Is your home plagued with cluster flies? Well, look no further! Today, we’ll show you how to eradicate those flies from your home without breaking the bank.
Cluster flies are a nuisance, but you don’t have to resort to harsh chemicals to eliminate them. We’ll show you natural solutions that will help make your home fly-free in no time!
We’ll cover everything from using essential oils and apple cider vinegar traps to making DIY sprays.
So, if you want an environmentally friendly way of saying goodbye to those pesky critters – watch now and learn how to do it!
Table of Contents
What are Cluster Flies?
Cluster flies, also known as attic flies, are medium-sized flies measuring around 8 to 10 mm in length.
These flies have a dark gray or black color with golden hairs on their thorax and a yellowish tinge at the base of their wings. Unlike other fly species, cluster flies have overlapping wings when they rest.
Cluster flies reproduce in the soil during the late summer or early fall. When temperatures drop in the fall, cluster flies move indoors for warmth and shelter, primarily through small cracks or gaps in walls and windows. They prefer attics but may be in crawl spaces, basements, and wall voids.
Once inside a home, they become sluggish due to the lack of sunlight and warm temperatures. Cluster flies do not harm humans since they don’t bite or transmit diseases.
However, their presence can be annoying due to their large numbers.
What are the Natural Ways to Eliminate Cluster Flies?
1. Vacuuming
Cluster flies tend to hide in small cracks and crevices, making it difficult to eliminate them.
However, a vacuum cleaner with strong suction power can suck up adult cluster flies and their larvae.
Start by identifying the areas where these pests are most active. It could include windowsills, light fixtures, and other warm spots around your home.
Use the crevice tool attachment on your vacuum cleaner to reach into tight spaces where cluster flies might be hiding. While vacuuming can help reduce the number of cluster flies in your home, it won’t necessarily prevent them from returning.
To eliminate these pests, use essential oils or homemade traps with regular cleaning and maintenance practices.
2. Cultivate repellent plants
Repellent plants are a natural and effective method to keep cluster flies away from your home.
These plants emit an unpleasant scent to the flies, making them find another place to settle.
One example of a repellent plant is lavender. Lavender has a strong aroma that cluster flies don’t like and acts as an insecticide, repelling other pests. Planting lavender near windows or doors can help keep these pests out of your home. Another plant for repelling cluster flies is herbs such as basil and mint.
These herbs have strong scents that make them unappealing to insects.
Planting them in pots or garden beds outside your house can help deter the flies from entering your home. Incorporating these plants into your garden or placing them near open windows and doors can eliminate cluster flies once and for all!
3. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been used as a natural remedy for numerous ailments and can also help eliminate cluster flies.
The potent smell of vinegar repels these pesky insects, making it an effective fly repellent. Mix equal parts of water and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle.
Shake and spray the solution around your home’s entry points, including doors and windows. In addition to its fly-repelling properties, apple cider vinegar can trap and kill cluster flies.
Mix some vinegar with water in a bowl and add a few drops of dish soap.
The dish soap helps break the surface tension of the liquid so that flies can land on it, sink, and drown.
Place the bowl of apple cider vinegar near areas where you have noticed cluster flies gathering.
Vinegar is an affordable and eco-friendly solution to exterminate cluster flies without relying on harmful chemicals that may harm humans or pets.
4. Cayenne pepper
Manufacturers extract cayenne pepper from the dried fruits of the Capsicum annuum plant.
They grind the dried fruits into a fine powder before extracting the oleoresin using solvents like ethanol or acetone. The resulting product is a concentrated substance that contains all the active components of cayenne pepper, including capsaicin, which gives it its characteristic heat.
One way to use cayenne pepper as an insect repellent is by sprinkling it around window sills, doorways, and other areas where cluster flies are likely to enter your home.
Another option is to mix some cayenne pepper with water and spray it on surfaces around your home.
So if you’re looking for a natural way to eliminate cluster flies in your home, consider using cayenne pepper as an effective and safe solution.
5. Lavender oil
Cluster flies are a common household pest that can be difficult to eliminate. While many chemical treatments are available, some prefer natural methods to exterminate cluster flies.
One such way is using lavender oil. Lavender oil is an essential oil that has insecticidal properties. The scent of lavender oil is unpleasant for cluster flies, making them avoid areas where it is present.
It disrupts the nervous system of insects and causes them to die. When used as a spray or diffused in a room, lavender oil can repel cluster flies and prevent them from entering your home.
Mix ten to fifteen drops of the oil with water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution around windows, doors, and other areas where cluster flies may enter your home.
Besides, you can add a few drops of lavender oil to a diffuser and place it in the room where you have seen cluster flies.
In addition to its repellent properties, lavender oil has calming effects on humans. This quality makes it ideal for those who want to create a relaxing environment while keeping cluster flies at bay.
You can use lavender-scented candles or diffusers to spread the fragrance throughout your home. When using lavender oil, ensure you purchase high-quality essential oils – 100% pure and free from additives.
6. Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is a natural, non-toxic solution to eliminate cluster flies. The strong scent of this oil repels cluster flies and prevents them from entering your home.
When they come into contact with peppermint oil, the potent odor overpowers their senses, and they cannot find food or mates. Additionally, peppermint oil contains menthol, which can be toxic to cluster flies.
When sprayed directly on the insects, it can cause paralysis or death. Mix ten to fifteen drops of pure peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle and apply it around windows, doors, and other areas where these pests may enter your home.
Alternatively, you can place cotton balls soaked in the mixture in problem areas such as attics or basements. These pesky insects are attracted to warm, sunny areas, such as the south-facing side of buildings.
However, you can also find them in attics, basements, and other dark spaces.
7. Catnip oil
Catnip oil is a natural insecticide that repels and kills many insects, including cluster flies. Manufacturers extract catnip oil from the leaves and stems of the catnip plant.
The active ingredient in catnip oil, nepetalactone, acts as a powerful repellent when it comes into contact with the nervous system of insects.
When applied to surfaces where cluster flies are likely to gather or land, like window sills and door frames, catnip oil can help prevent them from entering your home.
Once inside and they come into contact with the catnip oil, it can kill them quickly. Additionally, the strong scent of catnip oil helps mask any pheromones left behind by dead flies that could attract more cluster flies.
Mix a few drops of the oil with water in a spray bottle and then mist the problem areas with the solution.
The strong scent will deter flies from entering your home. You can also use catnip oil in its dried form to repel cluster flies.
Place sachets filled with dried catnip in areas where cluster flies tend to congregate, such as attics or window sills.
The scent of the herb will keep these pesky insects at bay. While catnip oil is safe for humans and pets in small doses, use it cautiously. Catnip oil can keep your home free of unwanted cluster flies in no time.
Conclusion
Cluster flies might seem like a daunting problem. But don’t let them buzz around your head for too long. Natural remedies such as essential oils, fly traps, and vacuuming can help rid your home of these unwanted guests.
Remember to keep your space clean and clutter-free to discourage cluster flies from returning. So go ahead and show those pesky pests who’s boss!
It’s time to give them their marching orders and enjoy a fly-free home. Happy hunting!
