If there’s one thing I can’t stand in summer—besides my hair sticking to my neck—it’s flies. They show up like uninvited relatives at a BBQ, landing on everything, buzzing in your face, and acting like they pay rent. Around the animals, it’s even worse. Bessie flicks her tail like she’s flagging planes, and the goats give me that side-eye that says, “Do something, woman.”
So, I did. I whipped up my own fly spray, and let me tell you—it smells so good I almost sprayed it on myself. Almost.
Here’s the magic mix that keeps our animals from losing their minds (and me from losing mine):
- 8 ounces of apple cider vinegar
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 6 drops peppermint essential oil (and no, not the extract from the baking aisle—that’ll just make your barn smell like Christmas cookies gone wrong)
- A couple drops of Seventh Generation Lavender Mint dish liquid. Yes, it has to be that one. Trust me. I’ve tried others, and somehow the flies just laughed at me.
I pour it all into a little spray bottle, give it a good shake, and voilà—fly kryptonite. The vinegar does the heavy lifting, the tea tree keeps things clean and fresh, and that peppermint-lavender combo? Heavenly. The dish soap helps it stick to fur without feeling greasy. Plus, it’s gentle enough that I don’t worry when Ethan inevitably gets curious and wants to “help.”
We spray it on the cows, goats, even the coop area sometimes. The smell drifts through the yard like some fancy spa decided to open next to the compost pile. Josh rolled his eyes the first time I made it (“You’re really using our dish soap on the animals?”), but now he’s the one grabbing the bottle before feeding time.
Homesteading has this way of turning you into a mad scientist with vinegar and essential oils, but honestly, it’s kind of fun. The best part? No more fly clouds buzzing around my face while I milk. Just clean, minty air, happy animals, and me feeling a little smug with my homemade magic potion.
Who knew fighting flies could smell like a trip to the farmers’ market and a yoga studio at the same time?