How to get rid of Flies

Flies can be a real nuisance when they start flying and buzzing around the house. One or two can be easily dealt with, but when a proper infestation takes place, you need to know how to deal with it in the most effective manner.
There are several methods of eliminating these pesky insects, ranging from non-chemical ones, such as exclusion, to the use of biological or chemical practices. If preventive methods such as controlling the moisture in and around your house or clearing food debris have not been enough to keep flies away from your house, you might want to consider applying harsher methods of keeping them away.

Methods of control in your household

The flies that appear isolated, can be killed with classic fly swatter, however, be careful not to kill them over uncovered food or water. Other natural methods that are successful in combating flies are the use of fly paper, fly nets, or UV lamps (electric grid or tape). For restaurants, hotels and food companies it is advisable to use UV lamps with glue boards, instead of other methods, for aesthetic reasons.
Exclusion methods are those that will help you prevent flies coming inside the house from the outside, especially when the weather gets colder, and they start searching for warmer habitats where they can lay eggs and then hibernate. Cover entry points everywhere in your house by fitting fly screens to windows, keeping windows and doors shut at night or by installing a fly killer unit in order to stop further flies from coming inside. The next step is identifying the type of fly that has infested your house and depending on its breeding habits, try to eliminate them. You can do this by cleaning the breading source, which can be uncovered trash cans, dishes that are not cleaned on time, leftovers left uncovered or pet food left unattended. Also, make sure your yard is clear of clutter, and no dead birds or small animals are there to attract more flies.

To further eliminate the flies that remained inside the house, you can use several types of eliminating methods: fly traps, mechanical methods, electronic methods, chemical methods, or biological methods.

Fly traps

There are several types of traps that can be used in order to eliminate the flies roaming through your house. Either by using the classic glued fly paper, which is quite effective, although not very aesthetic, or by crafting homemade traps, such as those using sugared-water, or pheromones. You can craft such a trap by pouring some sugar syrup in a jar and adding a paper cone that has a 1 cm diameter hole cut at its apex. Place the cone in the jar upside down, so that it does not touch the liquid, and wait for the flies to be attracted by the sweet liquid. Once inside, they will no longer be able to exit through the hole. The same method can be used with store bought attractant mixed with water, as this is the base of already prepared lure traps, that can also be bought. These kinds of traps have been proved to work against multiple types of flies like: House flies, blow flies, carrion flies, cluster flies, flesh flies, or stable flies.

Lure insecticides for Flies control:

Pheromone traps are also effective against multiple species of flies. These traps work like any other normal one, but instead of a normal food or odour bait, they have pheromones at their core. These are quite effective in luring flies both indoor and outdoor, however, they are usually limited to use against one gender. The advantage with using lure type traps is that you don’t need to treat all the surfaces in your house, just one area where the flies will be attracted to and then die there.

This type of insecticide can be applied with a brush or a low pressure pump. For the application with a brush, a paste will be dissolved and for the second one, it will be sprayed onto the surface like when using a normal aerosol insecticide. This treatment will last longer because it can be applied on small areas where it can be protected from the rain. For a really lasting effect, we recommend applying the insecticide in a protected area where the sun does not shine and rain will not wash it away.

Mechanical and electrical methods:

Using flyswatters can also be effective in eliminating flies, but mostly when you are only dealing with a handful of them. Electronic zappers however, are able to kill flies without you having to run after them around your house. They are more effective, and can be used on a larger scale.

Vacuuming up flies is also possible, especially at winter, when they are mostly inactive, as they are hibernating. However, these methods are not recommended in larger infestations, as they will probably not be enough to eliminate all the insects.
Electronic flyswatters are also an interesting method of dealing with scarce flies around your house. As they resemble a badminton racket, in order to kill a fly, you will have to swing the swatter in the direction of the fly, and when it will come near the electrodes, a spark will jump through the fly and kill it.
Electronic zappers however, are able to kill flies without you having to run after them around your house. By placing the trap in an open space in your house, the device will lure insects towards itself by emitting white UV light, and then zapping them with electricity when they will come in contact with it. These are deigned for indoor use only, although outdoor electric bug zappers also exist, and they work for flies as well.

Chemical methods

Spraying concentrated insecticides for Flies control:

Concentrated insecticides are the most common used products in fighting insect infestations. They provide the safety that any insect coming into contact with the treated surfaces dies shortly.

Sprayers used for Flies control:

The equipment needed for a professional Pest Control Operator depends on the type of pest the treatment is made against, and if the treated surface is indoors or outdoors. Sprayers help in applying products meant to reach difficult places, as well as guaranteeing an economic control of the treatment application.

These are usually represented by aerosol insecticides or other pesticides used against flies. They normally work against multiple species of flies, however, their downside it they also harm the environment in the process, as the chemicals used can also be toxic for pets and humans as well, if not properly used. Rooms must be aired after using such repellents as the air will not be breathable immediately after their use.

Mist Blowers used for Flies control:

Mist blowers are also useful for treatment application, as they use a very low volume application rate per unit area / space, that guarantees economic control of pests.

With classical insecticide treatments, you will need to spray all the surfaces, grass, vegetation, and walls. All the surfaces need to be treated because the insecticide kills on contact, so the fly will touch the surface that has insecticide on it, it will die within 10 to 15 minutes. The disadvantage of this type of treatment is that it does not last long, between two to five weeks or until the first strong rain comes, that will wash away all the chemicals.

Dusting insecticides for Flies control:

Dusting insecticides are ideal for areas where liquid insecticides can not be sprayed, such as cracks and electrical installations. Apply on dry surfaces, do not dissolve in water. It is very important to identify and treat areas with high potential of nests. Careful of air flows!

Fumer insecticides for Flies control:

Fumer insecticides are mostly used together with a contact based one. While the fumer irritates the pests and makes them come out of hiding, they come in contact with the sprayed solution, which then eliminates them.

Biological methods

If you are searching for a very clean way to kill flies, investing in some carnivorous plants is the solution. These plants do a steady job of attacking, trapping, and digesting flies. However, in terms of efficiency, and the quantity of flies they can consume, they are certainly not the best solution for a high infestation, but they are the cleanest option as they don’t leave any mess after killing flies.
It is also known that flies have a natural tendency to move towards light. If you darken your room and leave just a small opening towards the window or door, you will have a chance of leading the fly outside without even harming it.
Also by controlling the temperature in the room you can influence the presence of flies, as they hate anything above 38°Celsius (100°F) and they cannot survive if the temperature rises above 47°Celsius (116 °F). also If the room temperature is lowered to 9°Celsius (48°F), it disables a normal housefly and it is not able to fly.

Other homemade repellents can also be used, in order to keep flies away. Fly repelling treatments can be made out of lemongrass oil and hot water, and in absence of lemongrass oil, you can also use other natural oils like lavender oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, pennyroyal oil, or peppermint oil, as all these have strong smells which will keep the room fresh and make sure flies are not attracted to certain smells.
Cloves and lemons combined are also a good way of keeping flies away, especially when having meals outside. By cutting a lemon in half and poking some cloves into each half lemon, you will manage to avoid having flies buzzing around your food.
Using herbs like basil, lavender, and mint will also deter flies. You can plant these herbs in a pot near your doorways to keep flies away. This will not only prevent flies from entering your house, but will also make the surrounding environment healthy.

Most of the time, when you find house flies inside, it is because they are coming inside the structures. Check cracks around windows, doors and vents as possible entry points. It is crucial to find out where the breeding sources are located and how they are entering the buildings. Rural areas where farms are present may be more problematic for the higher number of breeding sites than areas in an urban setting. In residential areas, pet manure, which is not picked up regularly, can be a breeding source for house flies.

With a high level of sanitation, protective screens, flyswatters, fly strips, aerosol insecticides, and/or baits you will be able to keep fly infestations under control and even eradicate them. Frequent garbage disposal and tight lids on garbage cans also help eliminate favourable conditions for fly-breeding. If problems do arise, aerosol insecticides or baits may be necessary for temporary relief. You can use insecticide liquid concentrates, insecticide dusts, pyrethrin aerosols, fly light traps, fogging materials, fly baits, and fly traps for the outside as well. Keep in mind that even after managing to get rid of an infestation, preventive measures are mandatory, as there are pests which can easily and numerously multiply and take over your house again.  For preventive methods, check the related article about ways in which to “Prevent infestations with flies”.