Flies can become a nuisance in the summer, when hot weather and open windows entice them into our homes

Bluebottles, house flies, fruit flies – whatever they’re called, we don’t like any of the little buzzers in our homes. House flies and bluebottles are the biggest nuisance as they carry diseases such as gastroenteritis and salmonella which they transmit through saliva and faeces. The former breed mostly in rotting organic matter, the latter in meat and cheese. 

Fruit flies are less of a hygiene threat but it’s still not nice to find them clustering around over-ripe fruit. Here’s how to keep the bugs at bay this summer.Flies come indoors to find things to eat, so cover all food when flies are around.

STEP 1

Make sure the lid on your waste bin closes completely and wash it out weekly with bleach or disinfectant.

STEP 2

Keep ripe and over-ripe fruit in the fridge and eat it by the sell-by date. Put decaying fruit and veg in the compost bin and make sure the lid is on tightly.

STEP 3

Rinse out bottles and jars before putting in the recycling bin.

STEP 4

Store your bin out of direct sunlight to reduce smells, which will stop flies being attracted to it.

STEP 5

If you do get an infestation of flies, vacuum first, cleaning behind furniture and shelving because that’s where flies like to hide; then wash down surfaces with a disinfectant spray or wet wipes to pick up any fly eggs