Is there anything I can use to repel flies?

Fly swatter and then a small hand-held vacuum. It is all pretty disgusting. Speaking of which, there is always flypaper, but I am guessing that the Dept. of Health would take a pretty dim view of it in a restaurant.

Although they attract rather than repel flies, perhaps placing some Venus flytraps away from the food would help.

I’ve been doing a little reading up on deterring insects lately and apparently most insects dislike citrus smells.

So, it might be a bit more expensive (because essential oils are) but wiping things down with orange/lemon oil would be a non toxic alternative which also smells nice in a food distribution atmosphere.

I was thinking that I could use Lysol. Do you think that would work?

You want to use Lysol on condiment containers which people are then going to use on their food? You need to rethink that.

Lysol is for floors, porcelain fixtures etc., heavy duty cleaning. I’ve never heard of it being used for food related items. It’s really harsh and smells obnoxious.

There’s a local restaurant which I frequent which is open 24/7. Several times they have started mopping the floors and the smell of Lysol is definitely NOT conducive to the enjoyment of food.

If I ever smelled Lysol on the condiment containers I would never eat there again. If that was the only solution for insects, I’d prefer the insects.

The reason the insects are drawn to these containers is because there are small amounts of food on the spouts.

If they are clean, there’s no food to attract them. Either Vineger or a Bleach&water solution are typically used in kitchen and food prep areas because the both evaporate into the air as they dry thus being nontoxic. That’s why they are used.

Or, you could use lemon dish detergent. But keeping those containers meticulously clean is the best way to keep the insects away. No food source, no insects.

@Buttonstc We keep the containers really clean but the flies just keep coming. I live in a tropical environment so they thrive here. The bleach and water is good but that doesn’t deter them for long and I just wanted to find out if there are anything more effective. What about Vim or insect repellent like OFF?