Flies have been driving me crazy this summer, and whatever I do, they plague me in my kitchen. Swooping around my countertop after food scraps and diving towards my trash can.
Pesky flies are a constant nuisance in the summer months. The warmer temperatures speed up their life cycles, multiplying their numbers quickly. What’s more, food waste decays faster, providing the enticing stench they adore.
Our habits also change. To cool down our homes, we leave our doors and windows open more often, giving them easy access indoors.
If your trash can is left even slightly ajar, they will find a way inside and lay their eggs. So, if you notice that flies are swarming around your kitchen waste, there’s an easy hack to stop them in their tracks.
Outsmart flies with a fragrant culinary staple
Cleaning enthusiast and social content creator Anna Louisa, known as Anna Louisa at Home, shares her clever hack on TikTok.
I can’t wait to try it, as it uses one of my favorite culinary kitchen staples that I use to add a punch to my bakes and a fresh scent to my home. It turns out flies love the smell of garbage, but they detest the scent of cinnamon.
@anna_louisa_at_home ♬ original sound - echoarchive
Anna Louise’s cinnamon hack is simple to follow and involves scattering ground cinnamon into your bin and onto its lid. It’s a strong scent that comes from the natural compounds cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, which overwhelm a fly’s senses and irritate their taste and smell receptors.
3 more DIY repellent hacks to banish flies
Apart from cinnamon, Anna Louisa suggests three other anti-fly hacks to try at home.
1. Get zesty with a touch of spice
Place cloves in half a cut lemon and pop in your fruit bowl to keep fruit flies away.
2. Create a simmer pot
Fill a saucepan halfway with water, add 1 sliced lemon, 1-2 sprigs of rosemary, 10-20 cloves and 10 drops of lemongrass essential oil. Bring to the boil and simmer.
3. Get minty
Place mint near an open window to help discourage flies from coming in, better still, place this culinary plant in containers near your entryways. You will also find that crushed mint or concentrated peppermint oil is more efficient that the whole plant.
