A new study has revealed the 8 scents that flies hate the most. The study found that these scents can be used to effectively repel flies and keep them away from areas where they are not wanted. The 8 scents that were found to be effective against flies are cloves, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint oil, rosemary, pine, camphor, and basil.
You may be wondering what you can do to get rid of the flies buzzing around your house and backyard. Interestingly, there are a few scents that flies hate, and you can use them. You would want to get rid of flies before they even set a wing in your window.
Then, continue reading the article to know about what scents flies hate the most and how to use them.
Table of Contents
How do flies smell?
Flies have an excellent sense of smell, so they are often drawn to food and other items that give off a scent. Flies use their strong sense of smell to find food, mates, and shelter.
They detect odors with their antennae which contain olfactory sensory cells. It allows them to hone in on food and other potential mates.
Pests, and especially flies, are incredibly sensitive to volatile chemicals. It means that they can smell various scents, some of which humans cannot. If you want to keep flies away, it is important to understand what smells they hate and use them in your home or garden.
what fragrance repels flies?
There are many scents that flies hate. Some of these scents include citrus, mint, and eucalyptus. Citrus is a strong scent that flies cannot stand.
Mint is a fresh scent that also repels flies. Eucalyptus has a strong smell that flies do not like. These three scents are great for keeping flies away.
There are many other scents that flies hate as well. Some of these include lavender, cinnamon, and rosemary. Lavender has a very strong scent that keep flies away. Cinnamon is another great option for repelling flies. Rosemary also has a strong smell that will keep flies at bay.
8 Scents That Flies Hate and How to Use Them
The eight scents that fly hate are mentioned below with how to use them:
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a natural repellent for flies. It is all-natural and won’t cause any damage. You can use it to make your own fly spray or put a few drops on a cloth and wave it around. In addition, you can use peppermint oil in other ways to keep the flies away.
A popular method is creating a peppermint cocktail. Add 5-6 drops of peppermint oil to a spray bottle with clean water and spritz it around your trash bins. You can also use it anywhere you want—on your porch, near food, etc.
Citrus
Flies cannot tolerate the scent of citrus. Like lemons and oranges, citrus fruits have a strong scent that flies hate.
Use citrus to your advantage by keeping a few leftover citrus peels in a covered container or bag near where you’re having trouble with flies. Make sure you toss the peels before they start to decay and attract more flies.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a very strong smell that flies hate. It is one of the few smells that flies hate. It makes it a great natural repellent for them.
You can use cinnamon to keep flies away from your home or property. It is easy to use and can be sprinkled around areas where you don’t want flies to linger, such as near your food or garbage cans.
Cloves
Cloves are super aromatic spices that come from the clove tree. They are the dried flower buds of the tree and have a very strong, spicy smell. Some people love the smell of cloves, while others find it too strong. Suppose you want to use cloves in your home to keep flies away.
But don’t want everyone to be overpowered by the scent. Try this technique: put a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball and place it in a small container like a jar or vase. It will disperse the fragrance slowly and subtly throughout the room.
Basil
Basil oil is a natural repellent for flies. It is effective in small doses and does not have a strong odor. Basil plants are also good for the garden because they repel flies and other pests. Some species of basil pots can help to keep flies away from pets.
Camphor
Camphor is a white crystalline solid with a strong odor similar to that of menthol from peppermint or woodsy smell. It comes from a fast-growing tree in Asia, and the wood produces fragrant smoke, which keeps flies away.
Camphor comes in different forms. It can be found as a medicinal camphor ointment, waxy tablets, concentrated essential oil, or dry powder.
Each form has its own set of benefits and uses. For example, the ointment is great for healing skin conditions, while the oil is used to repel insects.
Pine
Pine is a popular scent around the holidays because it smells like freshly cut wood. It has all the tree’s essence in one smell. However, pine has one of the most intense scent flies hate the most.
If you have an old pine tree, consider using it to keep the flies away. You can keep these flies away from your home by using pine-scented candles or air fresheners.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a fragrant herb that will keep flies away. It’s easy to grow and provides a culinary delight in the kitchen. Flies and other bugs tend to hate the smell of rosemary. Start by planting some in your garden or using it as an essential oil.
Do flies like vinegar?
Vinegar is the ultimate product of fermentation, which is unpleasant to flies. You can use this scent to keep flies away from your home or office.
While vinegar is an effective bait for fruit flies, it is not as popular with them as some other scents. Flypaper traps and baits using essential oils are more likely to attract flies.
Does peppermint oil repel flies from home?
Peppermint oil is a popular natural fly repellent. A study found that peppermint oil effectively repels fruit flies for up to 6 days after application. However, note that different oils will work better or worse depending on the type of fly you are trying to repel.
Interestingly, fruit flies despise the smell of peppermint. The strong odor is an extreme irritant, so they avoid it. It makes peppermint oil a great natural repellent against fruit flies.
Do mothballs keep flies away?
Mothballs are a household item used to keep pests away, especially flies. More specifically, mothballs contain 1,4-dichlorobenzene or naphthalene. This chemical can kill adult flies, but it is ineffective against larvae or eggs.
Does cinnamon repel flies from the house?
Yes, cinnamon repels flies. You can make an air freshener using cinnamon and use it as a deterrent around your home. This natural way to deter flies from your home is easy to use and inexpensive. All you need is some ground cinnamon and a few essential oil diffusers.
Do flies hate lemons in food?
There are certain smells that flies hate, and using them can help eliminate them. For example, the common housefly hates lemons. So, if you have a lemon tree in your backyard, the flies will naturally stay away.
You can use this information to your advantage by incorporating these smells into your home or office to deter flies. There are various ways to do this, including citrus extracts like orange or lemon.
Does apple cider vinegar trap repel flies?
Flies hate the smell of apple cider vinegar. By mixing it with dish soap, you create a trap for the flies. They will be attracted to the vinegar, but they will sink because of the dish soap when they try to land on it. This method can help keep flies away from your home or office.
Do flies hate peppermint?
Yes, flies hate peppermint. You can use this scent to your advantage by planting them near your entrances and windows or using an essential oil diffuser. It will help keep flies away, but it will also make your home smell nice!
Cayenne pepper can also be used to keep flies away. But keep it away from the eyes part, avoiding itching.
Does lemongrass repel flies in the yard?
There are many different plants and smells that are said to repel flies. Lemongrass is used in cooking and teas. Lemongrass has a scent that repels annoying flies. So, using these plants around your house can help keep the fly population down.
Do flies hate cinnamon?
Flies hate various smells, but cinnamon is one of the most effective. You can use it in a few ways:
- Light a cinnamon-scented candle.
- Leave a few cinnamon sticks out.
- Sprinkle the powder around to fill the room with the aroma.
Does mint repel flies?
There are a variety of smells that flies hate, and mint is one of them. Planting some mint in your garden will help to deter the fly population. The prominent smell that flies hate is menthol, so using menthol products can also help keep them away.
Do citronella candles methods repel flies?
Citronella candles are often thought to repel mosquitoes and flies. But the truth is that the oil in the citronella grass is what does the trick. The candles themselves do not have much of an effect.
However, if you crush up the leaves of the citronella grass, you can rub them on your skin to repel these pests.
Does eucalyptus oil repel flies?
Yes, eucalyptus oil is a known fly repellent. It’s one of many essential oils that have this property. You can use it to make your natural repellent or apply the scent directly to help keep flies away.
Does lavender repel flies?
Lavender is a plant that has been shown to repel flies naturally. It can be used in dried form, as an essential lavender oil, or planted near the door.
Conclusion
To get rid of flies for good, you must consider the different things that attract them. It includes getting rid of their food sources, water sources, and using scents that they hate. It would help if you also got rid of their nest because this is where they lay eggs.
Although flies can be pesky, they can be dealt with relatively easily. However, if your current techniques are not working, it may be necessary to change your approach.
