It can be difficult to figure out how to get rid of house flies. These pests can spread viruses and pathogens, lay eggs, and defecate on surfaces, to name a few. By dirtying your water and food, they can spread a variety of illnesses. These diseases include food poisoning, E. coli, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, etc.
To get rid of these insects, you could apply a pesticide spray or another chemical mixture. However, just like the viruses that flies carry, common pesticide chemicals can be harmful to your home and family. Fortunately, non-toxic solutions exist, ranging from natural insect repellent to fly-repelling plants. You can safely and organically handle your fly problem with basic cleanliness habits and several non-toxic fly repellants.
Hence, scroll and read on to learn how to get rid of houseflies with natural, practical, and family-friendly solutions.
Health Risks of Houseflies
Flies are generally harmless, however, they can be bothersome pests. Houseflies and fruit flies are two types of them that can be found in the household. Fruit flies are attracted to sweet things such as overripe fruit, spilled soft drinks, and alcohol. On the contrary, typical house flies are attracted to decaying organic waste such as feces and rotting flesh.
When they come into touch with people or food, they can spread pathogens such as bacteria and other infectious agents. These bacteria can cause a variety of diseases and symptoms, including:
- cholera
- dysentery
- diarrhea
- typhoid fever
- epidemic conjunctivitis
- trachoma
- skin disease
Houseflies, on the other hand, aren’t a major disease vector.
How To Keep Flies away with Aromatic Plants
Many aromatic plants whet our appetites and calm our worries, whether for cooking or aromatherapy. Besides, some of these plants also repel insects, making for a healthier, less irritating summer.
How To Keep Flies away with Cloves
Cloves are repulsive to flies. Place a bowl of dried cloves in each room where you’re having fly difficulties. And lo and behold, watch them disappear. Else, poke around 20 whole cloves into a ripe apple or citrus fruit. Further, set it on a dish, and watch these insects vanish. These aromatic pomanders keep these pests at bay in your home. In addition, they can emit delicious fragrances for weeks.
How To Keep Flies away with Lavender
Since lavender is widely available in many forms, it is one of the easiest ways to get rid of houseflies. Growing lavender plants outside and arranging a bouquet of fresh lavender in a vase keeps them away. Moreover, burning lavender oil near entrances and windows also helps to get rid of these pests.
How To Keep Flies away with Citrus
Citrus oil is a natural bug deterrent. Hence, many commercial fly repellents contain orange or lemon extracts. Place citrus peels in an area where flies are buzzing. To keep the peels wet, keep them in a little cloth on a dish. In addition, rub them every now and then to keep the aroma fresh.
How To Keep Flies away with Basil
Basil is repulsive to these pests. It is a robust plant that grows well in gardens, flowerbeds, and indoor containers. To keep flies out of your house, plant basil near windows or entrances. Else, you could also plant them in outside gardens to keep flies away. Place a few basil plants in your kitchen and observe how quickly they vanish. Plus, basil is a terrific on-the-go garnish, so it’s a win-win situation.
How To Keep Flies away with Pine
Pine oil is an effective natural insect repellent. Place a few drops on a cheesecloth and place it where you observe flies. Likewise, place cotton balls soaked in pine oil in a dish whenever you spot such pests.
How To Keep Flies away with Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is a natural fly repellent that also works on a variety of other insects. In a misting bottle, combine a cup of water and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Spray near entrances and anywhere you see these pests.
Natural Traps to Get Rid of Flies
You may need more than a natural fly repellent at times; you might have to attract and capture them. Here is a list of field-tested fly traps that will immediately address your fly problem.
How To Keep Flies away with Vinegar
Thus, you can trap and kill these pests with a solution of apple cider vinegar and dish soap. In a tall glass, combine about an inch of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Further, wrap plastic wrap around the glass and tie it with a rubber band. Finally, poke small holes in the top. The vinegar in the glass will attract them, which will fly through the perforations. The pests sink instead of landing on the vinegar due to the dish soap film.
Else, fill a spray bottle with a mixture of dish soap, water, baking soda, and vinegar. Per cup of water, add few drops of dish soap, a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda. Use this mixture as a fly repellent with a few sprays. Furthermore, sprinkle it around plants and in toilets, such as in places where gnats are frequent.
How To Keep Flies away with Homemade Fly Killer Spray
Mix half a cup of water, half a cup of isopropyl alcohol, and a teaspoon of dish liquid. Further, fill a spray bottle with this mixture. Likewise, spray this solution directly on the flies to kill them.
How To Keep Flies away with Venus Flytrap
Venus flytraps are insect-attracting, trapping, and eating plants. They will naturally repel flies if planted outside. However, they aren’t as effective indoors. The plant closes around a fly when it lands and sets off triggers. It then secretes digestive fluid to disintegrate the fly. Furthermore, it opens up and discards the pest’s exoskeleton 10 to 12 days later.
How To Keep Flies away with Light Trap
Light traps are boxes with a light at the back that attract flies continuously. Depending on the light trap used, the pests either get electrocuted or caught while trying to go to the light. Place light traps about five feet off the ground, away from doors and windows where these could enter your property.
How To Keep Flies away with Fly Fruit Trap
Use a perforated plastic wrap to cover rotting fruit in a jar. They are drawn to the rotten fruit and enter the jar. However, they become trapped there and unable to exit.
How To Keep Flies away with Sticky Trap
Sticky traps are sticky paper strips that can be hung or put out throughout your home. They have a sticky material as a coating that draws flies in and captures them. Use caution when applying them indoors since they tend to attach to everything.
Minimizing Your Home’s ‘Fly Appeal’ To Get Rid Of Flies
Places, where houseflies can lay their eggs, attract them. This typically refers to locations where there is a lot of wood debris, garbage, animal feces, and decaying stuff. Limiting access to the locations that they love is the best method to make your home less appealing to them.
- Check for holes, gaps, or tears in your screens, windows, doors, and house vents.
- Use a garbage container with a tight-fitting cover and dispose of the bag as soon as it is full.
- Store food in sealed containers, especially if it has exposure to the elements.
- Regularly clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
- Place mint on the kitchen window sills to keep flies at bay.
- Do not leave dirty dishes or glasses on the counter or in the yard.
- Never pile up grass clippings and leaves near your home.
- When outside lights are not in need, turn them off at night.
- Every month, make sure the grease buildup on the floor mats is carefully cleaned.
- Place the fresh orange peel on a platter and cut it up.
- Dead flies make a wonderful diet for other pests like carpet beetles, so essentially get rid of them.
- If you use poison to kill rats, keep in mind that the carcasses will attract flies.
- Clean up animal feces as soon as possible in litter boxes.
Additionally, a person should check and clean places that include:
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- floors, removing food or food residue
- sinks and bath or shower drains
- drains
- dirty mops
- inside garbage bins
- under appliances, such as fridges and washing machines
- cracks in floor or wall tiles where bacteria might grow
How To Keep Flies away without using Pesticides
Well, would you not like to know how to repel or get rid of flies without using pesticides? Therefore, here are some tips for keeping pesky flies at bay.
How To Keep Flies away with Water Bags
Water bags reflect light and throw off the compound eye of the fly. However, it will have no effect, or at least not enough of an effect, on more than a few houseflies. Thus, you have to hang an ample number of bags around your house to create an impact.
How To Keep Flies away with Citronella Candles
Citronella is an excellent fly repellant. Nonetheless, each candle only covers a tiny area. Again, the number of candles you would need to be effective is very costly. So, this is also not a practical option.
How To Keep Flies away with Fly Traps
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Use fly traps. Fly traps usually use sticky pads, electronic zappers, or traditional, old-fashioned funnels to trap and remove flies. Since they attract flies, the best method to use them to repel these is to place them at the farthest. Do this in an area where you don’t want the flies. To attract a few of them to the trap, prepare a sugar-water mixture. When these get trapped and die, the dead ones become an attractant to the living ones. NASTY!
How To Keep Flies away with Yellow Light Bulbs
Are you not familiar with those yellow light bulbs? As per studies, the color yellow is the most effective at repelling them. Unfortunately, to have any actual effect, you have to totally surround your home with yellow light bulbs.
How To Keep Flies away with Blue Light Bulbs
They despise yellow but adore blue. You may plan or want to use one of those blue light traps. So, hang it as far away as possible from where these pests are bothering you. They will get drawn to it and go away from the areas where you do not want them.
How to keep Flies away by cleaning Garbage Cans
Garbage cans by far, are the most effective fly attractors. This is where the pests will lay their eggs. Further, these develop into the horrible maggots that make us all gag. Hence, keeping your garbage cans clean is the most crucial thing you should do.
If you have large garbage cans at home, it may be time to downsize – at least during the fly season. Moreover, this will encourage you to take out the trash more frequently. Thus, it is going to reduce the number of flies drawn to it. During fly season, you might have a major fly infestation in your kitchen or laundry room. Hence, completely shift the trash bins outside then. In addition, you can make your garden less appealing to flies in the same way.
How To Keep Flies away by cleaning Pet Feces
They are attracted to feces. Cleaning up after your pets will go a long way toward reducing them in your yard.
How to keep Flies away by Drain Treatment
The constant dampness in drains creates an ideal breeding environment for them. Moreover, they may also rest on the walls surrounding a sink or shower.
- Place a piece of transparent tape over the drain inlet to inspect for flies.
- Ensure that the sticky side is facing down.
- To encourage the flies, provide a little space to let some airflow into the drain.
Check for the pests on the tape regularly. The number of flies that stick will determine the size of the infestation.
Cleaning the drain helps to eliminate the breeding grounds and put an end to the infestation. Thus, you can clean them in a variety of ways. Ordinary bleach or drain cleaners, on the other hand, are unsuccessful at removing bacteria.
A person can do the following:
- Scrub the sides using a pipe cleaning brush. Use abrasive brushes, such as metal brushes. After scrubbing, wash the particles away with several pans of boiling water.
- Make a solution of baking soda, salt, and vinegar. Pour the solution down the drain and let it sit for at least 24 hours. Further, the next morning, pour boiling water down the drain to clear out any debris.
- Use antibacterial drain treatments. However, it may take many weeks for these to take effect.
How To Keep Flies away by avoiding Water Stagnation
For laying their eggs, they prefer stagnant water. Refill any bird baths as needed. Additionally, remove anything that could collect rainfall. Likewise, fill in any water-collecting sunken spots in your yard.
How To Keep Flies away by getting rid of Attractants
The BEST approach to keep flies away in the first place is to avoid attracting them in the first place. They love a variety of things and get drawn to those. However, you should also concentrate on the ones that are most likely to draw them in. Getting rid of these attractants can help you manage them more effectively than any repellent.
How To Keep Flies away via Pest Control
Nevertheless, home cures and commercial solutions can fail. If the house is still infested with such pests, a professional pest control firm can help. They will develop a personalized treatment plan for the house.
How To Keep Flies away with Scents
Certain scents are effective in repelling and keeping flies away while remaining harmless and safe to use indoors. These are some of them:
- Basils
- Cloves
- Mint, lavender, and marigold
- Cinnamon
- Essential oils of lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemongrass
- Apple cider vinegar
Use plants, air fresheners, candles, essential oils, and diffusers to bring the aforementioned aromas into the home.