Mrs Hinch fans share 'brilliant' hack using coins to get rid of flies
With summer on the horizon, house flies become an increasingly common irritation as they frequently invade homes in search of food. The bothersome bugs can cause quite the commotion, particularly when they gather in swarms inside homes during the warmer summer months, lured in by the smell of food or rubbish bins.
Yet, according to one devoted Mrs Hinch fan, there's no need for potent chemicals to handle your insect issues. Instead, she advocates for the use of coins and a plastic sandwich bag as a solution. The handy tip emerged on a Facebook group for Mrs Hinch devotees, where a lady asked for advice on how to manage flies given her home's close proximity to a farm.
She asked: "What's the best thing to get rid of flies? Live near a cow farm and they are starting already."
One helpful person responded with an innovative yet simple technique. They posted: "Put a few pennies in a clear bag in water and hang it up - you need to change the water every now and then though. Flies and wasps think it's a wasps nest and stay away!"
One impressed group member confirmed that the hack does indeed work, posting: "I did this today, I hung it in the centre of the French doors into the conservatory. I've only seen one fly today, well worth a try!"
Another confirmed the claim, saying: "Put some copper coins in a food bag with water and hang them on door frames. Works a treat, I have had no flies in my house for years!".
The reason this works is due to the fact that flies have compound vision - meaning they see things differently to the way humans do.
The flies see the bag of water multiple times at once, and with the pennies inside, it creates a rainbow prism that hurts their eyes.
Fly curtains are also an effective way to deter flies, especially for homes with pets that go in and out throughout the day.
One other commenter added: "Fly curtains brilliant I don't get them."
Another wrote: "Old fashioned but I did this today. Helped immediately. Plus my dog can still get in and out."
The most effective fly repellent is keeping your home free from waste - particularly food.
Walter Murphy, a pest control specialist at PriceYourJob.co.uk, said: "The best way to get rid of flies is by making sure your home is clean and free of any sugary substances, rotting meat or other waste. This will involve wiping down surfaces and emptying the bin as often as possible to prevent flies from lingering in your home.
"You can also use natural repellents, such as apple cider vinegar, to get rid of flies."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm pregnant after affair with wealthy man but he won't take any responsibility… should I contact his mum?
He is from a wealthy background and I am certain he hasn't told anyone about this DEAR DEIDRE I'm pregnant after affair with wealthy man but he won't take any responsibility… should I contact his mum? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEAR DEIDRE: A PASSIONATE but short-lived affair with a wealthy man has ended with me now expecting his baby. I am a 30-year-old single mum. I've been divorced for two years and have two beautiful daughters, aged seven and five. One night I was lonely at home after they had gone to bed and I set myself up on a dating app. It was quite encouraging to see the responses I got and it wasn't long before I had arranged to meet up with a guy. He was 37, single and very, very good-looking. He told me he was a financial adviser and he was clearly pretty well-off. We went to a bar for a few drinks and afterwards I went back to his penthouse flat. We used condoms but one night I noticed the condom was torn. Still, I thought it was safe and put any worries out of my head — until I missed my period. I was pregnant. When I messaged him, he told me he wanted nothing to do with the baby or me. I was so shocked at his tone and messaged back to tell him I'd booked a termination. Predictably he replied, telling me it was the right decision and to get rid. But before my appointment, my maternal instincts kicked in and I couldn't go ahead with an abortion. I told him I'd had a change of heart and cancelled the appointment. Since then I have sent him updates of my pregnancy including photos of ultrasound scans. Dear Deidre: Cheating and can you get over it It hasn't made any difference. He is adamant he doesn't want to be a father or take any responsibility. He is from a wealthy background and I am certain he hasn't told anyone about this. He is still on the dating app and acting as though nothing has happened. I know I can cope on my own and my daughters are excited at having another sibling. I am wondering whether I should contact his mum and tell her she is going to be a grandmother. Why should she miss out? Is this a good idea? DEIDRE SAYS: The decision to tell his family must lie with him. You can't know how his mum will react. He can't abandon you either. He has a legal obligation to pay towards his child's upkeep even if he doesn't want to be involved in their life. Take a look at He may also have a change of heart and want to become an involved dad once the baby is born. Get in touch with Deidre Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays. Send an email to deardeidre@ You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page. HE WANTS ME AS I'M A VIRGIN DEAR DEIDRE: AFTER a perfect first date with a lovely guy, he has told me he only wants a casual, physical thing. I am not sure if this is such a bad idea. I am 18 and he is 20. We met through a mutual friend a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited when he asked me out on a date. We ended up going for a drink in town before heading off into our local park for an impromptu picnic. It was so romantic and I thought it was the beginning of something really special. We talked about anything and everything and had loads of things in common. Then he told me that he wasn't looking for a girlfriend. He just wants someone to hook up with occasionally and keep things casual. I am still a virgin. He said that because of that he likes me even more. He has promised to look after me and make our first time special but is it a good idea? DEIDRE SAYS: This guy is investing nothing in you emotionally. He doesn't want a girlfriend, he just wants sex and to be your first. He has also made that pretty plain. You owe him nothing, so only have sex when you are ready and when you are with the right guy. You could be setting yourself up to get very hurt and feeling used. Tell him being so casual just isn't your scene. My support pack Learning About Relationships explains more. SO REGRET FINISHING WITH HER DEAR DEIDRE: SPLITTING up with my girlfriend was the worst decision I ever made. I realised that I'd made a big mistake when she spotted me at a beer festival in town. I am 34 and she is 33. We split up just over a year ago after being together for three years. We just seemed to be drifting apart and things were stale – or so I thought at the time. It was my decision to end our relationship, and I know she was heartbroken when I told her how I felt. We have been able to stay friends and I see her out and about. She has a new guy now. She seems really happy with him whereas I have not been able to move on. She told me they have plans to go to New Zealand next year. It is a place I have also wanted to visit for many years. I know I made a terrible mistake in letting her go. DEIDRE SAYS: Please don't beat yourself up over this. You made a decision that felt right at the time. The chances are if you and she got back together you would soon feel the same way all over again. She has put you behind her and you have to get on with your life. My support pack Moving On will help you to do this. Start planning your own holiday now. It will give you something to look forward to. There are lots of single traveller websites if you don't want to travel alone. SPITEFUL EXES KEEPING KIDS AWAY FROM ME DEAR DEIDRE: MY daughter's mother says I can only see our girl for a few hours in the morning on my birthday, rather than having her stay with me overnight as originally planned. It means she will miss out on seeing my parents too as they were going to arrive in time for a celebration dinner. I'm 37 and my daughter's ten. I know my ex is doing it to punish me because I can't pay her this month. I also have a son by a different woman. He is almost 13 but I barely see him at all. His mother has virtually alienated him against me so all I get is an occasional text and a visit once in a blue moon. I am doing my best to provide for both of my kids, but I have recently changed jobs and won't get my first wages for another week, which is why I can't pay my daughter's mum her monthly maintenance until later. I know she will have twisted it and told my little girl that I don't care about her. It is all lies but this is what she is like, as we had a bad break-up. I'm in a bad way. I feel like everyone's against me. Sometimes I think it would just be the easier option for everyone if I ended it all. DEIDRE SAYS: This is heartbreaking for you and your children too. It is cruel of your exes to deny you contact. I wonder whether you gave your daughter's mum the heads-up that your money would be late this month. Tell her the cash will be coming soon. If she won't speak to you, is there someone such as a friend or relative who can mediate between you? If not, mediation could really help ( For more advice check out Both Parents Matter ( 0300 300 363). If you continue to feel down, call the Samaritans ( 116 123) and please do see your GP too.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Indonesian ferry fire survivor clings to tiny baby after abandoning ship in water
The KM Barcelona 5 passenger ferry was carrying hundreds of people when it caught fire at sea, and chilling footage from one survivor shows the moment people tried to escape A man who leapt from a burning ferry while clinging to a baby was caught in chilling footage. Abdul Rahmad Agu shared the heart-in-mouth moments on a Facebook livestream, as people jumped off a boat that had caught fire in Indonesia. The KM Barcelona 5 passenger ferry was carrying hundreds of people when it caught fire at sea earlier today off Sulawesi island, killing at least five people, officials said. Several more people remain unaccounted for, but it is not yet known exactly how many people were on board. In the livestream, people can be seen jumping from the ferry into the water. Abdul can be heard saying: "Help, the KM Barcelona V is on fire. There are still many people on board… we are burning at sea… we need help fast.' The live stream, which lasted for around 28 minutes, showed the blaze destroying the ship. Chilling screams can be heard as people tried to clear the ship. Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea. Orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel. The ferry was heading to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud, an island district in the province, when it caught fire in waters near Talise. Rescue and evacuation efforts are ongoing. Vice-Admiral Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, said three navy ships have been deployed and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. Rescuers retrieved five bodies, including a pregnant woman. Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed. Residents of Mentawai Islands found several people stranded on July 14 after a speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm the day before, authorities said. All were in good condition. A ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali early this month, leaving at least 19 dead and 16 others missing. A two-week search operation involved more than 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter and divers. Elsewhere, at least 38 people were killed after a boat carrying tourists capsized during a sudden thunderstorm in Vietnam during a sightseeing excursion yesterday. The Wonder Sea was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members – all of them Vietnamese – on a tour of the popular destination of Ha Long Bay, according to state media reports. Rescue workers saved 11 people and recovered the dead near the site of the capsizing, VNExpress newspaper said. One survivor died in hospital due to their injuries. The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull. The newspaper said most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children.
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
The Texas floods washed away their possessions. Volunteers are helping reunite them.
From jewelry to a heart-shaped summer camp sign, these are some of the objects found in the wake of this month's devastating floods. July 19, 2025, 7:00 AM EDT By Daniel Arkin Matthew Rafferty was scouring the flooded riverbanks of Texas Hill Country last weekend when he stumbled on a mud-soaked baby quilt. Rafferty, a Virginia firefighter who was deployed to hard-hit Kerr County to help with search and recovery efforts, folded it up and took it back to his hotel. He rinsed it off in the bathtub. He worried the drain might clog because of all the filth, tree roots and rocks that came out. But the tub survived and, after a trip to the laundromat, the quilt was virtually good as new. He posted a photo of the blanket on a Facebook group where people across central Texas are keeping track of things they've recovered from the devastation: waterlogged clothes, stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, marriage licenses, family photo albums. Rafferty eventually connected with the quilt's owner and hand-delivered it to her. 'I'm a father of 3-year-old twin boys. I know if I'd gone through something like these quilts, I'd want it back,' said Rafferty, 34. Rafferty is part of a loose network of first responders, volunteers and good Samaritans who have fanned out across the region to help reunite Texans with the cherished belongings, family heirlooms and everyday household knickknacks that were swept away when floods ripped through Kerr County over Fourth of July weekend, killing more than 130 people and leaving at least 100 missing. This week, NBC News spoke with people in the region about the objects that have turned up in the floods' aftermath — and why they matter. In some cases, seemingly trivial items have taken on far greater emotional significance in the wake of the deadly floods. These are some of their stories. The jewelry Patty Hyatt was inside her mobile home with her 8-year-old grandson and her new beagle puppy early July 4 when her son called. The floodwaters were rising fast and they needed to get to higher ground as soon as possible, he told her. Hyatt, a 67-year-old retired teacher, loaded everyone into her Toyota Tacoma and headed to her son's house, leaving most of her things behind. When she returned to the Old River Road RV Resort the following morning, her 42-foot Forest River home was gone, washed away by the floods. She was heartbroken. 'I just lost stuff, not loved ones,' she said — but most objects in her home were associated with special 'memories' and she was sorry to see them go. That's where Dondi Persyn stepped in. Persyn, 54, posted a photo of some of Hyatt's jewelry on 'FOUND on the Guadalupe River,' a Facebook page she created that she runs with the help of friends. The jewelry had turned up in Center Point, roughly 10 miles from Kerrville. Persyn, who used to own a vintage store, spent a night untangling and cleaning Hyatt's necklaces and bracelets by hand, restoring some of their luster. It turned out that during the flash flooding, Hyatt's orange clamshell necklace and other pieces had been fortuitously held together by a pink string — a bracelet that a student had made for Hyatt more than a decade ago. In that, Hyatt saw rich symbolism. 'The children have always held me together,' Hyatt said. 'They're still holding me together.' The totem pole Ten years ago, Shelby Johnson bought something on a lark from a merchant in San Antonio: a hand-carved and painted totem pole. She named it 'Oonka Oonka.' The totem pole was a highlight of her annual spring break parties, and it stood proudly on the back porch of her boyfriend's house, located on a secluded stretch between Center Point and the town of Comfort. Flash-forward to the chaos of July Fourth: Johnson, 53, and her boyfriend, J.R. Haas, fled to higher ground in their trucks before the floods deluged his house. When they returned, they discovered most of their possessions were destroyed, the house reduced to a 'disgusting, muddy mess.' They found the remains of one of her three cats, a kitten named Fancy, and realized Johnson's Volkswagen Jetta had floated down the road. Apparently, so had Oonka Oonka. The totem pole was found off a riverbank in Comfort by Cory Nicholson, a 40-year-old volunteer searcher and roofing contractor who posted his discovery on the Facebook page. The wooden sculpture had emerged intact and mostly unscathed. 'It was in close to perfect condition,' Nicholson said. Oonka Oonka has been returned to Johnson, who sees her 10-year-old purchase in a different light. 'He's turned into a symbol of survival now,' she said. The camp sign Brandon Hamrick and his wife, Shanndel, volunteered to help search for bodies just a day after raging waters tore through the region. They were combing through a riverbed near their home in Center Point on July 5 when they found a 2-by-2-foot wooden sign in the shape of a heart. It was a remnant of Heart O' the Hills, a summer camp for girls in the flood-battered community of Hunt. Hamrick, 47, wiped mud off the face of the sign. The white paint was torn and chipped in some spots, but he could make out inscriptions from campers — including one apparently dated 1992. 'I could see the names of all these girls on there. I felt joyous, in a way, because I knew I could bring it back to them,' Hamrick said. He believed returning the sign to Heart O' the Hills could bring a small measure of solace to a community mourning the loss of Jane Ragsdale, the camp's co-owner and director, who died in the floods. (The camp was not in session during the disaster.) Brandon and Shanndel, who build custom pickup trucks for a living, found children's toys along the riverbed, too — a tiny doll with long blond hair, a 'Paw Patrol' stuffed animal. They gathered up as much as they could. The Hamricks plan to drive out to the camp to hand-deliver the sign to the surviving owners. The memorial bench Four years ago this month Patricia Jernigan's daughter Shannon died from breast cancer. She was 50. The two women lived together in Texas Hill Country. They enjoyed their lives in the area; Shannon was a material program manager for the supply chain at A7 Defense & Aerospace and in her spare time admired Kerr County's population of white-tailed deer. In honor of Shannon's life, Patricia installed a commemorative bench at Lehmann-Monroe Park, a 27-acre patch of land west of the Guadalupe River. The park was thrashed during the floods, and the bench was apparently swept away to nearby Louise Hays Park. That's where it was discovered by Orlando 'Orly' Ayala, a 38-year-old volunteer searcher. Ayala was digging through piles of debris when he spotted the bench at the base of a cypress tree on the night of July 10. 'I cleaned it off and I realized, 'Wow, this is really something,'' said Ayala. Patricia, 77, said she wants the bench to be reinstalled in Kerrville after the area is cleaned up. The plaque that had been affixed to the bench has gone missing, but she hopes it is found. That way, passersby and animal watchers can read the poem under Shannon's name — five rhyming lines Patricia wrote in her daughter's memory: When it comes to God's critters big or small she wanted to feed them one and all But when it came to deer, such gentle souls she loved to feed them with hands and bowls Forever we will love the heart of this baby girl. Daniel Arkin Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.
