Flies can be a persistent nuisance in homes, particularly during the warmer weather Ireland has been experiencing in recent days.
The constant buzzing, incessant landing and the potential health risks they pose can quickly cause frustration.
Luckily there are a number of things households can do to effectively tackle the intruders.
One TikTok user recently shared his ‘homemade fly getter’ recipe that has left the internet stunned.
The video has racked up an astonishing 20 million views since being uploaded less than three weeks ago, with thousands of users taking to the comments to praise the invention.
The video's creator @that40yearguy captioned it: “I cannot stand flies #tips #tricks #hacks #hack #that40yearguy #aintnoway #tipsandtricks #wow #recipe.”
Speaking into the camera, he said: “You’re telling me for 40 years of battling flies and smelling those stinky fly traps I could have done this? Ain’t no way. This is the fly getter recipe.”
He takes a water bottle, cuts off the top, and mixes into the bottom one tablespoon of honey, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and one cup of water.
He explained: “First take a water bottle, save that [top part], put our ingredients in here. Mix all this up. Put this [the top] back in. Tape this up.”
The man then took the solution outside to “test it out and make sure that it doesn’t stink” and left it there overnight.
The next day he returned to find “a ton of flies in there” and confirmed it “doesn’t stink” so brought it inside.
“That’s awesome, it’s going in the recipe book,” he said.
More than 10,000 comments have been left on the video, with one person writing: “Not only did you just save my sanity you may have saved the world. Lol.”
Another commented: “When I say I HATE flies… they make my skin crawl and we get plenty of them come in the house.. I am doing this now!!”
A third said: “I been doing this for years. I use a 2 ltr so it lasts longer.”
An Irish commentator wrote: “In Ireland we used jam jars that have been used & half fill with water!”
It comes as Rentokil, Ireland’s leading pest control provider, warned the public about the increased threat of flies this summer.
A spokesperson said: “Flies are traditionally a warm-weather pest so during the summer months when temperatures typically rise, they will breed and spread.
“The top five counties which have accounted for fly callouts during the period of January to June 2023 are: Galway (which accounted for 25% of callouts), Kerry (15%), Dublin (13%), Sligo (11%) and Cork (8%).
“Flies pose the threat of spreading bacteria such as E. coli and Campylobacter spp. to humans when they come into contact with food. Rentokil recommends that home or business owners who suspect that they have a fly infestation to identify the source of the infestation by checking around areas such as doors, windows, electrical outlets, eaves, pipes, cable openings, and vents.”
To discourage the presence of flies, Rentokil recommended the following steps:
Control moisture - fix leaky taps and blocked drains where water can gather. Flies need moisture to multiply.
Keep food covered - any type of food, even crumbs, can attract flies and encourage them to lay eggs nearby. Leftovers should be carefully covered up and food compost caddies should be kept closed. Their contact with your food is also a main cause of food contamination.
Stay hygienic - keep your bins, sinks and food areas clean.
Cover entry points - fit fly screens to windows and doors, and keep windows and doors shut or screened properly at night.
Install an electronic fly control unit – consider installing a low energy LED fly killer unit, such as the Lumnia LED fly killer, which has been designed to attract, kill and encapsulate the insects hygienically.
Bird feeders - keep bird feeders clean and remove bird food before dusk.
Remove clutter - eliminate clutter inside the house and in the garden. Messy area could be a potential breeding site for flies.
Area Technical Manager Colm Moore said: “Summer is the traditional breeding period for flies so it is important that the public are aware of the increased activity from these insects. Flies can pose the threat of contaminating food so it is important to ensure that all food in your premises is covered and stored correctly and not left out in the open. More Flies equates to an increased risk of exposure to harmful microbes and chance of getting ill. Their presence can pose the threat of violating food or hygiene regulations for businesses. Additionally, these insects can pose an annoyance when found in swarms as their collective excrement can cause a bad smell and stain fabrics and/or walls.
“In terms of guarding against these pests, the most effective methods to employ are fitting fly screens to doors and windows, and utilising an LED fly killer unit, such as the Lumnia LED fly killer.”
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