The common fly

**FB.** · 26-03-2011, 06:56 PM

We have lavender growing along the front and the back of the house, but we still get plagues of flies. In some winters, our loft can have thousands (yes, really; thousands!) of flies in great clusters on the rafters.
The only "cure" we've found is to keep doors and windows closed as much as possible, or use fly spray - which we dislike using - and only use when the fly numbers get up to really irritating proportions.

**wellie** · 26-03-2011, 09:34 PM

I know this is going to sound like a lead-up to an April Fool posting, but I assure you that it isn't.

Now I have no idea if this'll work or not, but I'm going to try germinating some of the seedheads of a flowering plant called 'Shoo Fly' for you that my elderly neighbour gave to me a few years ago, in the hope that the seed is still 'viable', and if it is, you are most welcome to share the seedlings with me my friend.X.

Last summer was absolutely 'no joke' in the fly department, living here down on the funny farm, and whilst I was told that it was an extraordinary year for flies - like you, I'd prefer to shut the stable door actually before the horse has bolted, rather than afterwards......

Shoo Fly resembles a Physalis/Cape Goosegog kind of flower, and sports the prettiest little blue/white flower with a black eye, and would happily fit into tubs underneath windows or beside doors, with other annuals for a summer display.

I don't know its' Botanical name, but I'm sure that, between the two of us, we can have this problem licked by the end of the summer, or I'm a Monkey's Uncle.....Trust me, I'm A Gardener

**bubblewrap** · 26-03-2011, 10:10 PM

Oh a "NO fly zone"?

**janeyo** · 26-03-2011, 10:30 PM

I hoover them up too, it's very satisfying! I have also perfected the art of waiting til dusk, witing til they congregate on the windows, then squish with kitche roll. I am the family expert at this now, my expertise is unrivalled!

**vicky** · 28-03-2011, 10:11 AM

We live by a beef farm so get loads too!
I use netting over windows and a net curtain on doors. Fly swats, hoovers and sticky stickers on the windows and we still have loads! I will try the shoo fly plant but not sure if it can ward off the swarms we get...

**HeyWayne** · 28-03-2011, 11:47 AM

I hate flies. Really hate flies.

Gimme spiders any day.

**Chef_uk** · 28-03-2011, 07:12 PM

thanks for the tips all

**Tam** · 28-03-2011, 09:42 PM

Has anyone seen evidence that the shoo fly plant deters house flies ? I understood that you pressed out the juice of the plant and added it to milk, which the flies drank and died. I know that I had an infestation of this plant in the garden some years ago and the bees and hoverflies were certainly not
deterred, but found the plant very attractive.

**dirtgirl** · 01-04-2011, 04:53 PM

We can always tell if there's a fly in the house before we see/hear it as my 3 cats will be intently staring at the same spot, a bit like watching Wimbledon, until one of them catches and eats it

Any creepy crawly in the house meets the same fate, but flies are their favourite, think it's the buzzing, can keep them occupied for hours until the right moment comes, though one of them has perfected jumping to about shoulder height to beat the other 2 to it

**scarey55** · 01-04-2011, 05:05 PM

I have fly curtains up at all my open windows and doors and I find it helps. We used to have millions and they would mess all around the house but since the fly curtains, we don't seem to have many at all.

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