Fly Deterrents of the Basil variety (and any other deterrants if you've found they worked....)

[SurinBeach]

Hi All,

PHUKET based ...

Been growing some KitchenGarden Herbs/Chillis for the kitchen for the past few years.

But recently just had enough with the flies entering the house and not wanting to leave.

So I'm more than happy to increase anything that will deter the flies....

Particularly interested in Basil but which type don't the flies like ????? :

1. Thai sweet basil (horapha [โหระพา])
2. Thai sacred basil (krapao [กะเพรา])
3. Thai lemon basil, also known as hoary basil (manglak [แมงลัก]).

(Above info cut/paste/edited from another ThaiVisa Thread, thanks to the OP)

Or maybe Italian Basil ?

Is there Anything else proven to grow in the garden and work, ie Lemongrass but I think I read you need to rub the leaves to release the oils ....

Am gonna trying spraying Vinegar/Lavendar and Citronella around too as if that don't work I'm moving from my rented house a few miles down the road where they have Zero flies !!!!!

Cheers,

SB.

[soidog2]

Pyrethrum extract will get rid of your flies.

[drtreelove]

My wife ran a restaurant specializing in fish ball noodle soup, and made fish balls in the back of the shop, so flies loved it. I researched methods at the time and finally used a commercial attractant/insecticide bait system that I purchased at an agricultural chemical supply shop. But here's some other tips, and I recommend multiple methods work best:

Sanitation is most important, eliminate/reduce attractants, clean up food sources, clean the floor and other surfaces regularly with disinfectant, empty and disinfect garbage cans daily, etc.

Screened doors and windows.

Overhead (preferred) or oscillating fans in your high use areas, kitchen, dining table, and especially at doorway entry points.

Blue light bug zappers. (you got to love that sound, and smell)

Sticky, hanging fly strips.

And here's some other fly lore:

-Basil and mint plants are said to be deterrents for flies. Many people place the plants right outside doors and even in kitchens for this reason. One restaurant tried this with several basil plants in the kitchen, noticeably decreasing the number of flies.

-Oils such as orange, lemon, clove and basil are also fly deterrents and often used in the cleaning process to repel flies.

-A tried and true (and inexpensive) method for killing fruit flies involves a disposable cup or bowl, or even just an old jar or container of some sort. Place a juicy piece of fruit inside to attract the flies such as oranges, peaches, etc. Cover it with plastic wrap and poke just a few very small holes in the plastic with a fork. This allows fruit flies to get in but usually keeps them from getting out, therefore breaking their breeding cycle and substantially reducing their number. Then whenever needed just thrown it out and start again.

-Another simple and frequently successful method in dealing with flies just takes a bowl filled about half way with vinegar, beer or any inexpensive wine. Flies are attracted to the liquid but are usually unable to get back out of the bowl. To kill the flies faster or ensure that larger flies stick better try adding a little dish soap to the mixture.

-Lavender in almost any form is also used in deterring flies. Bunches of fresh lavender, lavender plants and especially lavender oils in a burner can be placed throughout the house or porch area to help keep flies away.

-Cloves are a great deterrent to flies as well. Cloves inside sachets can be hung around the house. They're fragrant and decorative and flies hate the smell.

-Flies of any kind can be caught by filling a jar or other container with an inch or two of water and a handful of sugar. Place a funnel on the top and flies should go in but be unable to get out. Dispose of the container and start a new one when needed.

-A widely known but far less commonly used method in the battle against house flies is the good old Venus Fly Trap plant. They are actually easier to come by than you might first think and with a little information can be well taken care of in your home. According to flytrapcare.com, a basic Venus Fly Trap usually costs $4 - $7 at any carnivorous plant nursery. Or if you prefer, you can also order one on the web. Prices online vary more because more options are available. For a list of reputable sites known for shipping these plants in good condition visit flytrapcare.com.

-Bubble Wrap or Plastic Bags. This may sound crazy, and maybe it is...but some people swear by it. A long, rolled up piece of large cell bubble wrap placed above or next to a doorway where flies normally enter is said to discourage flies. The bubble wrap concept actually started as an easier, similar method to plastic bags with water. To try the plastic bags, fill the bag with a little bit of water and add a piece of aluminum foil to the inside and place near doors or any other area of the home where flies congregate. The theory behind both ideas is that, when it works, the fly is deterred when light reflects off the bag or the bubble wrap because of flies' compound vision.

-Create your own fly paper with the fast and easy instructions at this site. The simple mix only takes corn syrup, sugar, paper and a bowl or tray.

-Sticky Fly Strips are a more common way to fight house flies, and though they definitely have a "gross factor" they are often effective. To make best use of a fly strips hang them in areas where you normally see the flies. Besides when looking for food, they usually hang out in areas with less foot traffic or places high enough to remain unharmed.

[SurinBeach]

Thanks DrTreeLove ....Gonna try a few of those, trying a few currently !

[cooked]

Farmers also have stuff for deterring flies from entering cattle barns, you might want to check an agricultural place out.

[drtreelove]

The discussion on this issue can provide a good lesson in Integrated Pest Management, which is the key to a less toxic approach to pest management.

Multiple control options should be considered, instead of relying on only one.

Sanitation is often a key component of effective pest control, which includes cleaning up possible attractants/food sources, and also cleaning up breeding sites as best possible. Flys and mosquitos, you can swat them or spray them all day long, but seeking out and reducing their reproductive sites will do a lot toward control.

Acquired resistance of pests to pesticides and repellents is common, so combining methods and alternating substances can be useful in developing effective control strategies.

Many gardeners/farmers see a pest and think in a limited way, only of how to kill it or repel it. But in the IPM approach it's important to consider - why is that pest there? What's attracting it and where is it coming from.

One of the most common attractants to pests of plants and crops is over-fertilization, especially with nitrogen and manures. It took me a long time to get the message on this, I thought that more is better. It's impressive to see healthy green abundant vegetative growth, but the high carbohydrate/sugar content is impressive to insect pests too. Soil testing and prescription mineral and fertility balancing can do a great deal to prevent pest outbreaks.

I received this in an email from Michael Astera (Author of The Ideal Soil, www.soilminerals.com)

"A commercial ag guy I work with in the midwest did a multi-plot trial a couple of years ago, planting corn with various amounts of commercial fertilizers and with the Ideal Soil mineral ratio in one plot. Checking yield, expense, weed pressure etc.
Anyway, this year he reported that there were a lot of problems with corn rootworm, except in the plot that was mineralized in 2010 or 2011. Said the rootworms stopped right at the edge of it.
Along the same line, a woman from central Washington wrote to me about her mineral balanced garden last year. They had a serious grasshopper infestation chewing up everything *except* in her garden. No damage there, stopped right at the path around the garden.
Insects and disease are attracted to unhealthy plants with weak immune systems."

[DerkMR]

"They had a serious grasshopper infestation chewing up everything *except* in her garden. No damage there, stopped right at the path around the garden.

Insects and disease are attracted to unhealthy plants with weak immune systems."

Nice quote but other than the rootworm I don't believe in a grasshopper army skipping a healthy garden as they are no "pest" in the normal understanding but a plague. So when they come, they come, independent of the immune system of the plant - or better, the healthier the plant, the more power it should give.

Says the biologist having made his thesis about cricket brains

Bye,

Derk

[drtreelove]

I don't think they are referring to a locust scourge here. But you are right, there are very aggressive pest invasions that go way beyond normal infestations and I doubt if the best balanced soil in the world would stop them.