FRUIT FLIES

The fruit is gone and you are still seeing flies. What can you do now? Before you go to bed try placing a dish of cider vinegar out on the counter. Add a sprig of basil for good measure. They will be attracted to both and drown. Toss it in the morning and repeat as needed. Some people also have good luck with a little wine in a dish that is then covered with plastic wrap that you've poked a few holes in. Leave it out all day and replace as needed until the fruit flies are gone.

Fruit flies also look for moisture. If they are hovering around the sink you may need to flush the drain with bleach. Make sure you clean around the rims--anywhere it becomes damp. If you have a faucet that drips it will need to be replaced to stop that moisture.

To prevent fruit flies keep fruit in the refrigerator when possible and cover it. If it's out on the counter, make sure it's eaten before it's over ripe. When you do have to throw fruit out, make sure you put it in the garbage and close the cover. Keep your compost pile away from the house. Rinse out soda cans or other cans that have had sweet things in them. Keep them in a covered container until they can be recycled or returned to the store.

HOUSE FLIES

You all know the standard things--fly strips, screens, and fly spray-- screens are good--the others can be pretty nasty. I generally don't have problems with fly except in the fall when they seem to swarm in whenever one of the kids open the back door. Basil, particularly the strongest varieties such as purple basil, can be planted in pots near the doors-inside and outside. This is a nice solution, and you will benefit from the basil in your cooking too!

Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, has been used as a repellent also. You can hang bunches near doors, but the oils have to be released, so you need to pinch/bruise the leaves, and then replace when it seems to lose its scent. Cloves, lemongrass, and mints are also known for repelling flies. You could make sprays with essential oils, or make a strong "brew" and add it to spray bottles. Potted plants or bowls of the herbs placed around can be used to.

As with many other remedies/deterrents, what works for one person may not work for another. The nice thing about herbal solutions is you benefit from the pleasant smells, instead of a nasty chemical smell that is often toxic to us and the flies!

Prevention is important, as with the fruit flies. Keep kitchen trash cans covered, and empty often. Keep the trash bin away from the doors and the house. In both, try sprinkling Borax powder in the bottom after they've been washed and dried.