Is it me, is my house too warm, what am I doing being pestered with flies in December?
The tiny ones I have realised are because of my extra large kitchen bin, bought years ago so its lid was above the snout of my otherwise adorable Rottweiler, but having a 100 litre bag does not encourage speedy removal.
But now I have ordinary ones buzzing around all the time and I am well ticked off with them, especially as a quick wack on the computer screen is not a good idea (it’s sitting on the ‘bag’ 3 lines above this at the moment )
Anyway, I have ordered a small pedal operated one and will empty it every day into this big one which will then be outside where either the flies can enjoy the open air or die of the cold in it. Roll on Saturday.
Alas, something isn’t quite right with the yin or yang within your house. Basically, you shouldn’t be getting flies at this time of the year. It could be anything from bats in your attic to something whose soul has recently departed under the floorboards, mouldy socks behind the draining board, blocked pipes. Could you post (or pm) some photos of the critters.
Find the source to find the cure. Flies need food, water, oxygen and heat to survive, if you have ‘inappropriate excesses’ it could become a breeding ground (see what I did there)!
Insecticides are probably not going to be too good for your lungs; if I recall, you have previously had health issues, so be wary of sprays etc.
There is always a solution, white vinegar, bleach (not at the same time) and Marigolds are ‘grannies fave’. I’m happy to help, but I need to see what we’re dealing with.
It depends where they are, if you normally get cluster flies, then possibly, if they’re appearing in a different place, then investigate.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) Terre de Diamotée - is 100% natural, 100% effective on 100% of insects.
Best applied in powder form with a paintbrush; windows, vacuum old flies then apply a fine dusting between the frames and windows.
DE can be dusted in chicken coops to eradicate red mites, in dog baskets for fleas, ants, bed bugs etc. Not recommended on wasp nests, as it can take several days for the insect to demise.
A fine dusting (like the dust on a TV screen) with the afore-mentioned paintbrush, not great globs of powder in corners.
Thanks for the reply Rob, I think as far as the tiny ones are concerned the most likely culprit is the large 100 L bin in the kitchen which will migrate outside when the new little (and more frequently emptied) one arrives the day after tomorrow. Then we will see.
But the 2 or 3 ordinary house flies that have been buzzing about are more of a puzzle. Can’t see them at the moment, they were bothering the computer screen last night, maybe they have gone or perhaps late risers. I certainly won’t be spraying, not with asthma lurking.
Under the floor, a man crawled in there a couple of weeks ago to connect the leccy for the new remote gates but I am almost certain I saw him emerge and depart afterwards, so not that.
So, I will wait 'till after Saturday and the new regime before any further action. But there is a crate under the sink with cleaning materials in it and I think there maybe rags in there so that will be turned out as well.
Maybe he got caught short down there. Ew.
I visited a friend’s house a couple of weeks ago when the weather had suddenly turned warmer and there were a few flies around. She has 4 dogs and the door was being opened and closed often. Maybe just chancers.
Terre diatomée is available online from the big A, or some bricolage stores. I’d recommend ‘food grade’ but I wouldn’t recommend putting it on your cereal!
No indoor plants here, but dozens of tiny flies. It is the big bin, the culprit, which is no longer indoors but stationed in the garden, and while I was setting all that up and cleaning out under the sink, the postman arrived with the new bin, a day early.
The disturbance I caused moving the big bin caused loads of the lttle blighters to swarm but they aren’t there now, they’re in the vaccuum cleaner.
That corner of the kitchen is pristine now, the crate has been emptied, cleaned and partly refilled and returned. Within it I discovered 3 rolls of 30 litre bags, just as I was cursing myself for forgetting to buy some , and a very large roll of those greeny/yellow bags used for re-cycling. I have been using 100 L black bags, I wonder if these yellow ones are still available at the Mairie, I have a vague memory of that. Also found a packet of 4 brand new washing up pads, a large unused car cleaning sponge and various cleaning products all with some stuff still in.
New bin works fine, a press on the wide pedal sends the lid to 90 degrees and it descends slowly and silently. Not sure how much I like that, plenty of time for any flies to escape but maybe, if I stick to me daily emptying, they won’t be there anymore.
Only problem now is the packaging the bin came in, no problem with the box that will fold down nicely and be in the re-cycle shortly, but this terrible white foamy stuff which disintegrates into myriad little beads when so much as looked at, needs a different solution. I know there is a special place at the dechet for that but they may want me to join the club in some way, so we will see.
For the moment though I am well pleased. I have a kitchen which has a corner which has been swept and mopped to within an inch of its life and a brand new bin set in it. I think that will do for today.
Although not pretty, a sticky fly paper hanging from your kitchen ceiling will deal with your problem. A 30l bin with a lid should be enough indoors. Leave the big one outside. There will always be flies, just fewer in winter. Jeremy
No, been there done that and gave up the torture of poor little creatures waving their legs for days pleading for death. Flies are people too you know.
Didn’t know that @Debby_Wade , I’ll give it a try.
If the packaging is marked “recyclable” it can go in the Recycling Bins… where it will be dealt with appropriately.
But I’m wondering what the packaging is actually made of, especially if it is water-soluble. Is it really that simple, for a householder to dissolve the stuff and allow the “packaging-polluted” water into the waste-system and eventually into the ground and waterways. the waste water in our village is dealt with by a reed-bed and we have to be very careful what we chuck down the sink, down the toilet/basins etc.
I remember being told what it’s made of but that was quite some time ago, i think it had something to do with starch, of some sort. Probably cost more to produce than those hateful polystyrene ball things that go everywhere and stick to everything.
Yes, after my initial interest that was something that occurred to me. Well this stuff does break up into little balls so I’m wondering if a trip to the dechet tomorrow might be the best course to see if they will let me put it in the bag there.
If they’re the ones they call packing peanuts, they’re usually made from corn starch, biodegradable or water soluble and non toxic. In short they don’t damage the environment and won’t pollute water courses or the land.
sounds like they can simply go into whichever local “recycling” bin is nearest to home.. unless one is lucky enough to still have door-to-door collections… in which case put the packaging into the Yellow Sack and put it out for collection.
As a gardener, I tend to keep both packaging peanuts and polystyrene. The peanuts work just fine instead of putting broken crocks in the bottom of a plant pot and they are far lighter. Flat pieces of polystyrene go underneath the big pots in the greenhouse in winter to help keep the cold from striking up from the ground. When the polystyrene perishes into little balls it can be rubbed between the hands and mixed with potting compost to improve drainage in the same way that one can use bought in vermiculite or perlite. A bonus is that I always have plenty of packing materials to hand if I need to send a parcel to someone.
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, and a very large roll of those greeny/yellow bags used for re-cycling. I have been using 100 L black bags, I wonder if these yellow ones are still available at the Mairie, I have a vague memory of that. 
Also found a packet of 4 brand new washing up pads, a large unused car cleaning sponge and various cleaning products all with some stuff still in.
