Flies are a nuisance in the home and can be a health hazard if they are allowed to breed. There are many ways that you can use to keep them out of your house, such as using screens and fly paper.
How to Get Rid of Flies Naturally and Safely
Fruit flies, or Drosophila melanogaster, are one of the most common types of flies found in houses. They lay their eggs on food items that have an abundance of sugar. This is why it is important to clean up your kitchen after cooking or eating something sweet.
Here are some ways that you can get rid of flies naturally and safely:
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- Use screens: Place screens over windows, doors, and other places where they might enter the house. The screens will keep them from getting inside but won’t let them out either;
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- Use a candle: Hang a lit candle from the ceiling and place it in an out-of-reach location where the flies are coming in. The heat from the flame will kill them;
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- Use sticky traps: Place some traps near fly entry points, like under downspouts, windowsills, and anything else that might be sucking up water. Put some newspaper over these traps to make them more visible and to act as a barrier between the traps and the rest of the house.
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- Fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar, and pour it near doors, windows, or anything else that might be drawing flies in. The ACV keeps the flies from entering but dries them up before they can escape;- Consider using a fly swat: There are commercial fly swatters that you can buy, but they might not work if the flies are too numerous;
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- Consider making your own fly trap: Place a bowl of water near the entry point and then put in some vinegar. The insects will go into the bowl and drown
Pesticides to get rid of houseflies can harm your family and the local environment in ways that are often not as easy to measure. The use of natural remedies for pests is becoming a more popular choice for many households. Potential methods include:
Herbs and flowers
Herbs and flowers can be planted both in your garden and outside to keep flies away from your house. There are a few herbs and flowers that can repel flies. They may be used when planning your outdoor affair (just remember to bring the correct containers for them). You can also use small plants in front of doors.
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- basil
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- marigold
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- lavender
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- bay leaves
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- catnip
As a bonus, some can be used for cooking as well.
Vinegar and dish soap
Vinegar and dish soap are known for their ability to attract flies, so if you have a pest problem in your kitchen, mixing them together could help you trap the flies more effectively. To use this method, mix about an inch of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a tall glass. Cover the glass with plastic wrap. Secure the plastic wrap with a rubber band and poke small holes in the top.
Flies will be attracted to the vinegar in the glass and then fly through the holes. “However, the dish soap causes the flies to sink instead of being able to land on the vinegar”
Cayenne pepper and water
In cooking terms, cayenne pepper can be used to help repel houseflies. Mix cayenne pepper with water, spray around the house, and use an upside-down dish as a trap to prevent flies from entering.
Venus flytrap
Venus flytraps are carnivorous plants that eat insects. This means that if you place them outside, they’ll naturally eat flies for you. If you plant them inside, they will still need to be fed in order to survive & thrive
When a house fly gets caught in the plant’s outstretched arms, it closes around the fly and releases digestive fluid. The fluid quickly dissolves the bug’s soft insides, killing it slowly over 5-12 days. Then, once there is nothing left to eat, the plant spits out the exoskeleton of its prey
Natural trap bait
You can also trap flies with certain foods, in order to make it easier when you catch them. They include:
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- sugar (honey or molasses)
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- wine
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- fruit
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- meat
How to Get Rid of Flies using Insecticide and other repellents
Killing or removing houseflies can be done in different ways, including natural ones. The most effective way of doing this is to use bug sprays and traps to catch the flies.
Pyrethrin-based insecticide
The use of insecticides in a large-scale infestation is effective because they work quickly. When you have a large housefly infestation, it is best to call pest control. However, they’re not effective in the long term, because flies have short life cycles and will develop resistance. In addition to that, the effect of the insecticide goes away quickly
Pyrethrin-based insecticides can be used for indoor fly infestations, but be careful as these chemicals may not kill outdoor mosquitoes. Make sure that you buy an insecticide specifically for indoor use, ensure that proper ventilation is taking place, and follow the pest control provider’s instructions in order to prevent a pest infestation.
Light trap
Light traps are boxes with a light in the back that attract insects of all kinds. When flies try to get to the light, they are either electric zapped or trapped by a sticky trap depending on what type of light you have.
Make sure to mount them away from entrances and windows, so they can’t be seen from the outside. They should also be mounted within 5ft of the floor
Sticky traps
Sticky traps can help you eliminate unwanted pest infestations. They can be hung or laid out throughout your house and are not as effective as other kinds of traps.
How Can I Use Essential Oils as a Natural Fly Repellent?
Essential oils are a natural and safe way to repel flies. They are also effective for how to keep bugs away. Essential oils have been used for centuries as natural remedies in the form of perfume or cologne. It is now being used in the form of a fly repellent too. One of the most common essential oils is citronella which is one of the best-known plants for pest control and its oil can be used as an insect repellent. The following are some ways on how you can use essential oils as a natural fly repellent:
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- – Mix some lavender oil with water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray it around your home or office.
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- – Add some lemon grass oil to your favorite dish.
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- – Use lavender or lemon grass oil in a diffuser, in the small bowl of water inside, or in your candle.
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- – Add some citronella or lemon grass oil to your car
Essential oils are considered safe by the FDA and can be found on Amazon.com.
Important Tips for How to Keep the Flies from Coming Back
Flies are an unwelcome guest in your home. They are small and can be difficult to see, but they can cause a lot of damage to your property and health. In order to keep the flies from coming back, you need to use a variety of methods that work in different ways.
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- Use screens around windows and doors – this will prevent them from getting through the window or door cracks
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- Make sure that there are no cracks or holes in your walls
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- Use sticky traps – these will catch flies when they land on something
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- Make sure there is no food for them – this includes pet food, trash cans, etc
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- .Clean up food spills as soon as possible
Are houseflies harmful?
When a housefly infestation occurs, it can just be a minor annoyance. It is often the case that this issue will resolve itself on its own and they don’t tend to cause much damage. Houseflies can carry viruses and bacteria that transmit disease when they bite. Terrible diseases like flu and Hepatitis can be transmitted in this way.
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- food poisoning
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- cholera
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- E. coli
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- typhoid fever
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- dysentery
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- tuberculosis
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- eye infections
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- a tropical infection called yaws