Catching flies with a fly swatter is not easy at all. Instead of chasing after the pests, you can just use natural plants and smells to drive them away. So you can relax on the balcony and the insects stay alive.
Not all insects appear as useful as bees or bumblebees at first glance. Or are as beautiful to admire as butterflies. The situation is different with flies, for example
The pests buzz around and are primarily annoying. They are an important part of every ecosystem. As scavengers, flies scavenge carcasses and droppings from other animals. For people, that’s one more reason why you don’t want them around.
But instead of killing them with chemical traps, you can also use natural home remedies to drive flies away.
Table of Contents
3 home remedies that drive away flies
1. Vinegar
Just set out a bowl of vinegar, the pungent smell will drive away the flies.
2. Laurel Oil
Put eight to ten drops of laurel essential oil in a bowl of water and set aside. The smell is unpleasant for flies.
3. Lavender Oil
All-rounder lavender oil. It smells good, calms and drives away annoying flies. Simply drizzle a cotton ball or cloth with the oil. Alternatively, peppermint oil is also suitable.
14 plants that drive away flies
1. Basil
Stock your window sills with basil and the flies will find the smell so repulsive that they will seek another target.
2. Nettle
Similar to basil, flies also find the smell of nettles repulsive.
3. Walnussbaum
The essential oils of the walnut not only keep flies away, but also insects such as bedbugs or moths.
4. Horse chestnut
The fruits of the horse chestnut tree are also effective in repelling flies. Chestnuts keep fruit flies away in the kitchen – just put a few in the fruit bowl.
5. Nasturtium
Nasturtium repels flies and snails. It not only looks beautiful, but can also be used for the preparation of salads.
6. Lemon Balm
Some mosquito species belong to the flies – for example fungus gnats. They avoid the smell of lemons, so in addition to lemon balm, lemon verbena or lemongrass are also suitable to drive them away.
7. Minzen
Flies avoid the smell of peppermint. The most effective way to repel flies is catnip, as it acts as a deterrent to both house flies and annoying mosquitoes.
8. Geraniums
As popular as geraniums are with people as balcony plants, they are unpopular with flies and many other insects because of their smell.
9. Rain fern
In the apartment, bouquets of tansy are suitable for driving away flies and other insects. They achieve the same effect in the garden bed and also provide colorful highlights.
10. Carnivorous plants
Of course, the carnivorous plant should not be missing from this list. While it attracts flies and other insects, it will also eat them once its trap has snapped shut.
11. Tomatoes
A secret weapon against flies and mosquitoes: the tomato. The insects cannot tolerate the intense smell of the plant.
12. Tagetes
While marigold scent repels flies, it attracts snails. Hobby gardeners should therefore think carefully about whether they want to use this plant to drive away flies.
13. Beans
The intense smell of beans has a repellent effect on insects.
14. Dried lilac flowers
Lilacs bloom from April to July. To dry the buds, simply place a few in the sun on a kitchen towel. If you turn them every hour, they dry well on all sides. Then hang up the flowers in the apartment or – for example – put them in a vase without water.
