flies in the conservatory...

[sandybay]

2nd year in Wales and we are suffering a real problem with millions [ok a few dozen or more] flies of all types gathering and then dying in our conservatory]. Horrible, particulalry when wanting to eat there.
Last year I cooked a lovely summer vegetable saffron pasta meal, nice white wine ...just enjoying it when a large fly dropped dead onto my plate :eek:
Best way of dieting ever found...yuk.

Been looking on internet to buy a fly zapper and have seen some electrical ones that look like lanterns.

Don't know if any of you have tried one or can recommend something else.
Didn't really want to use citronella oil based products in there as the smell is not conducive to eating and wanted something that would collect the dead flies so as not to find their dead bodies everywhere.

[Pippa]

I have this problem and never really solved it. I use a dustbuster to hoover up the dead bodies and swats to kill the live ones, but not really satisfactory. I have heard that lavender oil will keep flies away but I would need so much so wipe around my conservatory it would be expensive. The only thing that might work is the sort of electrical bug killer you find in commercial kitchens, but the bodies make a noise when they hit it and not a pretty addition to the room. There must be something that eats flies?

[jazzactivist]

Spiders? They would need to be pretty big ones to cope with all the flies, plus some people don't like them. Another thought might be to consider changing at least the top level of soil in your plant pots, sandybay, incase the old soil is being used for breeding. Also check if any of the plants that you have in your conservatory seem to attract flies. There is a beautiful plant at the door of my old workplace, with dark olive colour leaves and fleshy, pink, hanging flowers, but boy does it attract the flies!

[dragonfly]

I have found a great flytrap for outside. I painted our summerhouse and every fly for miles has come and stuck to it.

[sandybay]

Poor you Dragonfly, your summerhouse must have looked like a garibaldi biscuit.
We don't have any plants in the conservatory Jazz, we use it as a dining room for our larger table [have a little table for two in the kitchen] but th edoors open into the garden and there is some semi woodland within a few yards over the fence and bridleway. Plus we've got sheep and cows this year up the lane which seems to attract the blighters.
Maybe a pet Tarantula is the answer.

[Pippa]

Wear hat with corks on whilst dining?

[sandybay]

if we try that Pippa I'll take a picture and post it [if I can finally figure out how to] !

[Salle de Bain]

Carnivorous plants maybe? They'd just be like extra dinner guests really!

[sandybay]

Now that is a good idea Salle.
We bought a pitcher plant once for fun when we were in our old house.
It worked well but I killed it by feeding it cat food !

[Pippa]

Or a lizard with a long sticky tongue, that should keep the dinner guests entertained!

[sandybay]

Maybe I could train my husband to do it Pippa !