Cinnamon can unexpectedly benefit indoor plants, ensuring to keep away one common summer problem. As the weather gets warmer, Brits with houseplants might notice more flies buzzing around in their homes. Houseplant flies often appear in spring and summer, with fungus gnats in particular being an issue.

Once they've moved into one pot, they quickly spread to others, making them tricky to eradicate, Garden Know How warns. One woman, Emma Kendell, says she started dusting the soil surface of her houseplants with cinnamon powder, and she "hasn't seen a fungus gnat since."

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Adding cinnamon to the soil will kill the fungus gnat larvae, but it will also have anti-fungal properties which will create an environment where fungus is less likely to grow. This will remove the maggots' food source.

You should start with a light dusting of cinnamon on the surface of the potting mix. You can dust plants with cinnamon every couple of weeks if you notice there are a lot of insects.

To get a super-fine dusting, you should use a tea strainer or matcha sifter.

Pest Prevention Patrol says: "Understanding the relationship between cinnamon and flies is important to know how to use it effectively.

"Flies are attracted to the smell of food and other organic matter, and cinnamon's strong scent is overwhelming for them."

It adds that cinnamon acts as a natural fly repellent, but it is not a permanent solution.

To keep flies away, you need to use cinnamon in different forms and complement it with other natural fly repellents.

Gardening Know How says there's certain types of cinnamon which might work better than others.

It says: "Turns out, not all cinnamon is created equal. Cinnamon is made from the bark of various species of Cinnamomum trees.

"Cinnamon produced from Cinnamomum aromaticum trees is known as cassia, while premium Ceylon cinnamon comes from Cinnamomum verum trees.

"While Ceylon is considered far superior to cassia for culinary use, it contains a much lower concentration of cinnamaldehyde, which is the anti-fungal compound in cinnamon."

By trying out this simple and affordable hack in May, your plants could stay insect-free all summer.