Homemade Fly Spray Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (2024)

161 Comments | Jill Winger | Last Updated: May 26, 2020

Jump to Recipe

Learn how to make your own homemade fly spray recipe. This is a wonderful natural fly spray that will help prevent flies around your homestead and while you work with your livestock. You can relax knowing that it’s made with natural and safe ingredients instead of unknown chemicals.

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (1)

You know how in the book of Exodus, one of the ten plagues was massive amounts of flies?

When I was younger, I always thought “Well, that one wouldn’t be THAT bad…”

I take it back.

A few years ago, we had massive amounts of flies. It was a constant battle to keep them off of my animals, out of my food, and off of my baby… (It got so bad, I even got bug nets for the playpen!)

Of course, the typical solution is to use hardcore chemicals and sprays to drive the flies away.

I just don’t feel good about doing that anymore.

Especially when I’m milking my cow.

I know from experience with my horses, whenever you apply fly spray, it gets everywhere. On your hands, on your clothes, in your mouth. I don’t want thosechemicals floating anywhere near my lovely raw milk.

So I started experimenting with homemade fly spray recipes. Last year I tried a few white vinegar/dish soap/mouth wash concoctions. While they sorta worked, I wasn’t super impressed with any of them.

This homemade fly spray recipe with essential oils works much better.

More Natural Fly Control Tips for Your Homestead

I kinda feel like a pro when it comes to natural fly control these days. We deal with them. A lot. So I’ve written about my natural fly control strategies plenty of times.

Here’s some more tips for you:

  • Need insect repellent recipes for the humans in your life? I’ve got ya covered. Here are 20+ recipes to keep the bugs from biting.
  • I don’t use homemade fly spray on my chickens, BUT, I do a variety of things to control flies in my chicken coop.
  • Got flies in the house? Try using my homemade fly trap which is easy to make and works really well.
  • Want to reduce the flies around your homestead? Try implementing these 4 natural strategies for farm fly control.

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (2)

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups raw apple cider vinegar (where to buy raw apple cider vinegar)OR make your own vinegar
  • 20 drops rosemary essential oil (where to buy my favorite essential oils)
  • 20 drops basilessential oil
  • 20 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 2 tablespoons liquid oil (olive oil, canola oil, or mineral oil will work)
  • 1 tablespoon dish soap (Like this one)

Directions:

Mix together in a spray bottle. Apply to the animals frequently (give it a good shake before applying). And be careful, it smells strong. Whew!

The final verdict?

It works. But if you are expecting your homemade fly spray to be like conventional fly sprays lasting for several days, you will be disappointed.

From my observations, it repels the flies, it doesn’t kill them. I had to apply 1-2x per day for maximum effectiveness,but at least it provided temporary relief without chemicals. I will definitely beusing it during my milking routine and on my horses and goats, too.

Notes:

  • If you don’t have access to raw apple cider vinegar, you can still use pasteurized apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. I just think the raw goodness packs an extra punch.
  • Speaking of vinegar, if you have any glass quart-sized vinegar jars hanging around, often you can screw on a spray top for a cool glass spray bottle.
  • If you don’t have these exact essential oils, no worries. There are TONS of oils that repel insects including lavender, tea tree, pine, citronella, arborvitae, thyme, etc. Feel free to play around and mix and match.
  • Try this really cool Mason Jar Lid Sprayer Cap in order to mix up this spray in any old mason jar you have laying around! (affiliate link)

Watch Me Make This Homemade Fly Spray!

Print

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (3)

A natural homemade fly spray recipe that will prevent flies around your homestead. Made with safe, non-toxic ingredients!

  • Author: Jill Winger

Ingredients

  • 4 cups raw apple cider vinegar (where to buy raw apple cider vinegar)OR make your own vinegar
  • 20 drops rosemary essential oil (where to buy my favorite essential oils)
  • 20 drops basilessential oil
  • 20 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 2 tablespoons liquid oil (olive oil, canola oil, or mineral oil will work)
  • 1 tablespoon dish soap (Like this one)

Instructions

Mix together in a spray bottle. (This really cool mason jar lid sprayer cap would do the job!)

Apply to the animals frequently (give it a good shake before applying). And be careful, it smells strong.

Notes

  • If you don’t have access to raw apple cider vinegar, you can still use pasteurized apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. I just think the raw goodness packs an extra punch.
  • Speaking of vinegar, if you have any glass quart-sized vinegar jars hanging around, often you can screw on a spray top for a cool glass spray bottle.
  • If you don’t have these exact essential oils, no worries. There are TONS of oils that repel insects including lavender, tea tree, pine, citronella, arborvitae, thyme, etc. Feel free to play around and mix and match.
  • In the market for a spray bottle? This lid allows you to mix up this spray in a regular old mason jar, plop the lid on… and you’re good to go!

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe | The Prairie Homestead (2024)

FAQs

Homemade Fly Spray Recipe | The Prairie Homestead? ›

To make a fly repellent using them, simply combine 4 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp olive or canola oil, 1 tbsp dishing washing liquid, 20 drops peppermint oil, 20 drops rosemary oil, and 20 drops basil oil. Mix the components together thoroughly and transfer to a spray bottle.

How do you make homemade fly killer spray? ›

To make a fly repellent using them, simply combine 4 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp olive or canola oil, 1 tbsp dishing washing liquid, 20 drops peppermint oil, 20 drops rosemary oil, and 20 drops basil oil. Mix the components together thoroughly and transfer to a spray bottle.

What is the recipe to keep flies away? ›

Here's a recipe to make your own fly repellent spray:
  1. 4 oz of distilled water.
  2. 2-3 oz of witch hazel.
  3. 1-2 oz each of hydrosols (floral water), such as lavender or peppermint.
Mar 24, 2017

What smell do flies hate the most? ›

Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.

Does vinegar work as fly spray? ›

Horseflies in particular hate the smell and taste of vinegar, so it's a great addition to homemade horse fly sprays. Apple cider vinegar is an excellent repellent, and it also benefits from being a natural product that's made from fermented apple juice.

How do you make fly spray with Dawn dish soap? ›

2 tsp Citronella. 1 c White Vinegar. 1 tsp Dawn liquid dish soap. Water.

What is the best fly repellent for outdoors? ›

For a bug repellent that's safe and effective—and that won't stink or leave a puddle of oil on your skin—skip the DEET and get a picaridin formula, like Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent.

What home remedy gets rid of houseflies? ›

You can make use of natural oils such as citronella oil, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, neem, and lemongrass. Try mixing them with rubbing alcohol or water and fill them in a spray bottle. Using these natural housefly's repellent can deter those pesky creatures as well as create a beautiful aroma in your house.

Does Pine-Sol keep flies away? ›

This DIY pest repellant should be a staple in the Southern home. Pour equal parts water and Pine-Sol in a spray bottle to spritz on outdoor furniture, the deck, and indoor areas where flies are most likely to flock, such as kitchen countertops.

What kills flies on contact? ›

Homemade fly killer spray: A mixture of half a cup of water, half a cup of isopropyl alcohol, and a teaspoon of dish liquid can be filled in a spray bottle. This mixture can be sprayed on the flies directly to kill them.

How do I get rid of flies outside naturally? ›

How to Get Rid of Flies on Your Outdoor Patio
  1. Getting Rid of Flies on Your Patio. ...
  2. Keep Food Covered. ...
  3. Clean Up After Pets. ...
  4. Cover Trash and Compost Bins. ...
  5. Use Fly Bait or Traps. ...
  6. Remove Standing Water. ...
  7. Plant Fly-Repelling Herbs. ...
  8. Make All-Natural Fly Repellent.
Oct 17, 2022

What color do flies hate the most? ›

Well studies have shown that the color yellow is the number one color that repels flies.

Can you use vinegar and dawn as insecticide? ›

Instructions: Mix the Ingredients:In a bowl, combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of white vinegar. Add Dish Soap:Add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to the water-vinegar mixture. Ensure that the dish soap is free of bleach or harsh chemicals to avoid harming plants.

Why are flies not dying with fly spray? ›

The poison sprays have probably been reformulated to be less dangerous to humans. Also, the flies may have developed more resistance to the nerve gas in poison sprays.

What are flies most afraid of? ›

Afraid of shadows

Gibson and his team enclosed flies in an arena where the buzzing insects were exposed repeatedly to an overhead shadow. The flies looked startled and, if flying, increased their speed. Occasionally the flies froze in place, a defensive behaviour also observed in the fear responses of rodents.

What smell really attracts flies? ›

Here are some of the most well-known scents that can lure flies: House flies: Unpleasant, decaying smells (rotting meat, decomposing garbage, etc.) Fruit flies: Sweet, sugary smells (ripe or rotting fruit, spilled soda or juice, alcohol, etc.) Drain flies: Moist, mildewy smells.

What smells are flies most attracted to? ›

Common house flies are attracted to decaying organic filth such as feces and rotting meat, whereas fruit flies seek sugary substances and feed more commonly on overripe fruit, spilled soda, and alcohol.

What perfume do flies hate? ›

Flies are not fond of the fragrance of lavender. You can plant lavender around your area or use lavender essential oil in a diffuser. The strong citrus scent can deter flies.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Laurine Ryan

Last Updated:

Views: 6574

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Laurine Ryan

Birthday: 1994-12-23

Address: Suite 751 871 Lissette Throughway, West Kittie, NH 41603

Phone: +2366831109631

Job: Sales Producer

Hobby: Creative writing, Motor sports, Do it yourself, Skateboarding, Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Stand-up comedy

Introduction: My name is Laurine Ryan, I am a adorable, fair, graceful, spotless, gorgeous, homely, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.