Quck answer
Flies in the house can be annoying and unhygienic. To get rid of them, follow these steps:
1. Keep your house clean and free of food debris, as flies are attracted to food sources.
2. Use fly traps or sticky fly paper to catch flies.
3. Install screens on windows and doors to prevent flies from entering.
4. Use natural repellents such as essential oils or vinegar to deter flies.
5. Keep garbage cans tightly sealed and dispose of trash regularly.
6. Consider using fly swatters or electronic fly zappers for immediate removal.
By following these tips, you can effectively eliminate flies from your house and maintain a fly-free environment.
There’s nothing quite like the presence of buzzing, swarming houseflies to ruin a picnic or outdoor meal on the patio. While they may not sting or make much noise, houseflies are more than just an annoyance. Alongside cockroaches, these common insects are among the primary carriers of disease-causing bacteria and other harmful pathogens. A housefly that lands on a plate of fresh, steaming vegetables at your dinner table may have just finished feeding on waste in your cat’s litter box. With up to 1 million bacteria on its hairy body, a single fly has the potential to spread serious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and E. coli infection.
Controlling flies is not only about getting rid of a nuisance, but also about safeguarding your family and guests from the risk of severe illness.
Physical Characteristics of Flies
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- Species name: Musca domestica
Physical characteristics: Adult flies are dull gray, approximately 1/4 inch in length, and have four dark stripes on their bodies. The larvae, known as maggots, are legless creamy-white worms about 1/2 inch long. - Wings or wingless? Adult flies have one pair of translucent wings.
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- Life cycle and appearance: The common housefly goes through four distinct stages: adult fly, which is a recognizable insect with bulbous eyes and transparent wings; egg, a small elongated oval that is laid within hours of the adult flies’ emergence; larvae (maggots), which are about 1/2 inch long, creamy white in color, and feed for three to six days before progressing to the next stage; and pupae, which form as the maggots encase themselves in hard shells. Within three to seven days, the pupae hatch into adult flies, starting a new cycle.
Effective Fly Elimination Methods
Swatting
If you have a few flies buzzing around lights or TV screens in the evening, there’s no harm in using the traditional method of killing them with a fly swatter. It may take some practice to approach a sitting fly slowly and then flick your wrist suddenly to hit it with the swatter, but this is likely the best approach for occasional random houseflies.
Since those random flies are entering your home from somewhere, check for damaged window screens or screen doors that do not close properly. This is likely where the stray flies are gaining entry.
Traps
In warm weather, houseflies are an inevitable part of life, and during these times, the best solution is to use various trapping devices to catch them. These devices range from simple sticky traps to electronic devices that lure the insects with lights and trap them with disposable sticky papers. These traps are ideal for indoor use. Bug zappers, which kill insects by electrocution, may seem appealing, but they are not suitable for indoor use due to the constant audible crackling they produce. Bug zappers set outdoors also tend to attract more bugs than they actually kill.
Controlling Houseflies: Effective DIY Traps and Natural Methods
An efficient homemade trap can be created using vinegar and dish soap. Combine approximately 1 inch of apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap in a glass jar. Securely cover the jar’s top with plastic wrap and a rubber band, making sure to puncture the plastic with multiple small holes. This DIY trap will attract and drown flies in the vinegar/soap mixture. Placing several traps around your house can significantly reduce your indoor fly problem.
A similar approach is taken with various commercial traps that come prebaited with a sugary substance. Simply add water, hang up the traps, and wait for flies to become trapped. These traps are typically more effective for outdoor use; hanging them near doors and windows can discourage flies from entering your home.
Some commercial traps are basic devices made of screen material, featuring a funnel shape at one end. By baiting them with fruit or meat, flies enter the trap through the funnel and are trapped inside. These traps are also best used outdoors near windows and doors to catch flies before they enter your home. Fly traps filled with rotting fruit or meat are not the most appealing indoor decor.
Spray Pesticides
Pesticides, although heavily promoted by manufacturers, are not very successful at controlling flies when used alone, as you must directly hit the flies with the spray. Spray pesticides are most effective when used in combination with other control methods, especially trapping and eliminating food sources and breeding sites.
Pyrethrin-based pesticides, however, are the optimal choice for spraying flies. These pesticides are derived from a natural substance found in chrysanthemum flowers. They are relatively safe for use around humans and pets, but keep in mind that pyrethrins are toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Never use them in a way that could contaminate water supplies.
Houseflies reproduce rapidly and can quickly develop resistance to most pesticides, so relying solely on pesticides for housefly control is not advisable. They can be useful, for instance, if you need to eliminate flies from your home before hosting guests.
When to Seek Professional Help
If a housefly infestation is severe and you are unable to control it using other methods, contacting a professional pest control service may be necessary. In many cases, the persistent fly infestation can be traced back to a decaying rodent or small animal corpse inside walls or a crawl space. A professional exterminator has the necessary tools to locate and remove the source of decay. They may also provide advice on managing trash cans and other tips for eliminating food sources and breeding areas that contribute to the ongoing fly infestation. However, for minor infestations, you can effectively eliminate houseflies on your own.
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Natural Methods for Getting Rid of Flies
In addition to the homemade vinegar and dish soap trap, there are various natural repellants you can try:
- Combining cayenne pepper and water and using it to wipe countertops, tables, and window and door frames repels flies without any odor detectable to humans.
- Planting marigolds, basil, rosemary, and lavender outside windows and doors will deter flies and other insects.
- Ensure that the area around your home is clear of moist plant waste material as flies require moisture for their egg and maggot stages. The drier the environment, the fewer flies you will have.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Flies?
Even a severe indoor fly infestation can be eliminated within a few days by using a combination of methods. Most flies enter your home through torn screens or gaps around windows and doors. Once these entry points are sealed, the remaining indoor flies can be trapped or swatted in just a couple of days or even less.
How Flies Enter Your House
Indoor fly infestations usually occur because adult flies are able to enter through missing or damaged window and door screens, especially during the hot summer months when they seek out moist environments for feeding. Indoor breeding is rare unless a home’s hygiene is poor, such as neglecting to clean pet litter boxes for long periods, having overflowing garbage cans with moist waste, or leaving dirty dishes in the sink for long periods.
Flies can be active and reproduce in warm weather, but they are most common in the summer. In 60-degree-Fahrenheit weather, it takes about 45 days for a fly to go through all four life cycles. However, in 95-degree weather, it only takes about seven days. Adult flies live, breed, and lay eggs for approximately three weeks. In colder climates, common houseflies mostly disappear in winter, although other smaller flies like drain flies or fungus gnats may still persist.
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How to Prevent Flies
The best way to prevent housefly infestations is to use a combination of two methods: preventing flies from entering your home and maintaining excellent hygiene to remove their food source.
- Ensure that all insect screens on windows and storm doors are functioning properly and free from damage.
- During the hottest days of summer, use air conditioners to cool your home instead of opening windows and doors. By limiting the in/out traffic, you can minimize the opportunities for flies to enter through open doors.
- Air-seal your home to close any gaps in the foundations and around pipes and service wires that enter the home.
- Eliminate (or seal) any sources of decaying plant and animal waste in and around your home. Make sure indoor garbage containers have tightly sealing lids, and regularly take out the trash.
- Ensure that recyclables are rinsed and dried before storing.
- Regularly clean up after pets, especially indoor litter boxes and fecal droppings in the yard.
- Keep compost heaps at a safe distance from the house, preferably in sealed bins.
- Store all foods in containers that are airtight and never leave dirty dishes sitting on countertops.
- Turn off outdoor lights at night, as they tend to attract flies and other insects.
- If you have issues with mice or rats, opt for trapping them instead of using rodenticide poisons, as rodent corpses can attract flies.
Can Flies Transmit Diseases?
Houseflies, along with other fly species, are among the most significant disease-carrying insects. This is because they are equally attracted to sewage, rotting material, and human foods. So, the fly that lands on your mashed potatoes may have just come from a manure pile.
The common housefly and related fly species are primary carriers of diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, cholera, eye infections like trachoma and epidemic conjunctivitis, poliomyelitis, and skin infections like yaws and leprosy.
