food left out.
4. Did you know that flies cannot land in a crosswind? Place a fan in your kitchen or dining room to make it impossible for them to land on surfaces which contain food.
   

   Some natural ways to get rid of flies:

5. Lavender is a great natural remedy that really does repel flies. Dip a cloth in lavender oil and put it in a can. Close the lid and leave it closed for 24 hours. Then open the lid and put the tin in areas where flies are most problematic.  As the cloth dries out, repeat the previous steps.
   Just be sure not to let the oil come into contact with your skin. If you don’t have lavender oil available, you can also make use of eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemongrass or citronella oil. Be sure to dilute these oils with water or alcohol in a 1:3 ratio.
6. Apple cider vinegar can also help to get rid of flies. Mix apple cider vinegar with liquid detergent. The aroma will attract flies and they will drown in the solution.
7. Bags of water or CD’s as a method to get rid of flies seemed a little strange to me but after doing some investigation on the topic, and writing a blog post on it for our MythBusters series, we found it worked fairly well. putting this to the test, it seemed to work quite well!
   Get a few zip-lock bags and fill them half full of water. Then place a few coins inside the bag and place them at entrances where flies gain access into the home. Voila! The theory behind this is that the reflection of the coin in the water disorientates flies.

Armed with remedies you can implement at home, we hope you will be able to enjoy the rest of the summer in relative peace and quiet. And if all else fails, call the experts at Rentokil.