This homemade fly repellent formula uses the common household cleaner Pine Sol.
We all know how bothersome flies can be in any outdoor gathering. Keeping them away often means using harsh chemicals.
What if I told you that a common household cleaner, Pine-Sol, could be used to do this job? The reason it works is because of pine oil that is in the original Pine Sol.
But not just any Pine Sol works. Read on to discover which version to use and why this fly spray works.
Keep flies away with Pine Sol!
Sometimes, common household products can be used in unusual ways to treat insects. I recently tested Borax and apple cider vinegar in a quest to kill ants. Find out the results of my Borax ant killer tests here.
We recently had a huge graduation party for my daughter and the flies were a problem for us. At the time, I did not realize that one way to keep flies away from my tables was to use the household cleaner Pine sol.
I did a bit of research on the subject and now I am sold!
Why does Pine-Sol repel flies?
Pine oil is quite expensive, but very effective at keeping houseflies away. You can test this by putting a few drops on a cotton ball and placing it near flies. They should quickly fly away.
Other essential oils that are reputed to repel flies are lavender oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil and lemongrass oil.
I made a homemade mosquito repellent recently with some essential oils. See the DIY essential oil mosquito repellent formula here.
Since this worked out so well, I decided to see what I could find about repelling flies.
Pine oil and flies
A recent study showed that using pine oil is very effective at repelling flies, even after 24 hours.
The findings about keeping flies away applies to concentrated pine oil, but what about Pine Sol? The product has a strong pine scent. Does it contain pine oil?
Unfortunately for those wanting to make a homemade fly repellent spray, the answer is “it depends.”
The original Pine Sol, a widely used pine oil based cleaner, contained 8-12% pine oil, along with other ingredients. Alas, two things have happened over the years. The original formula of Pine Sol is no longer sold in stores and Pine-Sol has changed!
Today, the cleaners that are branded as Pine-Sol contain no pine oil. However, in response to consumer requests for the original formula, Clorox, the owner of Pine Sol, has made available a product containing 8.75% pine oil. This product is not sold in stores, but is available to online purchasers.
Trying to find the Pine-Sol product with 8.75% pine oil is a challenge if you are shopping locally.
The reason you cannot find the original product in stores is that pine oil is quite expensive to manufacture. This is the main reason it was discontinued in the Pine-Sol brand.
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Homemade fly repellent spray
If you have some of the original Pine-Sol, you can make this homemade fly repellent easily and quickly.
This spray is great for outdoor and indoor use. Flies seem to HATE pine-sol. To make the fly repelling spray, mix the original Pine-Sol with water, at a ratio of 50/50 and put it in a spray bottle. Use to wipe counters or spray on the porch and patio table and furniture to drive the flies away.
Note: Please take notice that this homemade fly repellent spray is not meant to be used on children, on your skin or near food. Treat Pine-Sol fly repellent spray just as you would any other chemical in your home.
Pets in particular are a problem,, since Pine-Sol is toxic to them. This fly repellent should not be used around any household pets.
What methods have you used to keep flies away for outdoor parties?; Please leave your comments below.
Label your homemade fly repellent bottle
Print out the instruction card below, which has a label for your spray bottle. Use a glue stick and attach the label to the bottle so that everyone will be aware of what is in the bottle.
Pin this homemade fly repellent for later
Would you like a reminder of this post to keep flies away with Pine Sol? Just pin this image to one of your household boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
Admin note: This post on how to keep flies away with Pine Sol first appeared on the blog in June of 2013. I have update the post to add all new photos, more information on pine oil, a project card and a printable label.
Homemade Fly Repellent with Pine Sol – Keep Flies Away!
The original Pine-Sol product contains pine oil which is know to repel flies. Make your own homemade fly repellent with this formula to keep flies away.
Materials
- 12 fl oz Original Pine-Sol formula
- 12 fl oz Water
Tools
- 24 oz spray bottle
- Glossy Photo Paper
- Printable label (shown below the instructions)
Instructions
Make the fly spray
- Mix the original Pine-Sol cleaner with the water.
- Mix well.
- Pour into the spray bottle.
- Use the fly repellent spray on tables, screens and other hard surfaces outdoors.
Print the label
- Load your printer with the glossy photo paper.
- Print out the label, trim, and attach to your bottle with a glue stick.
Notes
Keep the spray away from pets and children. This formula is not meant to be used on skin.
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31 responses to “Homemade Fly Repellent – Keep Flies Away with Pine sol”
We’re going to try it! There’s a cow pasture next door.
Thanks for the tip!
@Renee, We have cows next door as well! Certainly giving this a try.
Going to try this camping this weekend!
Can you use this in your hedges without it killing them?
Hi Tammie. I have no idea, since I have not tried doing this. I just use it occasionally on outdoor furniture and it appears to give me some benefit. Carol
The pine sol really works. Husband cooked breakfast out on grill and flies were all over. I remembered hearing this so tried it. Flies are gone. Wow ?
glad to hear it worked for you Debbie!
Im going to try the pine-sol and water in a spray bottle. Last year i made my own fly traps with soda bottle cut in half put something sweet in it and hung it up and it caught flies, bees and i loved it so im going to make them again!
Can I put mixture in cups and just put on the tables?
Hi Esther. I’ve never tried it that way. Spraying it on the tables puts in on all the landing spots, so I think it might work better. Carol
Leaving open glass containers of Pine-Sol in your camping trailer while it is in storage for the winter helps keep the mice out of your trailer. I sit one in the shower and another one in the kitchen sink.
Good idea Marsha. Thanks for the tip. Carol
I took a jar out holes in the lid and filled with 50/50 pine sol/water. Then set the jars on a table of food during a cook out. Flies didnt go near the food table.
Thanks for letting us know how it worked for you, Kelly. Carol
Would this be safe around animals?
My understanding is that Pine Sol is not safe around animals if they can get to it.
Thanks for sharing this informative article, nice job.
Please mix vinegar in your fly/mosquitoes/wasp traps. Bees are not aggressive and are endangered.
Thanx for the pinesoil tip.
Will the pinesol hurt my car paint. Flys are all over my white car
I do not recommend using Pine-Sol® to wash a car, since it is know to damage a car’s finish. The FAQ page on Pine Sol website says this:
Q: Can I use Pine-Sol® Squirt ‘N Mop for washing a car?
A: No, we do not recommend using the product to wash a car. It could possibly damage the paint or finish.
Use 50/50 Pinesol mix to keep flies down in the stable. Spray aisles, walls and stall walls. Don’t use on your horse.
I live on a river and the midges have invaded our pier and pier house. Will the pine sol mixture hurt the river?
I’m not sure How Pine Sol would affect surrounding water. That would be a good question to ask someone on the support at the Pine Sol website.
How can I get rid of flies flying around my porch use the same solution? But what do I spray it on if they are just flying around the top of my porch ? Help can’t set outside for them
Each setting is different. This worked at my party for the occasional fly but I haven’t tested it with a real infestation of them.
The pine sol doesn’t work for me.
@Victoria Ciancia,
A bar of Irish spring soap works to keep them away. Hang by string or set soap on a dish or plate.
@Kristi, Agreed, I rubbed Irish Spring soap on everything I could in our Garage, that is always inundated with flies in the Summer. I checked it after about an hour, 98% flies gone. We leave the door up, in the Summertime.
Before doing this, find out (or just remember) if anyone in your household or any of your guests have a chemical sensitivity. I just came home to discover that my partner had sprayed this on the house & screen doors. I’m now barricaded in the one bedroom that the stench isn’t invading, having an allergic reaction to it. Burning eyes, airways and lungs, coughing, and migraine. Sometimes just ignoring the flies is preferable to spraying toxic chemicals all over the environment. Also, please do not do this if you have pets. Their noses are much more sensitive than ours.
Tried this on all surfaces in kitchen and window sills and doors. Wiped down surfaces in garage and patio. Worked for about 5 minutes and they were back with friends. Very disappointed.
Please remember that Pine-sol is toxic to cats!