Awesome and Easy Irish Spring Soap and Flies Hacks (2023)

FAQs

What smell will keep flies away? ›

Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.

All you need is half a lemon and some cloves to make your own DIY fly deterrent. "Lemon cut in half with cloves on top = minimal to no flies. You're welcome! This works.

Scents that they're particularly opposed to are the strong, pungent odors, like clove, lavender, mint, lemongrass, eucalyptus, rosemary and citronella. Apply a few drops of these oils to strips of cloth to make DIY fly paper, or spray your deck and patio to keep flies away from the periphery of your home.

Dear People's Pharmacy: I noticed when washing my dog that Irish Spring soap kills fleas instantly. You can see them start dying immediately. The fleas will come back if you don't treat the yard, but I don't really like the thought of exposing the environment or the animals to pesticides.

Cayenne pepper is an excellent natural fly repellent and also deters many other insects. Mix one cup of water and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a misting bottle and spray it near entryways and wherever you see flies. Other natural fly repellents include lemongrass, peppermint, eucalyptus, camphor, and cinnamon.

Flies seem to HATE pine-sol. To make the fly repelling spray, mix the original Pine-Sol with water, at a ratio of 50/50 and put it in a spray bottle. Use to wipe counters or spray on the porch and patio table and furniture to drive the flies away.

Keeping your restaurant clean is the best way to avoid fly infestations. Wipe down countertops, bars, tables, kitchen areas, and soda or beverage dispensers on a regular basis throughout the day. Clean areas under appliances and shelves nightly. Garbage cans should be kept tightly covered and emptied frequently.

A good bait for house flies is 1 part molasses, 3 parts water. This ferments and smells pleasant as long as it doesnt putrify. Many house fly baits use brewers yeast, fish meal, and sugar that ferments in water.

Witch Hazel and Apple Cider Vinegar

This is a popular home remedy, but it's also an excellent natural fly repellent. Simply make a mixture of apple cider vinegar, witch hazel solution, and a few drops of eucalyptus oil and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture in an open space to ward off flies.

What animals does Irish Spring soap repel? ›

Irish Spring soap is a staple around this house, as it can help repel mice, spiders, chipmunks, and even DEER!

The Stricklands used Irish Spring soap as a deterrent to keep critters away but apparently possums like the flavored soap.

It allows us to preserve beneficial insects in the garden. It also means that not every insect will be bothered by soap. Small, soft-bodied insects are the best candidates for management with soapy water. Aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and mites are all good candidates for soapy water sprays.

Cinnamon

As one of the best fly-repelling scents, cinnamon is a natural way to deter flies from hanging out in your home. The smell is overpowering, and some of its components can be toxic to flies.

Most outdoor restaurants have scent diffusers and candles that emit citrus scents. These smells repel flies. They also often have fans set up to create a breeze. This makes it harder for flies to land and stay put.

Flies can be easily repelled with white vinegar, so much so that even the smell of boiling vinegar can be an easy-to-make DIY fly repellent on its own. Pour some cider vinegar into a pot or jar to start making your fly repellent.

Essential oils can be effectively used to make repellant for flies. Take a sprit bottle; add two cups of water in it and 24 drops of essential oil. Peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree oil are the best choice for a bug repellant that is effective and refreshingly aromatic.

A: We do not recommend mixing any Pine-Sol^® product with other cleaning products or chemicals. Mixing cleaners can result in the release of hazardous gases.

Vanilla extract, pine, or lavender oil repels biting black flies and mosquitoes too. Herbs like anise, basil, cedarwood, coriander, lemongrass, and mint may work to repel black flies and can be planted in flower boxes or pots and around the edges of your yard. Garlic plants are also reported to have a repelling effect.

Do lemons repel flies and mosquitoes? YES! Citrus is a natural pest repellent and citrus essential oils are used in most homemade pest sprays.

What homemade spray kills flies instantly? ›

Homemade fly killer spray: A mixture of half a cup of water, half a cup of isopropyl alcohol, and a teaspoon of dish liquid can be filled in a spray bottle. This mixture can be sprayed on the flies directly to kill them.

Vinegar attracts, not repels flies; however, a container with vinegar and dish soap will function as an attractant trap as the vinegar lures flies to enter the trap and the dish soap will cause the flies to sink and die.

Natural Pest Management

Pour in 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda plus a cup of white vinegar. Allow it to work its magic overnight then flush the drain with hot or boiling water the next morning. This will sanitize the drain and kill the flies and their eggs.

If you find your fruit flies impervious to your plastic wrap or paper cone traps, try adding three drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar and leave it uncovered. The soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink and drown.

Take a jar and fill it 1/2 or 1/3 full of apple cider vinegar. Next, gently mix in a few squirts dish soap (maybe a teaspoon amount) so there are no bubbles. Then, leave it on your counter overnight near where you see them. In the morning there will be drowned fruit flies in the bottom of it!

Vinegar (or acetic acid) is the ultimate product of the fermentation process in fruit, which is why fruit flies are attracted to vinegar odor. However, both low and high concentrations of vinegar odor leave flies indifferent (left).

Insect Repellent

Since coffee grounds are very potent, it's a perfect repellent to fight off those pests. According to the EPA, coffee grounds are most potent when they are burned. All you need to do is place the coffee grounds in a bowl on a flat surface outside, and burn the grounds like you would incense.

Sweet or Fermented Liquids

Flies are well-known for their sweet tooth and are attracted to anything from syrup and soda to liquor and vinegar. To prevent an infestation of fruit flies, remember to wipe up any spills as soon as they happen and rinse all your containers out before putting them in the recycling bin.

Flies are attracted to the smell of apple cider vinegar and will fly over for a taste. However, they will soon find themselves trapped. The dish soap helps to break the surface tension of the vinegar.

What can I spray around my house to keep bugs out? ›

Try mixing a few drops of peppermint oil with some hot water and place it in a spray bottle. A good ratio is 5 to 10 drops of essential oil per ounce of water. Use the mixture to spray down countertops, furniture, curtains and blinds and hard-to-reach areas of the home where insects are often present.

Mix 1 part oil of lemon eucalyptus or lavender essential oil with 10 parts witch hazel in the bottle. (For each drop of oil, use 10 drops of witch hazel.) Shake gently to mix. Spray to apply.

Vinegar (or acetic acid) is the ultimate product of the fermentation process in fruit, which is why fruit flies are attracted to vinegar odor. However, both low and high concentrations of vinegar odor leave flies indifferent (left).

Lavender is a good natural choice for keeping bugs at bay. Not only does the herb smell amazing but it also repels flies, beetles and even fleas.

Homemade fly killer spray: A mixture of half a cup of water, half a cup of isopropyl alcohol, and a teaspoon of dish liquid can be filled in a spray bottle. This mixture can be sprayed on the flies directly to kill them.

Vinegar and dish soap trap

If you find your fruit flies impervious to your plastic wrap or paper cone traps, try adding three drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar and leave it uncovered. The soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink and drown.

Common house flies are attracted to decaying organic filth such as feces and rotting meat, whereas fruit flies seek sugary substances and feed more commonly on overripe fruit, spilled soda, and alcohol.

The citronella plant is a great fly repellent! Burning citronella candles will also do the trick, because flies not only hate the plant's scent but also tend to stay away from flames and smoke.

Does bleach keep flies away? ›

No. Bleach will keep flies away.