How to Get Rid of Flies Before They Take Over Your Home, Straight From a Pest Control Pro

• You can get rid of flies using DIY vinegar fly traps, using herbs like basil, and removing food sources.
• Some of the best fly traps and insecticides include adhesive traps, bait traps, light traps, and indoor spray insecticides.
• Too repel and prevent fly infestations, address their points of entry, remove food sources, and maintain a clean home.

After the long winter months, many of us are quick to welcome spring and summer with open arms. However, it can be difficult to enjoy the sunshine when it comes with an influx of flies. Fortunately, there are solutions to this common problem.

We spoke with a pest control professional to discover the best natural methods for getting rid of flies, the most effective types of insecticides and traps, as well as some simple tips to prevent flies from invading your space in the future.

The Best Natural Methods for Getting Rid of Flies

If you’d like to get rid of flies in and around your home but also want to steer clear of pesticides, Trenton Frazer, the senior director of quality assurance and lead entomologist at Aptive Environmental, has several tried-and-true suggestions.

“A few of my favorite natural ways to get rid of flies are simple, safe, and easy to use around the home,” he says.

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DIY Vinegar Trap

Vinegar is especially attractive for fruit flies, which gravitate towards sweet foods and fermented substances. For this reason, Frazer recommends creating a trap with apple cider vinegar specifically.

“Flies are drawn to the smell, so if you pour some into a small bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and poke a few holes in the top, they’ll fly in and get trapped,” he says.

Distract With Herbs

Flies like a wide variety of smells and substances, so there could be a number of foods and solutions in your home that are pulling them indoors. However, herbs like basil and mint that are strategically placed near doors, windows, and patios can mask these smells, which may help deter flies.

Remove Attractants and Entry Points

Arguably the best method for getting rid of flies in your home, and certainly the most eco-friendly, is to address its reason for showing up at all.

“My favorite and most effective way [to get rid of flies] is to ensure a fly’s ‘somewhere to enter’ is sealed, screened, or closed, while simultaneously ensuring a fly’s ‘something to eat’ is secured, closed off, or cleaned up,” Frazer says.

The Best Insecticides and Traps for Flies

For those open to more than DIY solutions, there are several effective insecticides and traps for flies you can purchase online or at your local retailer. These use a variety of odors and attractants, from pheromones to light, to trap and kill the pests with glue, liquid, and even electricity.

Adhesive Traps

Sticky traps are a popular type of fly trap, because they use scent to lure in flies and trap them the moment they land.

“They attract flies and trap them on contact, which helps lower the population fast,” Frazer says.

These can catch a variety of flies, as well as other flying pests like mosquitos, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. However, some options won’t hide the trapped flies. Frazer recommends this type of trap for garages, patios, or near windows.

Bait Traps

Bait traps operate similarly to adhesive fly traps, except flies are lured into bag or other container, where they drown in liquid-based solution. While these types of traps can also be used indoors and outdoors, some versions have a potent scent to draw in flies, which can be irritating.

Light Traps

Since many flies are attracted to UV light (UV-A specifically), some store-bought solutions use light as a means of drawing flies towards an adhesive trap or even electric grid.

This type of trap is especially ideal for large outdoor porches or patios. Like the alternatives mentioned, light traps can kill a variety of flies, as well as other pests.

Indoor Spray Insecticide

If you opt for this method, make sure you’ve selected an insecticide formulated for indoor use, avoid using the insecticide in any food prep areas (including those for pets), and follow all of the label’s directions.

“These sprays kill flies on contact and can also leave behind a light barrier that keeps more from landing in the same spot,” Frazer says. He suggests laying down a light treatment where flies tend to land (excluding food prep areas).

“One good spot is the window sill,” he adds.

What Attracts Flies

Flies consume a wide variety of food sources, which means there is a long list of smells and substances that attract them, ranging from flowers to garbage cans. Even light can lure in flies, as well as areas with standing water, such as drains, gutters, or leaky pipes.

However, the ideal lure also depends on the type of fly. Fruit flies, for example, are partial to sweet substances like fruits and juices, while house flies can sustain themselves on everything from garbage to dead animals.

“Flies are attracted to environments with accessible food sources,” says Frazer. “They may enter homes through open doors or windows, attracted by the smell of food indoors. Additionally, flies can be transported indoors on fruits, vegetables, or other items brought in from outside.”

So it should come as no surprise that the best first step you can take to get rid of, and prevent, flies in and around your home is to address, or remove, the very things that are attracting them in the first place.

How to Repel and Prevent Flies

To effectively repel and prevent flies, there are three key strategies you should implement immediately: address points of entry, remove food sources, and maintain a clean home.

1. Address points of entry: If you’re primarily concerned with flies inside your home, it’s important to find out how and where they are getting in. Scan your windows and doors for any cracks, crevices, broken screens, and such. Seal cracks and gaps in your walls, windows, and doors and install screens on windows and doors to help deter flies from coming inside.
2. Remove food sources: The most effective method for getting rid of flies is to get rid of the many smells and substances that are attracting the pests. Avoid leaving fruit or food residue on your counters, clean your garbage disposal and any clogged or stinky drains regularly, clean your pets food bowls and remove pet waste, and empty your garbage and recycling bins often.
3. Maintain a clean home: Finally, to keep flies out of your home, cleanliness is essential. “Maintaining a clean and hygienic environment is key to reducing fly populations,” says Frazer. “This includes proper sanitation practices such as keeping trash bins tightly sealed, cleaning up spills and crumbs promptly, and disposing of food waste properly.”

When to Call a Pest Control Professional

If you’ve attempted the methods outlined above, removed food sources and other attractions, and sealed any openings where flies may be entering your home, and still the fly infestation continues, it’s likely time to call a professional.

An expert like Frazer can help identify the root cause of your infestation and develop a plan that targets both the adult flies and their breeding locations, to best eradicate the issue.

“If the infestation is severe, widespread, or persistent, it’s important to contact a professional pest control company for tailored assistance and long-term prevention,” says Frazer