How to Get Rid Of House Flies | Do Your Own Pest Control

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Flies are annoying pests that seem to be inevitable parts of our lives. They are found in almost every household worldwide. Some of you may assume house flies to be harmless as they don’t bite humans like other insects. But the truth is that house flies are carriers of several diseases.

Having flies flying around your house is not only a nuisance, but it also spread diseases, especially when they sit on your food. Luckily, some effective ways can help you remove house flies.

In this guide, we will tell you how to get rid of house flies. Instead of calling the professionals and spending money, you can follow these methods. These are easy and cost-effective ways of removing house flies. That said, now let’s walk you through the details.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Gnats? | 12 Effective Ways

Why You Should Remove Flies From Your House?

Flies are not generally harmful, but they are a carrier of diseases. Flies can be of various types ranging from fruit flies to houseflies. 

Some flies carry bacteria, germs, and other infectious agents that can make you sick. When flies make contact with people or food, they spread germs from their bodies. Some of the most common diseases caused by house flies are:

  • Diarrhea
  • Dysentery
  • Trachoma
  • Epidemic conjunctivitis
  • Typhoid
  • Cholera
  • Skin infections

It is because of these reasons; you should not take flies for granted. Before you have a fly infestation in your home, you should get rid of them using effective methods.

List of Ways to Get Rid of House Flies

There are many natural and safe ways to eliminate flies from your house. In this section, we are going to cover the most effective methods. Go through the details, and you will know what to do.

1. Clean Your House

For those who don’t know, flies need water to breed. It makes an important part of their diet. Flies cannot stay alive for more than 48 hours without water.

Many housefly infestations occur due to excess moisture accumulating around the house. For instance, stagnant water puddles near or outside your house are an ideal breeding ground for houseflies. This is why you should check your surroundings, sinks, and drains. Keep them clean and prevent any moisture build-up.

You must also clean your kitchen garbage every day as they attract flies inside the house. Once they get inside your home, they can find a suitable place to breed. This can lead to a housefly infestation. It is better to avoid such situations from happening in the first place.

2. Make a DIY Fly Repellent Spray

Instead of buying an expensive fly repellent spray from the market, you can prepare it in the house. All you need are some essential oils that fly hate. Essential oils like peppermint, lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus, and basil are the most effective ones. That’s because flies cannot stand the strong smell of these oils.

You can use these essential oils to make your fly repellent spray at home. Mix some of these oils in a spray bottle with water. Make sure that you use enough essential oil to make the fragrance strong.

Now spray this solution around your doorways and in the kitchen. This will help you keep the flies out. To get the best results, you must spray it regularly. Also, don’t forget to label the fly repellent so that others don’t touch it. Keep the solution out of the reach of pets and children.

3. Use Plants to Keep Flies Away

Lavendar
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/lavendar-field-green-closeup-1153408/

If you are looking for a simple and easy way of removing flies, then you can try this method. Some indoor plants help keep flies away. Plants such as mint, lavender, basil, and lemongrass are great for repelling flies. This may not kill the flies, but at least it will keep them away from your house.

This is an organic way of removing houseflies. You can use these herbs as foundation plantings around your house. Not just that, but you can also stick them in flower pots and place them near your back and front door.

4. Use Insecticides 

Another very effective way of getting rid of flies is using insecticides. You will come across many different sprays and insecticides on the market. Use this method only if you want to kill the flies. This method is very effective when it comes to removing a housefly infestation.

Pyrethrin is a type of pesticide that is highly toxic to insects. You can use it to deal with flies. However, you should know that these insecticides are only a temporary solution.

When using insecticides, you need to be very careful. Make sure that it doesn’t come in direct contact with your eyes or skin. You should also avoid inhaling it as it is harmful to your health. Although it has low toxicity, it can irritate the skin.

5. Set Fly Traps

Flytraps are of two types, one is light traps, and the second is sticky traps. If you are wondering how to get rid of flies safely, then using these traps would be the best idea.

Light traps are boxes that come with a fitted light in the back. It attracts flies and kills them with an electric zap. Make sure to mount these light traps away from windows and entrances. They should be mounted within 5 feet of the floor.

Even sticky traps are a great option when it comes to removing flies. These are sticky papers that can be laid down or hung throughout the house. They may not be very effective as other methods but can help get rid of flies safely.

6. Prepare a Solution of Dish Soap & Vinegar

Dish Soap
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dish-soap.jpg

A mixture of dish soap and vinegar can help you trap flies with ease. For this, mix a few drops of dish soap with an inch of apple cider vinegar in a tall glass. Now cover the glass with plastic wrap and secure it using a rubber band. Make small holes on the top.

The smell of vinegar will attract the flies, and they will fly through the holes. But the dish soap will make the flies sink instead of letting them land on vinegar. This is one of the best and cost-effective ways of removing flies.

7. Cayenne Pepper & Water

Cayenne Pepper
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/cayenne-peppers-red-peppers-2779834/

Cayenne pepper serves as a great natural fly repellent. Besides flies, it is also effective on other insects. All you need to do is mix one cup of water with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a spraying bottle.

Spray the solution near the entrance of your house. This will help repel houseflies and prevent them from entering your home. But you will have to spray the solution regularly to get the desired effect.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Mice? 8 Tried & Tested Methods

Now that you know how to get rid of house flies, it should be easier for you to make your home a disease-free place. Instead of calling pest control professionals, you can try out these methods. Some of these methods will keep the flies away, and others will kill them immediately. It is up to you what you want.

Houseflies are a big nuisance and should be removed from your homes as soon as possible. By keeping the flies away, you can maintain a clean and disease-free environment in your house.

By James Edwards

James Edwards is a writer & editor with almost 15 years of experience from Murphys, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.

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