Flies In The Kitchen? Ward Them Off With One Fresh Herb

If you haven't experienced a fly invasion in your home at any point in your life, consider yourself one of the luckiest people alive. Whether it's the ever-persistent fruit fly or the absolutely horrific horse fly, there's nothing quite as grating as hearing that incessant buzzing and having to swat at the air a million times just to get a glass of water. If you've been hit by the fly plague, you've probably also tried plenty of hacks to get rid of them. Maybe you've liberally sprayed your countertops with vinegar, boiled the last of your leftover holiday cinnamon sticks, or set more dish soap traps than you can count. If you're still dealing with these tiny tyrants, we're here to suggest one simple herb that may change the fly-fighting game: basil.

Not only is basil absolutely delicious in myriad dishes, especially when fresh, but it's also great at warding flies away. Flies are hypersensitive to smells and find any herb with a remotely pungent aroma unappealing. Having a few basil plants in your kitchen will repel domestic flies and keep them from contaminating your food products. Some flies may be attracted to the moisture in the basil's soil, but you can easily combat that by mixing dried basil leaves into the dirt, too. Just note that basil isn't toxic to flies, so if you're aiming to kill them, you'll need to come up with a second plan of attack.

Potted basil isn't the only way to introduce this plant to your kitchen, even if it's neat to have a whole windowsill garden of different types of basil to choose from any time you cook. You can get the smell of basil to diffuse through your home in other perfectly house-safe ways, too. Create your own air fresheners and fly fighters by soaking cotton pads with basil essential oils and stashing them throughout your kitchen. Many home cleaning products come in basil scents, too. For a particularly pungent duo, you could add fresh basil leaf to vinegar and use that as a counter spray.

Some people enjoy hanging basil to dry in their kitchen, too. This not only makes the space smell great but also wards away the flies as they dry since the potent smell doesn't fade with the moisture. It also solves the potential problem of wet dirt attracting other bugs, so it's a win-win situation for you, your kitchen, and your meals. And in the eternal battle against flies? Any win is a good one.