Blooming flies

We have fly traps outdoors which they are attracted to before they get indoors. We had to have them when we were chicken keeping because I reckon they do as much defecating as cows but little and often!
The "Red Top Fly Traps" are easy to set up and when the season ends you just stick the contents in your composter...you need a strong stomach.
Alternatively you can use the "Buzz Fly Catcher" which are refillable. Once again you can tip the contents in the composter.
If you are a DIY sort of person, you can use Fishbone fertiliser in water and make your own fly trap. Just cut the top off a soda bottle and turn it upside down into the remaining bottle. Drill 2 holes and make a handle out of string or wire to hang it up. The flies go inside the upside down spout of the bottle to get to the mixture and can't get out so they drown. Horrible but effective.

We have barns with cows in fields behind us. The farmers wife gave us a fly swot ,good for ornaments or vases not flies. Everything has to be covered.
I'm going to try some of the remedies suggested.
I must add I don't kill spiders either but I think we are the spider safe house for the village. Granddaughter who is terrified of big ones has always sung "Incy Wincy Spider",like a chant to make them go away.Not lately though.

I bought one of those blue tennis racquet fly swatter. It has a button on the handle you press then you chase the fly around madly swiping at it and it is so satisfying when you eventually hit it. It’s an amazing workout as well, two for the price of one! I was surprised it worked. You can buy them in most discount stores. Grandchildren think they are fun but remove an valuables from mantelpiece etc to prevent damages before letting kids use them!

Only effective solution- a screen door! I don't know why we haven't picked up this good habit from the US! We seem to pick up all their bad habits.... You can get them on tinternet.and we also employ carnivverous plants, monkey cup for larger buzzers and sundews for those annoying little rotters that always fly right into yer face? sarracenia are the best but for outdoors as they do have a Bit of a weird scent with them!

My patio windows are the new thick heavy duty plastic surround (probably not plastic but forget what it is ) there is no place to put some small tacs or anything to hang a fly trap curtain. My other windows were wood surround and in summer I always had the multi coloured long blind which worked well. I liked the blind as the dogs could walk in and out freely but kept flies out.
I totally hate the flies and leave nothing around that attracts them but they still come in, I often chase a fly with the fly killer which I use sparingly. I see that somebody has said that mint is a deterrent I have plenty in one corner of my garden
so I will bring some inside to see if it works.

I have a pet spider It lives in a tiny gap at edge of shower room porthole. I have a crocheted porthole covering but behind it the spider has its web. I have seen the spider grab the flies and take to its little den. I let it stay there as it catches the flies.

I wonder - do you neighbours have the same problems? If so, I would contact Environmental Health and point out the damage to the health of all of you of flies crawling over your surfaces, food, etc. (It helps if it's not just you). And, in this hot weather, you are unable to leave your windows and doors open, etc. At the very least you will find out if there's anything you can do to stop the cows being grazed there? Even if the farmer owns the land, they still have to take into account any environmental inpact.

I have resorted to one of those sticky rolls, have to admit the flies seem to swerve round it
Have herd if you have Pyrethrum (daisy like flowers) in the windows, they contain the chemical that is in most fly sprays?

I have a fly screen on my door which keeps most of them out. Any flies that manage to get inside are sprayed with fly killer. Hate flies.

We’ve just bought a plug in one that’s called Pest Reject. A quick google and I can’t see that it’s advertised in England but it’s possibly a name very like it. Only had it a week and it’s certainly helping.

This may sound crazy but put a few coins in a small freezer bag full of water and hang up just inside the back door. We live next door to a farm too and since I read this tip on here a couple of years ago we hardly have any flies.

I remember reading a poster on the wall of our home economics room that flies vomit on food to make it softer for them to eat (bleurgh!) I always cover my fruit bowl and any food left out to defrost with net umbrellas and when I see a fly around I get after it & I swat it with my trusty flip flop. I won't rest until it's done, it's an obsession of mine.

Nandalot

Flies not so bad here but today the thunder bugs have arrived. These are tiny, thin black bugs that get in your hair and make you feel all scratchy. Does anywhere else get them or is it just rural Lincolnshire?

I’m Lincolnshire too and those things get in and under everything (even behind the glass on pictures!?). Took the doorbell apart to insert a new battery and the bell push was full of them. I don’t buy any yellow clothes any more as they just cover you if you wear that colour!

As for flies I hate them and swot them with a fly swat. I’ve been trying to keep my windows and doors closed to keep them out, but the cat has other ideas. I think Aldi are advertising a door fly screen this week on their special offers, so I’m going to try and get one.

I also live in country and I have the fly screens on my doors and windows easily removed come winter when I put winter curtains up. Hardly any get in my house now. I did try them sticky things but they look dreadful.

Magnetic mesh across the windows works beautifully. You pull a corner up to open the window and then stick it back again. I'm in a first floor flat and they're amazing! From outside (and inside) it makes the windows look slightly darkened but has the added bonus of nobody being able to look in. The windows here are many and huge and, as it's a rural spot (I'm opposite fields, too), ramblers and dog walkers do appear to like to be nosy! No more net curtains has been the added bonus!

We recently bought a magnetic fly screen for the back door from Amazon for £9.99 and it is very effective. Our timid cat is a bit nervous using it but he'll have to get used to it.

Get an electric fly zapper - such good fun too!

Those 'Gross Fly papers' are the only thing otherwise you will poison yourself with spray.
If you live in the country, during the summer, flies come with the territory.

I have floor length nets at my french windows which are just on those stretchy wires hooked behind my regular curtains and pushed back when not needed. They stop any flies gettingin as long as other windows are kept shut. If you want other windows open you’ll need more nets.
Mine are IKEA but bought from Amazon, about £11 and I had to cut off about a foot so plenty long enough.
They also keep out moths at night.

I leave a window open and ask them to leave. They have a whole world outside, and they don't need to invade mine.

It works!

My dog nearly wrecks the house chasing flies so I've to swat them or get them out the window sharpish and if that fails the hoover comes out.

Here in the country it’s keep doors and windows shut during the heat of the day and quarterly visits from Rentokil to control the cluster flies that breed in the loft.
County living at its finest.

Nandalot and Hooty (nice to see Lincolnshire represented by the way) I think those horrible little black things are called thrips. Never seen them anywhere else.

We use fly papers, a bug lamp, available from most DIY stores, and a fly swatter.

Keeping all food covered even if it only stands out for a minute while you are preparing a meal helps.

Otherwise sugar dissolved in water in a jam jar or shallow bowl traps flies.

With a field of cows nearby, I would consider mosquito or fly nets on all windows - they can be bought in standard sizes that fit most modern windows.

If you have an old house where the screens don't fit, you should be able to buy nylon net by the metre from any dress-making shop that sells material. I did for our boat and we attached the nets by sewing velcro to the nets and the other side of the velcro we glued to the window frames.

I guarantee no flies, wasps, bees or midges will get past that system, it kept two cats on board too!

Strange....... I was just thinking I haven't seen a single fly or wasp this year and I live semi rurally. Tons of bees though.