How to Get Rid of Flies
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In this guide, we will cover how to get rid of flies and steps you can take to keep them away. If you feel your fly problem is already out of control, we recommend contacting a top pest control company for professional assistance.
Identifying Common Flies
While many methods for getting rid of flies may work for multiple varieties of insects, it’s important to identify the type of fly in your house in order to prevent the infestation from coming back. Here are some of the most common and widely distributed fly species.
Ways to Get Rid of Flies
Here’s how to get rid of fruit flies, house flies, and drain flies.
Fly Traps
Since fruit flies and house flies are both attracted to the sugar in produce, it’s easy enough to make your own fly traps out of common household materials. Follow these simple steps to create a trap.
- Find an old bowl or jar to serve as a trap. You can wash and reuse it when it’s served its purpose.
- Bait the trap with a sugary substance. Apple cider vinegar attracts flies, as do pieces of fruit.
- Cover the opening of the jar with plastic wrap and use a pin to poke small holes in the wrap. This will trap flies by luring them in with the scent and preventing them from escaping. If you don’t have plastic wrap, create a funnel shape out of a piece of paper with a small opening at the end. Use tape to secure the funnel and place it point-side down in the jar. Flies will be able to get in but not out.
- You can also fill a jar with about an inch of apple cider vinegar topped with a tablespoon of dish soap. The flies will land on the mixture to feed but will be unable to escape.
Organic Fly Control
Drain flies are usually harder to control than other types because of where they nest and reproduce, and their eggs are able to resist common cleaners like bleach. Trapping adult flies usually won’t solve the problem, as they’ve likely already laid eggs. Instead, clean drains very thoroughly with your favorite organic cleaner and plenty of old-fashioned elbow grease.
Chemical Fly Control
While you don’t want to pour pesticides down the drain in an attempt to control drain flies, you may have some luck with chemical unclogging products like Drano. These won’t kill the flies themselves, but they may flush out any obstructions where the flies may be breeding.
If you’ve cleaned and sanitized your home and you’re still having fly problems, get rid of house flies with chemical bait stations. However, don’t start actually spraying chemicals around your home until you’ve consulted with pest control professionals.
Call the Professionals
Of course, some pest problems ultimately require professional help. Pest control providers will identify the species you’re dealing with and apply the most appropriate solutions. Many even offer organic or pet-friendly options, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our pest control recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider. We review pest control plans, navigate the provider website, speak with customer service representatives by phone and online chat (if available), request quotes, and analyze customer reviews for each provider. We then score the provider against our review standards for plans and services, reputation and customer responses, customer service offerings, workmanship guarantees, financing, and availability to arrive at a final score on a 5-point rating scale.
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