In this article, I’ll give tips on getting rid of houseflies inside and outside your home.

You can find houseflies anywhere there are humans or animals. They are one of the most common house insects worldwide and can be a real problem when they get too many.

If you have a housefly problem at home and haven’t eradicated them yet, then I suggest you keep reading.

Facts About Houseflies

House flies are small-sized (1/4 inch) winged insects that lay their eggs on rotting organic material, animal feces, and refuse.

They do not suck on mammal blood but are equally dangerous to humans since they can carry and spread many diseases. These include cholera, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, dysentery, E.coli, yaws, and eye infections. They could also cause food poisoning.

You can find flies around rotting food, garbage bins, and dead animals like rats.

Luckily, these nuisance pests can easily be eliminated, as I will describe in this article.

How To Get Rid Of Houseflies In Homes

There are several steps you can take to get rid of houseflies. These include the following –

Remove All Decaying Matter

Since houseflies love perching on decaying matters, it would be in your best interest to keep your home free of them.

Maintaining a clean, rot-free environment will reduce the occurrence of houseflies in your home.

Do not leave leftover meals or food to rot in the house. After eating, make sure you properly dispose of the leftovers. Throw them in an air-tight plastic bag and dump them in the bin.

Also, ensure you take out the bin when full and keep the trash bag tightly sealed so they won’t have access to the garbage can. The garbage disposal company will do the rest.

You should also be conscious of rotting fruits. If there are any, then the flies will gather around them.

If you have a pet dog, then you need to train it on where to potty. If your dog has a habit of pooping in the house, then the feces will attract flies.

Let’s assume you haven’t trained your dog to the point where it can poop outside; you have to o dig off the feces immediately, and thoroughly clean the floors where the wastes were dropped, as the smell can attract flies.

You should use soap and water to clean. You can also spray an air freshener to conceal the scent. This will help keep the houseflies away.

Use Fly Repelling Plants

You may not know this, but certain plants can keep houseflies away from your home.

Such plants include Mari, lavender, basil, bay leaves, and catnip.

These plants contain substances that houseflies cannot stand, so they won’t come near them or be in areas where they are planted.

You can visit your local nursery to buy either of these plants. You can plant them in the house using a plant pot or around the yard to keep houseflies away.

Make A Vinegar & Dish Soap Trap

Houseflies are attracted to apple cider vinegar so use this knowledge to your advantage in your fight against houseflies.

Make a mixture of apple cider vinegar and dish soap in a wide glass container. Cover the top of the container with plastic wrap and pierce a few holes in it. You can use a rubber band to keep the plastic wrap firmly on the container.

The flies will be attracted to the vinegar and creep through the holes. Unfortunately, they will not be able to get out, all thanks to the soap.

They will eventually drown.

Use A Glue Trap

A glue trap is not the most effective means to get rid of houseflies, but it can help with a few.

A glue trap is flat cardboard with glue on one side. There are many glue traps; some can be used to catch larger pests like mice, while others can detect small insects like houseflies.

Go to a store and buy as many as you would need. Take them home and place them around the areas where the houseflies are most likely to visit. This could be your kitchen (since there’s food) or near your trash bin (since some leftovers are dumped in there).

You can either place the glue traps on the floor or hang them on the walls. Either way works.

As the flies perch on the board, they will be trapped by the glue and unable to move. They will be dead in some time.

When the board is complete, you can take it outside, pick off the dead flies, and properly dispose of them. The good thing is that you can use the board again after you have emptied it.

Use A Fly Zapper

Fly zappers are very common, so you can quickly get your hands on one. Install one in your kitchen and one in your living room. You can also install one by the wall of your front porch.

Fly zappers will attract the houseflies and electrocute them as they make contact.

Use A Fly Swatter

There are two main fly swatters, but both require using your hands to swing at the flies. There is the electronic kind, and there is the non-electronic model.

The non-electronic version requires you to fly and kill it using force. This can be used if you have a small number of flies to deal with, say two or three. It is not ideal if you’re dealing with a full-blown housefly infestation.

The electronic version doesn’t require much force because it has a fixed zapper. This has the same effect as a traditional bug zapper installed in walls, as it also electrocutes the flies when contact is made.

This can also be used if you’re dealing with a small number of houseflies. It comes in handy when hosting barbeque parties in your yard, as flies will be attracted to the food.

Use Window Screens

Keeping houseflies out of your house is just as important as killing the ones already inside. As you successfully eliminate the ones indoors, you should take steps to ensure others don’t come in.

One of the surest ways to do this is by installing mesh screens on your windows. This will allow you to keep your windows open for proper ventilation while keeping the flies out simultaneously.

How To Get Rid Of Houseflies In The House Quickly

Using a chemical-based insecticide is the fastest way to get rid of houseflies.

There are different variations of insecticides; some are organic, while others are chemical-based.

You must be careful during application if you opt for a chemical-based insecticide. Be sure to read the instructions on the spray can before use; this will keep you and your household safe from the effects of the chemicals.

Put on a pair of rubber gloves to avoid contacting the insecticide. It would help if you also put on a mask to keep the insecticide away from your nose and mouth.

If you are not living alone, then be sure to keep people away from the rooms you spray. Also, store the spray can where children and pets cannot access it. High up a cupboard would be an ideal location for St, a chemical-based insecticide.

You can spray directly on the flies as you come across them; better still, spray in spaces where they are active. It will take the insecticide only a few minutes to kill the houseflies.

As long as they are exposed to the content of the spray can, then they will die.

How To Keep Houseflies Out Of Your Yard

Your yard is the first place houseflies will be seen around your premises. The less they are in your yard, the lower the chances of seeing any in your home.

Follow these tips to keep them off.

Reduce The Amount Of Garbage Outside

Garbage cans filled up with decaying matter are an ideal perching ground for houseflies. Be sure to keep your cans emptied and cleaned regularly, making them unattractive to the flies.

The less decaying matter they find, the more uninterested they will be in remaining in your yard.

Remove Rotting Fruits From Your Garden

If you have fruit-bearing trees in your garden, then make it a habit to search for fruits that have fallen from the tree. If you find any that is rotting, then properly dispose of them.

Houseflies will perch and lay eggs on rotten fruits, so the fewer of them you have in your garden, the fewer houseflies you will see.

Controlling Houseflies Infestation

In the case of a housefly infestation, your best bet would be to call on a pest control service. If the flies are too much to handle, you should leave them to the pros.

Conclusion

Houseflies are nuisance pests that can spread diseases. Eradicating them from your home and yard is a must-do.

I trust these tips on how to get rid of houseflies have been helpful.

Thanks for reading!

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