Last Updated on: January 28th, 2020 at 8:42 pm

Flies are one of the most irritating insects on the earth. Though they look harmless, but in reality they are one of the most deadly insects present in your homes. Flies are the carriers of dangerous diseases including salmonella (food poisoning bacteria), typhoid and cholera.

These pesky little creatures are often hard to deter. But fortunately, there are some plants that flies hate. Actually, these plants generate some kind of insect repellent oils, they gradually bring small quantities of this oil to their leaves and release it in air. And this is something that flies don’t like.

In this post, I am going to highlight few such herbs that can help you to get rid of flies naturally.

1. Basil:

Basil is one of the most popular herb, it is a multipurpose plant used generally in cooking but it also has a medicinal value. The word ‘basil’ comes from a Greek word “basileus”, meaning “king”. Basil leaves release out a subtle fragrance that flies hate.

In sunny fly infested areas, you could use potted plants of basil to deter flies. You can use them near external doorways or near your picnic tables. One important thing about basil plant is that, it should always be watered at the root and not on the leaves; as this will produce a stronger fragrance.

If for some reason you are unable to use fresh basil, then you could also use dried basil. You can keep dry basil leaves in a muslin teabag, near the infested area.

2. Bay Leaf:

Bay is another herb that is used in cooking and also has a medicinal value. Bay Leaves generally have a bitter taste, but their fragrance is something for which they are used in cooking. Bay also produces a subtle scent that flies hate. Other insects like moths, roaches, earwigs, and mice also hate the fragrance of bay leaves.

You can grow Bay Plants in the infested areas, to keep the flies away. Dried bay leaves are equally good in repelling flies away.

3. Lavender:

When it comes to fly control, Lavender has its own special place. Lavender has a heavenly fragrance and lavender buds are used for cooking purpose. The sweet smell of Lavender repels flies, moths and fleas.

You can grow lavender in your garden to repel outdoor flies. For inside, you can hang some dried lavender near the infested area to discourage flies.

Lavender Oil can also be used in making homemade fly repellents.

4. Mint:

Mint is a useful and inexpensive herb that also can repel flies. You can use mint in both forms i.e. in fresh or dried form to deter flies. Apart from flies, mint is also helpful against mosquitoes, ants, and mice.

You can keep crushed mint leaves in shallow bowl, to keep flies away. If you want, you can also fill few muslin teabags with dried crushed mint leaves and keep them in the infested areas.

5. Tansy:

Tansy is another flowering herb that does a good job in keeping flies and gnats away. It is more suited to grow outdoors, apart from flies it is also effective against moths, ants, mice, mosquitoes, roaches, mites and bedbugs.

Tansy looks like Marigolds, it is also known to have cleansing properties. It should be noted that Tansy contains a volatile oil which can cause dermatitis in certain people.

6. WoodWorm:

Woodworm is an herb, bitter in taste and has insecticidal abilities. Woodworm plant has grayish green leaves with yellow flowers.

Woodworm is known to repel ticks, flies and moths. You can plant this herb near your entrance to repel flies and other insects.

7. Rue:

Rue is a woody plant, which has disinfectant and insecticidal properties. It can repel flies (particularly fruit flies), mosquitoes and a number of other insects naturally. Rue can grow up to 2 feet tall and has bluish leaves.

Rue leaves in crushed form can also be quite effective against flies. But be careful while dealing with this plant as it causes skin irritation in some individuals.

So, this was a list of few plants that can deter flies. By using them, you can choose an environment friendly way to repel flies and save your children from the harmful effects of chemicals sprays.

Have a Nice Day.