Flies

We too live in rural, agricultural France. After 15 years of testing many different products we find the most efficient are those horrible spiral fly stikies, very cheap in all supermarkets. they work better than anything.

we cannot bear having doors and windows shut but watch the flies, they gather around windows because they want to get out so open the window and they fly away! Problem solved.

We used poison to get rid of a rat problem in the house. It worked but the carcasses of the deceased rats were under the floor boards. However the maggots disposed of the corpses and for a week we were inundated with the resulting flies. But rats, maggots and flies are now all gone. Problem solved.

I have one of those fly curtains on my back door mine was £2.50 from B and M works though, they do come through windows or when I go out the front door but I m a great shot with a folded newspaper

Another vote for magnetic mesh. Honestly not one fly or wasp has got in this summer. It's cheap and easy to cut and fit. I also have it on my bedroom window as I have a fear of moths at night, so at last I can sleep with my window open. I would recommend the grey coloured mesh as it doesn't stand out like the white one does. Hope this recommendation helps and works for you.

I bought a couple of Greek Basil plants from Waitrose, as I had heard that they deter flies.
They work very well - I keep one in the kitchen and one in my sitting room and see hardly any flies.
The plants have a strong aroma which I like, but my daughter said the smell was like 'cat wee'!
Anyway, they do work, if anyone feels like giving this a go, and you can scatter the leaves on your pizzas and salads as well!

I’m definitely going to try the bag of coins and water thing soon- we’re off to a relative’s place in rural Burgundy and the flies in the kitchen are always a pain - and nobody wants to keep the door closed all the time.
It’s the same as almost anywhere else with fields full of sheep and cattle (and their poo) nearby - friends in rural Devon had exactly the same problem.

I am looking to get a Venus Fly Trap plant as I am sick of all the flies

I saw a thread on Mumsnet recently about household tips and one of them was regarding getting rid of household flies. Apparently several posters have had success by filling a zip lock poly bag with water, dropping a few copper coins in it, sealing it up and then hanging it in the house. I've no idea if it works, or what the science is behind it but maybe worth a go?

Your red top fly traps are starving the local birds - how sad. You only need to protect your home not destroy the local ecosystem. Try curtains.

I had a lot of tiny flies last summer in my kitchen mainly. I put cider Vinegar and a little fairy liquid in a dish every day. I got rid of lots that way.

I have a chain curtain which works plus an electocutor. Tie the chains back when door closed so cat can get through. When door open he closes his eyes and dives through. Chains and magnetic door covers really work

Had a similar problem here in Dorset. Seems worse when dry and warm. When it was hot a month or so I invested in window stickers which took a little while but seem to have worked quite well. They did appear again on Thursday and Friday and were very irritating. In desperation I dabbled some lavender essential oil on my top and they kept away. Today they seem to have disappeared again! I'm still waiting for flying ants,havent seen them yet.!

I used to live in a very rural part of France, surrounded by farms and livestock which meant flies were the bane of my life during the summer. The best way to vastly reduce the problem was to invest in some Red Top Fly Traps. We would start by putting one up at the end of the garden at the beginning of May which would fill up by the middle of June and need replacing. Our neighbours, both French and English, started to use them and the problem improved immensely as they attract mainly female flies which reduces egg laying.
The only real problem is getting rid of the trap when its full as it's rather heavy and very smelly.

I have ordered some of these. I shall be interested to see if they work.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kontrol-Fly-Flies-Motel-Fly-Home-House-Trap-Easy-To-Use-Safe-Effective-NEW/352396564563?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I have the mesh magnetic curtain on the door and I also have mesh on the windows that I open most often. This is white and fastens on with narrow Velcro.

Flying ants on were here on Friday. As for flies, if they get past the door curtains, 3 string ones on curtain poles, they get zapped with fly spray. I dont like it, but it is effective.

I also have a mesh magnetic fly curtain it is excellent. I paid £20 for it on Amazon. There were cheaper ones but I got this one because of the 5* review rating.

Where we live we’re plagued by flues all year , lots of farms and near the river which I guess doesn’t help . I’ve too tried the coins in bags of water hanging over back door but I don’t know if they really work as the little blighters come through the windows. I have bought an electric zapper like you see in restaurants and that really works but doesn’t stop them coming in . They’re the bane of my life damn things !

I hang a clear bag - perhaps a zip lock back - by the door that you might have open during the summer. Put about twenty copper coins and fill about a third way up with water. It keeps flies away - don’t ask me how but it does seem to work!

The flying ants waited until yesterday here.
We were sitting in the garden and watched the blackbirds having a feast.

I expected more birds to arrive but, apart from a couple of sparrows, most had already had their afternoon tea.

I have a black net magnetic curtain over the doorway it cost about a tenner on amazon, I dont get any flies in the house they don't seem to come in the open windows

We had an invasion the other year in our conservatory. The buzzing drove me mad during the day and then they laid eggs in the roof and one morning they hatched out and were everywhere. (We have trees round us. )My brother in law recommended a metal chain curtain. It cost him a fortune to have fitted. I found one on ebay for about £40 which my husband fitted and I haven’t had any problems since.

we had the flying ants last Sunday as did most of the country I gather.