Keep Annoying Flies Out Of Your Home With Two Kitchen Ingredients

Flies seem to come out of nowhere and are always pesky — especially around food and the ingredients you cook with. However, there are two common kitchen ingredients that actually work well to deter these pests. If you want to keep flies from making their way into your busy routine, all you need is to dig out the turmeric and salt from your spice cabinet, and you'll have a natural fly repellent.

Used together, salt and turmeric work to repel these pests from various areas of your home. For example, using this combination of spices in your kitchen will help keep flies away from that area. If an infestation occurs right now, use this trick throughout the impacted space. That, along with a few other steps, should help to reduce their numbers. If you want to keep flies out of your home, especially after periods of rain (which make them more readily present), you'll want to use this natural treatment for several days while the threat exists. 

Making your home less desirable for flies is an important step in this process. That means keeping any food debris or organic material stored in the refrigerator — or outside of the home if it's waste. Flies are more likely to find their way into your home if they smell a food source, and with their powerful sense of smell, even a small amount of organic material will attract them.

How do salt and turmeric work to keep flies out?

Salt is a vital mineral for all beings, including flies. They're drawn to it to a degree, and it can resuscitate them if they drown. However, salt eliminates one of the key environmental conditions flies seek out to reproduce: moisture. Salt dries whatever you sprinkle it on, making the treated surfaces less appealing for the winged pests. 

Turmeric powder is the other key star of this natural pest deterrent. With this powerful insect repellent added to salt, the flies will likely be far less likely to hang around for long. Flies are repelled by the compounds found in turmeric, and better yet, a study by Frontiers in Insect Science found that this spice drastically reduces flies' lifespan. 

A fly's life goals are to seek out food sources and reproduce. On that path, it's going to look for the easiest access to things it can eat. The strong smell of turmeric is an instant turnoff, causing them to turn around and go another way instead of continuing their search. Turmeric is highly effective like this and has been used in many types of pest control solutions for decades. It's often used, for example, in agricultural settings as a natural insecticide.

How to use salt and turmeric to keep annoying flies away

Several ways exist for using salt and turmeric as a natural fly deterrent, but the most direct method tends to work best. If fruit flies or houseflies suddenly overrun your home, combine salt and turmeric (about a tablespoon of each) in a container and then sprinkle the mix over surfaces in the troublesome area. This method should encourage flies to move on by producing an unpleasant aroma and eliminating moisture.

Don't stop there, though. For this method to be effective, especially for long-term prevention of flies in any given area, you need to treat the entire space. Also, find what's attracting the flies, such as a juice spill, or overripe bananas in a fruit bowl, and remove the items right away. Then spend some time cleaning the adjacent surfaces. 

You can also fashion a simple fly trap using a bowl with vinegar covered with plastic wrap. Place a few very small holes in the top to lure the flies in. They aren't able to get out once inside. Likewise, consider creating DIY repellents using garden plants flies can't stand. In most cases, these natural methods are better solutions than chemicals.

Keep ants out of your kitchen with turmeric and salt

Turmeric and salt are well-suited to keeping flies and other insects out of the very place you normally store these ingredients — the kitchen. The kitchen presents an irresistible draw to flies and other insects for several reasons. Most crucially, it's place where you store, prepare, cook, and discard food; all of these activities present invading insects with numerous opportunities to stock up on nutrition. At the same time, kitchens are home to cabinets, drawers, and various other nooks and crannies that serve as shelter. Throw in the presence of moisture, and you've got yourself an insect paradise.

Flies aren't the only insects that like to congregate in kitchens. Ants are frequent visitors, too. And although they can't fly, their incessant quest for sweets makes them an unwanted guest. 

Fortunately, you can use the same salt-and-turmeric homemade fly repellant to keep ants out of your kitchen. The way you apply this deterrent will be a bit different when you're targeting ants. Flies, well, fly, so the best way to keep them away is to sprinkle the stuff on the surfaces where you don't want them to land — for example, on the kitchen counter. Meanwhile, ants walk, so you must create barriers in their path. The most effective of these involves sprinkling the mixed powder at the points of entry, including doorways and windowsills. This way, you discourage ants from entering the space altogether. Whether you're going after ants, flies, or any other insects, also apply the powder around your trash can and sprinkle some inside: The salt will keep the can as dry as possible, making it a less hospitable environment for the pests. 

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