Irish The Chase star shares 'brilliant' natural way to get rid of house flies
In a recent TikTok video, the 44-year-old TV personality, also known as The Menace on the ITV quiz show, revealed a simple and natural method to deal with the small black flies that can be a nuisance during the summer months.
These pests, known as fungus gnats, can be "really hard" to eliminate and often infest houseplants, causing irritation and leading many people to give up on their plants altogether.
Darragh said in his video: "If you've got little insects flying around your house, it can be really annoying.
"Now, I'm an entomologist, so I love insects, but I still don't want those tiny little black flies all over my house, and they're really hard to get rid of - especially when they live in your houseplants. The Chase's Darragh Ennis, also known as The Menace on the ITV quiz show, has a genius hack for keeping flies out of your home
"They're called fungus gnats because they live in compost and stuff, and they're a big pest in mushroom growhouses and things. Getting rid of them with chemicals is really hard."
Darragh suggests a plan to care for your houseplants while getting rid of the flies simultaneously - using nematodes, reports the Mirror.
He explained: "You've probably never heard of them, but they're little microscopic worms that live in the soil.
"They're probably the most common animal on the planet, but we can't see them. There's billions upon billions upon billions of them."
He went on: "One type of them crawls inside insects and kills them. Now, it's a bit gruesome, but it's a natural way of killing them.
"You can just order these online. You just put these into a watering can and then pour them on your house plants. The best bit about this is that they crawl through the soil and hunts through the larvae and everything so they're gone.
"So if you want to get rid of those little flies and you don't want loads of chemicals, buy some nematodes. I studied them for my PhD, and now they're useful in my house."
Darragh also displayed the packet of nematodes he had purchased online, labelled as Sciarid Fly Nematodes, which available on Amazon.
You can stop flies from getting into your home using various natural methods, including using herbs and plants that these pests hate the smell of. These include basil, lavender, mint, bay leaves, and marigold.
You can also create an essential oil spray by combining one cup of water, 10-15 drops of an essential oil such as peppermint, lemongrass, citronella, or lavender, and one tablespoon of vodka (optional, but helps in mixing the oils) into a spray bottle and misting it around windows, doors, and other access points in your home. Another favoured technique to deter flies, particularly the minuscule ones like fruit flies, is to concoct a DIY trap.
This can be achieved by mixing apple cider vinegar and washing up liquid in a bowl, covering it with cling film, and then poking a few tiny holes in the top.
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