A few years ago, my best friend and I went to the beach for a weekend getaway. When I got home, something wasn’t right. There was a pungent smell and a faint buzzing sound coming from the bedroom.
The house was clean, but when I opened the blinds in my bedroom, I found a swarm of flies hiding behind them. Hi.
I called a family friend to get to the root of the problem and he quickly found the cause. It was a dead possum in its crawl space.
In our case, dead animals were attracting flies. But if you’re still having flies in your home this summer, the source could be something as simple as old garbage or exposed entry points around your home.
It’s easy for flies to get in, but it’s a huge nuisance for them to get out. Here’s how to get rid of flies for good, with or without a pest expert.
How to get rid of flies
The long-term key to getting rid of flies is to remove the things that attract them. That could be dirty trash, pet waste, dirty sink drains, dead animals, etc.
“Flies are opportunists attracted to the smell of rotting organic matter, so it’s important to keep your home clean, first and foremost,” says Dr. Jim Fredericks, a certified entomologist and senior vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
Once you’ve identified the area and cleaned it thoroughly, you can focus on getting rid of the flies that are already in your home. You can do this using sticky traps or insecticide sprays. A pest control professional can also help you identify breeding sites and entry points for flies and eliminate them once and for all.
why do flies come into the house
Flies enter homes in search of warm, moist areas and decaying materials. They are attracted to light and certain smells, drawing them into your home through cracks in windows and doors. They can also get in when you open the door to get in or out.
Once flies enter your home, they can multiply quickly. House flies and fruit flies lay dozens or even hundreds of eggs at a time, which often hatch within two days.
“Flies are not only a nuisance, but they can carry over 100 different pathogens, including salmonella, typhoid fever, and bacteria that can cause food poisoning,” Fredericks said. “I don’t want them in my house, especially in my kitchen.”
How to safely remove flies from your home
Flies can usually be safely removed from your home without the use of chemicals. Start by removing food sources for flies, such as trash, pet waste, and spilled food. Sticky traps are an easy way to reduce fly populations without using pesticides.
If you use fly spray, follow the instructions carefully and keep it out of reach of children and pets until it dries. Do not spray on surface areas where food will be prepared.
Professional fly treatment
If you are dealing with a fly infestation, consider calling a pest specialist. “They have the tools and insight to identify where the flies are coming from and create a treatment plan tailored to the patient’s unique situation,” Fredericks says.
Pest control companies know exactly how to identify and eliminate breeding sites, especially in hard-to-reach areas like crawl spaces and walls.
How to prevent flies from recurring
Keeping your home clean and closing fly entry points is the best way to prevent flies from coming back. Fredericks recommends:
- Empty the trash frequently
- Keep the garbage disposal site clean
- Storing fruit in the refrigerator will slow down the spoilage
- Store leftovers tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
- Dispose of pet waste in a closed container away from your home
- Replace damaged weatherstripping or torn screens around your home
- Keep windows, doors, and garage doors closed
Common mistakes when getting rid of flies
Nick Ferrante Jr., associate certified entomologist with Excel Pest Services, shares three common mistakes people make when trying to get rid of flies and why they tend to backfire.
- Ignore the cause of the problem: “People naturally focus on getting rid of the flies they’ve already seen, but that’s just addressing the symptoms, not the cause,” Ferrante says. Properly cleaning food scraps and taking out the trash frequently will help prevent fly breeding.
- Relying on virus hacking: Not all advice you find online will be effective. “There is little scientific evidence that hanging bags of water or pennies will reliably keep flies away,” Ferrante said, referring to the oft-shared social media hack.
- Essential oils are expected to solve the problem. Ferrante says it’s overstated that natural scents like cloves and essential oils can deter flies. “Some natural scents will prevent flies from staying in one place for a short period of time, but they won’t eliminate the reason the flies entered your home in the first place,” he says.
When to contact a pest control professional
Fredericks recommends calling a pest control professional if you see more than one or two flies in your home, or if they keep popping up every day.
A professional can help you more accurately identify the root cause of your fly problem and permanently resolve the problem. “There are so many potential entry points that go unnoticed by homeowners, but are where pest professionals are trained to catch them,” he says.
FAQ
What kills flies instantly?
An electric fly swatter or a spray such as Raid Flying Insect Killer can kill flies instantly. These products are designed to kill flies in your home, but do not address the root cause of the fly infestation.
Why are there suddenly 100 flies in my house?
Flies reproduce rapidly. “During summer temperatures, housefly eggs hatch in 12 to 24 hours,” Fredericks says. So even if you have a few flies in your home today, you could have hundreds within a few days.
What can kill flies 100%?
Remove all potential breeding sites in and around your home, including trash, dirty dishes and sink drains, pet waste and pet food. Seal off all potential entry points into your home, including old weatherstripping. Then use a trap, bait, or spray to kill the flies inside.
If these steps do not resolve the issue, please contact a professional. They are best able to identify breeding sites and entry points.
