What Smell Do Flies Hate The Most

While flies do not have noses like we do, flies are absolutely capable of smelling but in a different way. They rely on their two-head antennae to lead the way for them when it comes to smell. These antennae are covered in fine hairs that contain sensory receptors for smells.

When smells hit those receptors, it sends a signal to the fly's brain and the fly will choose to travel to the direction of their preferred smell. Due to this, flies can find smells from 8-10 miles (13-16 km) away.

• Flies use their sense of smell to search for food and find shelter.
• The olfactory system of a fly is outstanding.
• It is capable of detecting a broad range of smells unlike humans - which play a significant role in searching food.

Now let's uncover the list of things that flies absolutely hate:

Flies have been long known for their aversion to citrusy scents which makes them an excellent natural repellent. Create a homemade fly-repellent by mixing water with essential citrus oils.

Squeeze out limonene from the citrus peel using a stone press or any technique and mix it with water to create a citrus solution. Place the solution in a spray bottle and spritz it over common fly areas and various entrances to your house to repel the flies.

Lavender is one of the aromas that flies do not like. Just plant some herbs of lavender in a pot and put them near the entrance, window, or outdoor sitting areas and forget about flies.

You can prevent the flies from entering your home while you are out enjoying the outdoors.

Basil contains components of linalool and camphor, both scents that the flies absolutely hate so much that just a few of them can clear out an entire area.

They are low maintenance and easy to take care of so plant some of them in a pot and place them all over your home and liven your place up. 

Peppermints have a strong smell that is harmless to humans. But the pesky flies in your home will find them abhorrent and absolutely steer clear of them. 

So you can make peppermint oil and mix a few drops of it in the water to create a solution. Spray your DIY mix around the doorways, windows, and possible entrances of your house as a fly-repelling home remedy.

Talking about essential oils without mentioning eucalyptus is unfair. The oil is extremely versatile in that it can clear nasal congestion, repel mosquitoes - and get rid of flies.

Since the flies dislike their powerful aroma, we recommend allowing the aroma to stay strong by using eucalyptus soaked cotton balls instead of making a spray solution. Place these cotton balls near windows, vents, or any other entry point.

You can also make use of dried cloves to deter flies from coming into your home. Flies detest the smell of cloves so place a bowl of dried cloves in a room where you are experiencing problems with flies the most.

Cloves should be called the great vanisher because they're not only capable of making flies vanish but also your cough, flu symptoms, nasal congestion, and hiccups.

Cinnamon is most effectively used as a fumigant but they also work to deter flies as an oil or lighting them as an incense.

Some things that you can do with cinnamon are diffusing the oil with a humidifier, and mixing it into a spray solution. Additionally, they are toxic to house flies so you can use their spray in problematic areas to kill the flies, their eggs and curb their egg-laying habit. 

Marigold plants are fragrant, bright yellow flowers that surely add vibrancy to any garden. Marigold flowers have a strong and distinct scent that is pungent to any kind of bug.

Marigold plants are also not that difficult to maintain, and while they repel some species, they also attract flies-eating species like slugs.

This natural-growing herb has an earthy, citrus aroma that will make this very clear to flies that they aren't invited into your home. Strong oils found in lemongrass plants are natural repellants - and they can be planted anywhere indoors and outdoors.

This plant repels insects best in warm weather and can be planted easily.

Citronella contains the same compounds as lemongrass which causes the flies to avoid lemon grass. You can grow citronella plants easily and place them around your house.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of planting new plants in your yard or garden, burning citronella candles on your patio is equally effective and will prevent flies from making their way to your yard.

Whether for cooking or repelling pests, the delicious sage herb can do it all. The strong smell and oils of sage can also be extracted to repel insects and bugs with greater efficacy whether through diffusion or spray solutions.

Considering the presence of marigolds on this list, chrysanthemums should be no surprise when what smells flies dislike. Not only will these flowers beautify the outside of your home, but they’re also used often to deter flies.

Chrysanthemums bloom in autumn and will yield a gorgeous array of bright colors surrounding your home. While they can be more maintenance intensive than marigolds, if it means being able to look at them every day who would say no to that?

Mint is one of the strongest and most aromatic plants. This plant contains menthol, menthone, and menthyl acetate which makes it great at deterring not only flies but mosquitoes and various other insects as well. It's easy as simple to grow mint in your garden.

The best thing about rosemary plants is their compactness and ease of growth. It's because you can keep a pot of it in your kitchen or you can plant it in your garden outside to repel pests from your fall fruits and vegetables.

You can also buy or squeeze out rosemary essential oil to improve the effectiveness of your fly repelling measures.

Growing catnip is yet another easy way to get rid of flies. Instead of growing from seeds, it's also possible to buy containers of growing catnip from your local nursery which can then be placed in the kitchen, windowsills, or house. 

Not only will catnips prevent flies from infesting your home, but also present you with a tasty treat on hand for your cats. 

Camphor isn't only capable of warding off moths but also flies because of their strong smells which are repugnant for pests. They are made by distilling the bark and wood from the camphor trees or turpentine oil.

Your choices aren't limited to just those as you can also buy camphor essential oils to make infusions for your home or spay around.

The use of pine isn't just being associated with the holiday season. The refreshing scent of pine naturally discourages flies and other pests from hanging out in your home.

So spritz a pine-containing spray, diffuse pine essential oils, or pine-scented candles after cleaning your house so you don't have to pine about being outside the house in the perfect summer weather. 

If you love spicy food then you can also consider growing cayenne pepper in your home as the flies hate the spicy odor of cayenne peppers.

Or if you have cayenne peppers in your pantry then consider sprinkling dried cayenne pepper around the area of your house where you’ve noticed elevated fly activities.

You can also mix it with water and use it as a spray, remember to use it sparingly and avoid touching your eyes or nose until you wash your hands! 

It turns out that flies don't particularly like liquor! One simple way to take advantage of this is through a vodka-based repellent. In one glass of vodka, add 2 teaspoons of aloe vera juice, 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil, and 1½ teaspoon of any additional essential oils.

Mix it well, put it in a spray bottle, and spray it at common fly infestation points within your house.

Further capitalizing on the repellency of flies to alcohol, you can fill up a spray bottle with an alcohol-based mouthwash. Make sure to use mouthwash with a fragranceful smell and spray the legs of tables, chairs, windows, and patios of your home.

The use of mouthwash as insect repellent is found efficient, and it is also used to leave your environment smelling fresh and minty.