Flies can be a real nuisance in the summer, but a simple natural remedy of just two natural ingredients combined could help keep them away from your home - without chemical repellents14:26, 28 Jun 2026Updated 14:26, 28 Jun 2026Flies are drawn to the scent of food, rubbish bins and other pungent odours commonly found around the home. And having flies buzzing about isn't merely irritating, they can also carry bacteria and spread disease.‌While it's always sensible to remove the food sources and spills that attract flies through regular cleaning, there are occasions when you'll need a bit of extra help. Once a handful of flies have made their way into your kitchen, they can prove remarkably stubborn to get rid of. They appear unable to navigate back out through the very window they entered, and will instead zip around your entire home searching for an exit.‌This can leave you dashing about with a tin of insect spray, desperately trying to either repel them or coax them towards an open window before they establish themselves. However, there's also a natural remedy you can deploy to keep them at bay.‌To assist others, one woman named Sharan has revealed a straightforward trick for preventing flies from entering your home in the first place, and it requires just two natural and inexpensive ingredients.How to keep flies away from your homeContent cannot be displayed without consent"It's summertime in the UK, and houseflies are coming in from all sorts of directions. So I want to give you a hack on how to keep them away," Sharan said at the start of her TikTok video.‌"And all you need is a lemon and some cloves," she revealed. In the clip, Sharan proceeds to slice the lemon in half before pressing the cloves into the flesh, taking care to distribute them evenly.Sharan then encourages viewers to position these lemon halves near windows and tables, as they will help to "keep all flies away". They can also be placed in fruit bowls, on kitchen worktops or anywhere else you tend to spot flies.Does it really keep flies away?Absolutely. The pairing of lemon and cloves is a highly effective, natural method for deterring both common house flies and fruit flies. Flies possess an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell, and the fusion of citrus and spice overwhelms and disorientates them.‌This technique works by harnessing the powerful, volatile oils produced by both plants. Lemons contain Limonene, found in the peel, which disrupts a fly's ability to locate food.Cloves, meanwhile, contain Eugenol, which produces a sharp, spicy aroma that insects find utterly repellent.This straightforward and budget-friendly hack is brilliant for keeping pests away from indoor meals, as well as outdoor summer dining occasions.Article continues belowHowever, you'll need to keep on top of it and swap out the clove-studded lemons every few days. Once the lemon dries out or begins to rot, it will stop repelling flies and actually start drawing them in.Viewers were quick to head to the comments section to heap praise on Sharan for sharing the nifty hack, with one person saying: "Thank you dear sister."Omg needed this today," another wrote.