Anyone leaving their doors or windows ajar in their home on a warm summer's day know it's like an open invitation to a hoard of bluebottles to take up residence.
While common flies are attracted to the likes of decaying meat, fruit flies enjoy sugary substances and feed on the likes of over-ripe fruit, spilled fizzy drinks and even alcohol which we might be more likely to have inside the house and in warm temperatures it can be like party time in our kitchens.
The problem often can be solved - albeit with a bit of leg work - with a glass and piece of card to capture a fly and deposit it back outdoors. Otherwise, the good news is there can be simple and cheap solutions to keep them out, reports to The Mirror and one option involves fresh herbs, as explained below, while another quick fix costs just 89p - even free if you have the item involved already in the house.
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All that's needed, it says, according to Good Housekeeping, is an empty plastic bottle which you cut it in half, leaving the bottom section slightly taller than the top, then remove the bottle cap and fill the bottom with water. The top half can be stuck upside down into the bottom half, making a funnel shape, and with two holes made at the top to put string through, the trap can be hung up.
Spreading sugar water around the mouth of the bottle - The Mirror adds sugar can be bought from Asda, for instance, for 89p - that will attract the flies, which will smell the bait, fly into the bottle to reach it and then become trapped as they won't be able navigate their back up the narrow opening or will be unable to fly if their wings get wet.
Of course you'll have the grim job of emptying the bottle and you need to be careful not to attract bees which are vital to the environment so a splash of vinegar could help ward them off, it suggests. If the fly-trap idea doesn't float your boat then other cheap and possibly easier ways to ward off flies is by buying some fresh herbs.
They apparently hate fresh mint, which has the added benefit of smelling lovely too. A Facebook user, seeking advice for the fly problem, asked on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips page: "Loads of flies everywhere in my house. How do I get rid? Thanks."
The post received more than 100 comments and one tip in particular stood out as simple and sweet-smelling. One woman said: "Fresh mint. The stuff you grow in pots. Flies and ants hate it." Another agreed, saying: "Mint, they hate it, have some in the window sill."
Again, fresh mint is a great option as it can be used in so many dishes and, if you aren't already growing it yourself in a pot, it once again is easily available in supermarkets, including Asda which has it on sale for 90p. Other comments trying the equally nice-smelling basil plant, which can also be picked up at Asda for 90p and is available on Tesco's website for £1.50.
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