Flies

[musicmummy]

I am being driven insane by flies. There is a large tree not far from our house and we cannot open our back windows because of them, Tried newspapers sticky fly paper and with spray you spend more time chasing them , any ideas

[kobi]

are we talking like swarms of flies or like a gang of about 5. i'd cut the tree if its swarms and if its a rawdy gang then dont worry they're all talk they wont really hurt you.

[zzxxee]

hairspray makes there wings stick together and they cant fly no more he he he

[showcatbenga]

It would be good if you could identify the type of flies because you could then target them more specifically. If it's blue bottles then I'd look for their food source & remove it. If it's small aphid types then you'd have to spray the tree's foliage or use a biological control available from gardeners suppliers. If it's mosquitoes then you can interupt the breeding cycle by removing all standing water. You can get fly killer in a felt tip marker style pen. It doesn't leave a visable mark! Just draw around the edge of the glass in your windows, around the bin, etc. For fly free ventilation you may have to install fly screens. Sticky velcro & tulle, or a staple gun & old net curtains will do the job if proper frames seem too much. Hope this helps.

[showcatbenga]

Just thought that I should add that your local council's Enviromental Health Department should be able to help, especially if the problem is due to food rubbish from shops, sewage, etc. nearby.
Try a saucer of beer or lager for them to drown in - failing that drink the beer & then you won't care!

[musicmummy]

thanks for all the replies, some made me chuckle