House Fly Control

House Fly Control

A friend told me about a common household product that kills house flies. It was there all the time but I didn’t know it. You probably have some in your house, too.

I have been plagued at times this summer with house flies. Even one in the house makes me crazy but to have several at a time is a real pain. I found a few screens that might have been letting them in- and of course every time the dog goes in and out.

I didn’t want to spray nasty stuff in the house. I found a poison free control at a local store made from mint oil. It worked but the smell was awful and it is oil based so I had to be careful where I spray and the odor lingered. I also tried an “earth friendly” product that also smelled. My dear friend, Jonathan, had listened to me whine about it more than a few times. He is very patient.

One day he asked me why I didn’t use alcohol? I told him drinking was not the solution. He said not for me to drink but to use 91% rubbing alcohol to kill the flies. I was skeptical but to humor him I got a spray bottle and filled it with rubbing alcohol. Then I waited…..and waited. It was like all the flies had left town just when I was ready for them. Finally one day there it was… a lone fly circling in my kitchen. I got the bottle of alcohol and sprayed it. It dropped right to the floor. It wasn’t dead but once on the floor it was easy to finish him off with my shoe. A few days later there was another fly. This one took a couple of sprays but like the first, he dropped to the floor. I have been told by Jonathan that it takes a little while for them to die. I’m OK with that. Just getting them down with a simple jet of alcohol is good enough. Simple, not oily  and no lingering smell.  It certainly is something I am less afraid to spray in the kitchen than other stuff.

Be sure to mark “alcohol” on the bottle and keep it out the reach of kids. Also be careful not to spray it on surfaces that might be damaged by alcohol.

Well, that is the simple solution I now use when a fly comes around. Hope it is helpful for you. Let me know how alcohol works when you want to get rid of house flies.