Overview
- Pest-control practitioners, who were cited Thursday by Express, Yorkshire Live and the Daily Record, recommended thin cucumber slices to keep flies away.
- Experts say the cucumber skin releases compounds such as cucurbitacins and trans-2-nonenal that create smells flies avoid, though the exact mechanism is not proven.
- They advise placing fresh slices on window sills, by kitchen bins and around other spots where flies tend to gather.
- Guidance calls for replacing the slices every one to two days so they do not rot and draw in more flies.
- The method works best for light fly activity and should be paired with cleaning and sealing entry points, with cucumbers selling at supermarkets like Tesco for about 89p to 99p.