Need ideas for a natural fly repellent for your home? You have come to the right place! We have ideas to use things you may already have around your home to repel the flies and keep your home pest-free. These all-natural options are perfect for those that want to reduce the number of chemicals that they are using or want something that is not harmful to children and pets.
4 Ways to Make Natural Fly Repellent
I have 4 ideas below that will tackle any fly problem. From keeping them away from you outdoors to capturing the ones that may already be in your home, we have a solution for you!
1. Essential Oil Fly Repellent
We will start by using essential oils to tackle the problem. Don’t have any around your home? You can click here to see my tip for buying oils inexpensively with no commitment!
To repel flies, take a sponge and a small mason jar and add 20 to 30 drops of lavender oil. Top the entire thing with a lid and leave it for about 24 hours. Remove the lid and place the jar where you see flies. You will see your pest problem fly away.
You will want to replenish the oil occasionally, as it will weaken when exposed to air. If you don’t have lavender oil on hand, other alternatives include eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemongrass essential oils. Dilute these other oils in rubbing alcohol or water in a 3-to-1 ratio before applying to the sponge.
Want to keep flies from entering your home? Try putting several drops of eucalyptus oil onto scrap strips of fabric then place these fabric strips near windows and doors to repel flies before they ever enter your home. Note: Avoid using eucalyptus oil if you are a pregnant woman or suffer from such conditions as high blood pressure or epilepsy.
2. Cloves and Citrus As A Natural Fly Repellent
Cloves are a great fly repellent as they do not like their smell. Try cutting a lemon in half and poking 6 to 12 cloves into the surface, as shown below. Set these lemon halves around your home on a plate. This actually makes a really attractive centerpiece that will repel any flies that may be in the area. Try this natural fly repellent at your next outdoor party. I love a solution that also looks and smells great….don’t you?
3. Natural Plants That Repel Flies
Flies are also repelled by the smell of certain plants. You can add one or two of these to your porch, next to doors, on your window sills, and more. The best plants we have found for this task are as follows:
- Lavender
- Bay leaf
- Mint
- Marigolds
You might also try these mosquito repellent plants around your home to keep even more pests away.
4. Create a Homemade Fly Trap
Already have flies in your home? Tray a honey trap for an easy way to eliminate them. Just cut a soda bottle in half (make the bottom half taller than the top half). Fill the bottom with a bit of water and add in a few drops of dish soap.
Place the top half of the bottle upside down in the bottom half, as shown below. Smear honey around the mouth of the bottle to start attracting the flies. The flies will drown in the water once they enter into the bottom of the bottle through the mouth. So simple, yet so effective!
Give these ideas for a natural fly repellent a try in your home! You will love spending the summer fly free….in a natural way!
Need more ways to keep pests out of your home? Try our links below!
- Mason Jar Fruit Fly Trap
- Getting Rid of Ants Naturally
- How to Keep Bugs off Your Cabbage Plants
- Essential Oil Insect Repellent Recipe
- Make Mosquito Repellent Candles
- Homemade Insect Sprays and Traps
Want to see my favorite cleaning supplies and products?
I have gathered all of the products I love using around my home into one great section of my Amazon storefront. You can click here to shop! If you’re looking for just about anything to clean your home, I probably have an option that you will love!
Good ideas! I like using natural items and have tried some of these, but you have some new ones on here too. Thank you. 🙂
Great ideas, especially the preventative ones. Pinning for the summer.
A fly repellent for outdoor eating is an open bottle of Tabasco Sauce (works indoors. I learned this from a waitress at an outdoor eatery in the middle of a fruit orchard. Thanks for the other recipes.
Sandy in Calif.
What would we do without you Angie?, always supplying remedies for us along with so much else. Are you the queen of bloggers. If not you oughta be.
Happy Easter
You are so sweet!
These are so helpful! Now that it’s spring I’m sure the fruit flies will start popping up. Now I’ll know what to do to get rid of them. Found your post at Snickerdoodle Sunday
Awesome tips for repelling those pests. with summer coming up, we shall need this! Thanks for sharing at DI&DI.
Just lemon and cloves? Wow, I didn’t know insect repellents are so easy to make!! Would these also work for repelling mosquitoes?
*Maisy
This lemon and cloves do not work… Back bug spray
Yea, lemon and cloves do not work. They came in droves. 🦟🪰🪳🕷
Sorry that that one didn’t work for you. They don’t seem to like it at all where I live.
Good tip also. I love spearmint. Sprinkle in with my grass seeds, especially under my deck. When my dogs run in grass the air smells good and keeps flies off my deck.
Ant repellent for gnats?
I tried the lemon with cloves at a backyard party even added sprigs of rosemary and still had flies it didn’t seem to deter them at all .
My problem with flies is I have two indoor free roam bunnies. Its they get into the house and just a great time trying to kill those bugs. Not.lol
They are dangerous to buns because they lay eggs on the bunnies buns.
And of course I have to watch with what buns can get into and not good for them ?
Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you very much for sharing
For your time and response if possible if not that’s ok ty
THANK YOU Zfor sharing with us 🙂 be safe
For outside, I would try a fly trap. We are testing some from Amazon right now that they fly into but can’t get out of.
would any of the above be useful for lantern flies. thank you
I am not sure at all! Sorry!
i can’t understand where to put the bait. only place seems to be in the bottom where the flies are supposed to drown – right? They drown IN the bait and you empty out bait & flies each time?