Home expert shares free hack to get rid of annoying flies instantly and reveals the number 1 hiding place they lay eggs
WITH summer now here, chances are many of us will begin to spot fruit flies and garden flies in and around our homes - that's if you haven't already.
This can often lead to homeowners desperately deep cleaning their home, removing any trace of food and locking all the windows.
However, despite all of these efforts, many of us are left perplexed why the problem still persists - often feeling ashamed that our homes must be filthy.
But, interior expert Rob Chadwick, from , has revealed the hidden spot many flies hide and lay eggs, causing the real problem for homeowners and garden lovers.
And it’s nothing to do with how clean your home is.
The conditions inside a sink pipes are ideal place for flies to lay their eggs which grow into the nuisances we all hate
Rob Chadwick
Speaking to Fabulous, Rob advises the easiest way to tackle a fruit fly infestation - and perhaps the best part of all? It's completely free.
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He advises homeowners to “cut the flies off at the source, which more often than not, is inside your sink pipes".
Sharing his expert knowledge, he continues: “The conditions inside a sink pipes are ideal place for flies to lay their eggs which grow into the nuisances we all hate.
"But two easy solutions can be to regularly pour hot water down your drain (every three-five days) which will effectively clean the drains and kill the eggs, larvae and any adult flies."
He notes that others will recommend mixing baking soda and vinegar together, with half the soda to vinegar as a rough ratio, followed by hot water.
However, Rob says that he's found that hot water is usually more than sufficient.
He then goes on to share a whole host of other top tips to have a fly-free home this summer.
Amongst them includes planting lavender or basil in your garden, or keeping potted plants in your kitchen.
He also says that a mixture of vinegar and dish soap can help you trap flies, while it's important to use a rubbish bin with a tight-fitting lid, and take the bag out as soon as it’s full.
And last but not least, he recommends putting dishes in the dishwasher - or washing them up straight away.
What are house flies?
House flies got their name by being the most common household fly.
With their hairy black bodies and translucent wings, these insects can be found worldwide.
They generally live between 15 and 25 days and can survive without food or water for two to three days.
What causes a lot of flies in the house?
House flies are highly attracted to manure, and can often be found around farms.
They generally stay within a mile or two of their birthplace, but they have been known to travel up to 20 miles.
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House flies enjoy being in the sun, and will perch in sunny spots around your home.
Bright lights at night can also attract flies.
Common garden pests
Common pests in the garden don’t need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work on getting rid of them and preventing them from returning.
Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly)
Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap.
Whitefly
These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, at just 1 or 2 mm in length, and look very much like white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters when you disturb them. Their lifecycle is only three weeks long, which means an infestation can occur very rapidly.
Slugs
An unmissable, squashy-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Slugs move along on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can grow comfortably beyond 20 cm in length.
Cabbage Moth Caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way into the heart of the vegetables, The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or browny green with no hair.
Mealy Bug
Mealybugs are tiny oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what looks like legs coming from their sides and back end. In their earliest stage of life, it’s entirely possible to mistake them for fungus and not recognise them as insects at all.