The proverb you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar means that it is much easier to get what you want by being polite rather than by being rude and insolent.
It is easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude rather than with rude demands and negativity.
It's usually said with "flies" rather than "bees". You catch more flies with honey than vinegar is a well-known English proverb. The literal meaning being that you have flies in your home, you will have better success catching them with honey than with vinegar.
The Efficacy of Honey
Well, it's definitely going to help you more than vinegar generally will, at least (though apple cider vinegar can be used to attract them too). Flies may be attracted to the sweetness of honey. Of course, that sweetness can be a fly's downfall, since it's also quite sticky.
As mentioned above, some, especially in the United States, believe the phrase was first used by Benjamin Franklin. This is due to the fact that it appeared in Poor Richard's Almanack, published in 1744.
Perhaps that is why my daddy almost daily said, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Proverbs 15:18 puts it this way, “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” How are your words?
Make yourself all honey and the flies will devour you.
This seemingly scary English proverb is in fact used to describe a person whose behaviour is so very servile and obsequious that people have no respect for him and treat him with contempt.
Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.
Vinegar (or acetic acid) is the ultimate product of the fermentation process in fruit, which is why fruit flies are attracted to vinegar odor. However, both low and high concentrations of vinegar odor leave flies indifferent (left).
Flies hate the smell of essential oils like lemon grass, peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus – put a few drops in a spray bottle and use around the house daily. They also hate the smell of camphor (a traditional moth deterrent) which you can buy online, cloves and cinnamon.
Vinegar. This common pantry item is useful for many things, but not many people know that it repels bees, as well. Vinegar spray is a great natural way to get the bees out of your yard.
Household vinegar by itself is unlikely to kill bees. And it does not repel wasps.
Vinegar is a great solution for deterring bees. Unlike chemical deterrents, vinegar doesn't contain any harsh substances, and it doesn't harm most plants. To make a homemade vinegar solution, mix together equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle.
The scent and texture of vinegar naturally repel most types of bees. If you notice certain areas of your home where you often find them, then use the vinegar spray in that area as well.
You catch more bees with honey. Otherwise, you get the stinger. ~ Wendy L. Steed | Quotes to live by, Honey quotes, Quotes.
Does Vinegar, Dish Soap, Essential Oils Repel Flies? Vinegar attracts, not repels flies; however, a container with vinegar and dish soap will function as an attractant trap as the vinegar lures flies to enter the trap and the dish soap will cause the flies to sink and die.
Using white vinegar as fly repellent is a great if you're in a pinch. Add it to a spray bottle alongside dish soap, water, and baking soda for a surprisingly effective treatment.
Mix some isopropyl alcohol and water together and pour into a spray bottle. Spray it all over the area where the fruit flies are located, and they will die on contact. While you're spraying down the area for fruit flies, the mixture will also rid your kitchen of mold, bacteria, and other unwanted substances.
Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents: cinnamon, peppermint, cedar, citronella, lemongrass, patchouli, catnip, lavender, and more. Find a favorite, and use it when you want to spend time outside.
You guessed it: flies despise cloves and lemon due to their strong smells. For us, however, these natural repellents are quite aromatic. To create this decorative and natural repellent, you'll need a lemon and 6-12 cloves.
A mixture of apple cider vinegar and dish soap can help you trap flies and kill them. Mix about an inch of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a tall glass. Cover the glass with plastic wrap, secure it with a rubber band and poke small holes in the top.
Honey is a miracle food: it never spoils when kept in the right conditions.