Spotting one or two random flies in your home is pretty normal. But when their numbers suddenly increase and you start seeing these buzzing pets everywhere it is time to take action. Flies are the least active during colder months and typically reach maturity during the spring. So, how to get rid of flies from your indoor and outdoor spaces?
In this guide, we will show you how to get rid of flies outside and inside of your house so you can enjoy both your indoor and outdoor space without worrying about any infestation. But before that let’s know where the flies came from and are they harmful or not.
Where do flies come from?
Flies can be found both indoors and outdoors during the warm months of the year. They are considered a type of filth fly because they are generally attracted to decaying organic matter, dead animals, or animal faeces. Flies can fly into your house from any nearby area conducive to development such as a farm, trash bins, compost piles, or other areas where decaying organic matter exists. Adult house flies are attracted to the decaying matter and will fly in to lay their eggs. The eggs will develop into maggots usually within 1-3 days. The maggots will develop into a pupa within 3 days and the pupa will then develop into the adult housefly. A fly’s lifespan is typically 21 days, but females can lay up to 900 eggs during that time.
Are House Flies harmful?
Though house flies don’t bite humans it doesn’t mean that they do not pose threats. House flies carry viruses and bacterias that can spread diseases like:
- Food poisoning
- Cholera
- E. coli
- Typhoid fever
- Dysentery
- Tuberculosis
- Eye infections
- A tropical infection called yaws
As we have discussed where these flies came from and what diseases they can cause us, now let’s discuss how we can get rid of flies both indoors and outdoors.
How to Get Rid of Flies in House
If you want to prevent flies from entering your home in the first place, then you have to keep your doors and windows closed when possible, cover food, clear away food debris, and keep trash in tightly sealed lids.
A swatter can be helpful for snagging random flies but there are a few remedies you can try to get rid of flies in your house naturally.
Herbs and Flowers
Herbs and flowers can be planted both in your garden and inside your house to keep the flies away. The herbs and flowers that can repel flies include:
- Basil
- Marigold
- Lavender
- Bay leaves
- Catnip
- Skin Infection
Use a Mix of Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap
Mix about an inch of apple cider vinegar with dish soap with a pinch of sugar in a glass. Then cover the glass with plastic wrap and secure it with rubber bands and poke a small hole in the top.
The fermented smell from the vinegar will attract the flies and they will fly through the hole to the glass. The detergent in soap will destroy the flies’ digestive tract and can also break down their cell walls and the flies will sink instead of being able to land on the vinegar. This is one of the easy and clean ways to get rid of flies in your house.
Cayenne Pepper and Water
Cayenne pepper can help repel house flies. Mix it with water and spray around the house to deter flies from coming in.
Try Flypaper
This is a sticky strip of paper that you can easily string up from the ceiling or wherever the flies are hanging out the most. When flies (or other winged insects) check it out, they get stuck to the paper.
Similarly, you can put eucalyptus oil on hanging paper strips—say, near a window—to repel them, as flies don’t like the scent. This will only repel them though, not kill them.
Use Light Traps
Light traps work by attracting flies and swatting them with a jolt of electricity. These light traps are quite efficient in attracting all kinds of flies that wander into your living space such as house flies, wasps, mosquitoes, tiny moths, etc. They lure insects using an ultraviolet lamp. The ideal way to go about setting up your light trap is as follows:
- Position your light trap about 4 to 6 feet over the floor.
- Choose a place such that the light trap isn’t visible to the outside through a window or door so it won’t attract any flies from there.
- Use light traps designed for homes as the larger high voltage traps can create a bit of a mess.
Natural Trap Bait
You can also use foods or drinks to which flies are attracted in order to entice them into traps. These include:
- sugar (honey or molasses)
- wine
- fruit
- meat
Once you trap the flies, then you can use an electronic swatter to kill them.
These are some of the natural ways you can use to get rid of flies in your house.
How to Get Rid of Flies Outside of Your Home
Because most flies make their way into your home from the outdoors, it is recommended to make some changes to your surroundings.
Move mulch piles away from your house
Always try to keep the mulch piles away from your house as Flies like to breed in them. If you don’t have that much space to work with, at least try to keep the pile away from doors and windows.
Keep garbage cans well sealed
Flies are attracted to the scent of fermented and rotted goods, which is why they’re especially into the garbage. Keeping your cans sealed and away from points of entry should help you to get rid of flies outside your home.
Spruce up your lawn with plants
Like indoor, plants can also help you get rid of flies from outside as well. Certain plants, like basil, lavender, and mint, may actually help repel flies and other pests.
Clean up after your pets
If you have a pet cat or dog at home, their litter box could become a breeding ground for all kinds of flies if you don’t pick up after them soon. Flies prefer to lay eggs on faeces and can release dozens of eggs at a time. They can hatch in as little as 24 hours and lead to an infestation. So clean up after your pets.
Keeping your house free from flies is a never-ending process. Flies are always waiting for a chance to fly into our homes and breed. Your first line of defence should be prevention. Keep your house and surroundings clean at all times so that the flies don’t come anywhere near your house, and if they do, then try the above-mentioned remedies to get rid of the flies both indoors and outdoors.
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