As summer slowly creeps back into Suffolk and Essex, flies are starting to re-emerge - but they can carry diseases like gastroenteritis and diarrhoea so here is how to keep your food safe this summer.

East Anglian Daily Times: Hundreds of tiny balck beetles - attracted to yellow - have been spotted at locations across Suffolk and Essex Picture: ARCHANTHundreds of tiny balck beetles - attracted to yellow - have been spotted at locations across Suffolk and Essex Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

Check out our top tips for keeping your house and garden fly-free this summer, without having to shut and lock every door:

1. Screens, curtains and chains

Try hanging something in the way of your open doors to let the air in and keep the flies out.

Fly guards are readily available and some can be slotted into a door frame without any tools.

East Anglian Daily Times: Fruit flies are attracted to any sweet foodstuffs, which are easier to get to in the summer months through open kitchen windows Picture: JACK DYKINGAFruit flies are attracted to any sweet foodstuffs, which are easier to get to in the summer months through open kitchen windows Picture: JACK DYKINGA (Image: JACK DYKINGA)

READ MORE: Will black beetle swarm return to blight Suffolk in 2019?

2. Invest in some herbs

Some plants act as a natural fly deterrent; basil, rosemary, lavender, bay leaf and mint are known to repel flies, so a herb garden or new flowerbeds could save you hours of waving your arms about in the garden.

East Anglian Daily Times: Flies are attracted to bright colours - so this charity runner may want to follow these tips Picture: STEPHEN WALLERFlies are attracted to bright colours - so this charity runner may want to follow these tips Picture: STEPHEN WALLER (Image: STEPHEN WALLER)

3. Clear your surfaces

Fruit bowls, crumbs and any other exposed food are an easy target for flies. Keep your fruit covered in the summer so it doesn't become a breeding ground for bugs.

Some of the stranger corners of the internet also suggest keeping a fan blowing over it - apparently flies cannot land in a crosswind.

4. Clear your garden

It may seem simple but the further you keep your bins from your doors or windows, the less likely you are to have flies attracted to that rubbish in your house.

If you have any pets, the more frequently you clear up their waste, the less flies it will attract too.

5. Use a honey trap

If you want to keep the flies away from you while you are outside, leave something sweet-smelling at the far end of your garden.

6. Look out for points of entry

Flies following a sweet scent may get in through the gap in a door frame or a slightly open window.

Check your home inside and out for holes big enough for an insect - make sure you close your windows when you leave home for work or school and be prepared to fill any gaps in your window frames and brickwork.