Flies can be annoying pests that can also carry diseases. Learn how to kill flies and keep them out of your home in the first place with DIY methods or, for severe infestations, professional pest services.

Don’t let flies buzz around your home this season. They are noisy, spread diseases, and can be a distracting source of stress. Eliminate fly infestations indoors and in your backyard with these DIY methods. You’ll also learn more about when it’s time to call in professionals and how to proactively prevent infestations.

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Why Are Flies a Problem?

An occasional fly can get inside anyone’s home, but fly infestations are more problematic. If you see large numbers of houseflies, fruit flies, or drain flies, you likely have an infestation with an established lifecycle of eggs, larvae, and adult flies.

Flies of all types are a nuisance. They make your home feel unclean and will congregate on any food you’re prepping. Some flies even bite.Flies can be dangerous—they can spread diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and yaws. Their feces and feet can distribute those microorganisms everywhere they land, even if you’ve just cleaned the surface. House flies alone can spread around 65 different diseases.

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How To Get Rid of Flies Indoors

If you have a single fly or two, you can swat them out of the air or spray them with a light water-based cleanser to knock them to the ground before hitting them with a fly swatter. If you have a lot of flies or a full infestation, consider more intensive DIY or professional fly removal methods.

DIY Indoor Fly Removal

Indoor fly removal methods encompass a broad array of deterrents, traps, and sprays. Layer multiple strategies together to quickly reduce or fully eliminate the number of flies in your home. Consider the following DIY methods:

Cleaning

Frequently wipe down surfaces, use cleaning chemicals with fly-repellent scents, and vacuum areas with lots of flies. You want to eliminate any potential food sources and disrupt their environment. Sanitize your kitchen sink drain and garbage disposal flaps to get rid of drain flies.

Flypapers

Flypapers are sticky traps that capture flies as they fly around. Some products can attract flies, while others are sticky but inert.

Homemade Fly Traps

Create homemade traps that attract and contain flies. One common trap is laying out shallow dishes with a vinegar and dish soap mixture. Apple cider vinegar attracts fruit flies, and the dish soap breaks the surface tension of the water so they can’t get back out. These work especially well to get rid of fruit flies. Another common fly bait is sugar water.

Store-Bought Traps

Purchase a collection of store-bought traps that can work for longer periods of time to attract and trap flies.

Use Repellent Scents

While flies are attracted to food smells, there are some smells they hate that you might like. Laying out cloves, having fresh lavender or basil on your counter, and using citrus- or pine-scented cleaners will make flies want to leave.

Professional Indoor Fly Removal

For serious indoor infestations, consider hiring a professional pest removal company. These services have access to stronger and faster-acting insecticides, including pet- and child-friendly options. They can identify the types of flies infesting your home, eliminate them, and recommend preventive measures.

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How To Get Rid of Flies Outdoors

You might also have flies around your patio or outdoor kitchen. They’re attracted to food sources such as crumbs and sugary spills. While less annoying than interior infestations, you may still want to reduce the fly population outside of your home.

DIY Outdoor Fly Control

Many of the DIY outdoor fly control solutions are the same as indoor fly control. However, you can be more aggressive because you’ll have better ventilation outside. Consider these steps:

Clean with Pine Sol

Pine Sol has a very strong pine scent. Clean your outdoor surfaces with a diluted Pine Sol solution, or swab outdoor surfaces to leave behind the lingering scent.

Hang Up Fly Paper

While you might find it unsightly indoors, fly paper is an effective trap and can quickly cut down on the number of outdoor flies.

Plant a Container Herb Garden

Fill your outdoor space with herbs that flies hate, such as mint, lavender, basil, and marigolds. You can also set out an essential oil diffuser for partially enclosed patios.

Set Out Traps

Purchase outdoor-rated fly traps that will attract flies from a close radius and trap and kill them.

Professional Outdoor Fly Control

Professional pest control services can eliminate outdoor flies and help you prevent them from laying eggs around your patio. A proactive pest control plan to get rid of fruit flies and other flies outdoors can also reduce the risk of them reaching the interior of your home.

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Fly Traps and How To Use Them

There are many different types of fly traps that you can either make at home or purchase from a store. Consider combining traps that use different attractants to eliminate the infestation quickly. At a minimum, we recommend laying out multiple traps (even if they’re the same type) so you can trap flies before they lay eggs.

A common DIY fly trap is mixing apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap together. You can leave an inch of this liquid in a bowl or cup to kill flies, or you can cover the top with a mesh, a paper cone, or plastic wrap with holes in it. This traps any flies that enter the container.

Big box and home improvement stores sell fly traps, which are often opaque and longer-lasting. Most commercial traps use scents and chemicals to attract and kill flies, but some newer traps use light to attract them.

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Natural Predators of Flies

If you have an outdoor infestation, you can rely on flies’ natural predators to help you manage an infestation. Some natural predators include frogs, spiders, and bats. Many types of birds also eat flies, including sparrows, bluebirds, chickadees, and woodpeckers.

However, you may not want these critters coming to your backyard, either. Natural predators are often not an effective form of fly control, and the same food sources attracting flies may attract ants or wasps. 

Instead, start using traps and repellents so you can make your backyard and landscape unattractive to both flies and other pests.

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Essential Oils as Fly Repellents

Flies are repelled by the scent of many popular essential oils, which you can use as home remedies against flies and gnats. Incense, diffusers, and diluted sprays can provide an extra layer of defense against them. Choose from these effective essential oils: 

• Eucalyptus: Spray or diffuse a light amount of eucalyptus around your kitchen and home interior.
• Lavender: You can spray or diffuse this essential oil. Lavender-scented candles and lavender houseplants can also repel flies.
• Lemongrass: Lemongrass’s bright, citrusy scent repels flies. Consider layering plants, essential oils, and candles.
• Peppermint: Peppermint essential oil—as well as other forms of mint and plants related to mint—is clean-smelling and repels flies. Spray or diffuse it indoors and outdoors.

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How To Prevent Fly Infestations

Preventing fly infestations in the first place can give you more peace of mind. It can also stop a couple of errant flies from turning into an infestation. Follow these prevention tips:

• Eliminate food sources: Keep your kitchen surfaces clean. Also, thoroughly clean and sanitize your garbage disposal and trash can frequently, as these spots can develop a lingering rotten smell that attracts flies.
• Grow herbs: Herbs such as mint, basil, rosemary, and lavender naturally repel many insects, including flies. Grow them in your kitchen or around your backyard patio to keep flies at bay.
• Seal your windows and doors: Flies can get inside through small gaps and cracks. Replace the weather stripping around entryways if it’s torn, and make sure your screens are firmly in place.

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Our Conclusion

If you have a fly infestation, there are many different strategies you can use to get rid of it. Start with DIY traps and repellents, and clean your home as much as possible. We recommend hiring a professional pest control company for severe infestations. Once you’ve eliminated the infestation, keep flies out of your home with ongoing cleaning and deterrent strategies.

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FAQ About How To Kill Flies

What causes a fly infestation?

A fly infestation can be caused by trash or spoiled food sitting out, garbage cans, ripped window screens or weather stripping (which allow flies inside), and kitchen surfaces that aren’t frequently cleaned. 

What is the most effective fly trap?

The most effective DIY fly trap is a vinegar and dish soap trap. The vinegar smell attracts flies to the liquid’s surface, and the Dawn dish soap breaks the surface tension to trap and drown the flies.

Can essential oils really repel flies?

Essential oils can really repel flies. They dislike strong herbal scents such as mint and lemongrass. Spray surfaces with cleaners that have diluted essential oils and use diffusers to keep them away from your home’s interior.

What are the natural predators of flies?

Small birds, lizards, frogs, and spiders are natural predators of flies. However, relying on natural predators is not an effective strategy for resolving fly problems.

How can I prevent a fly infestation?

Prevent a fly infestation by routinely cleaning your home and removing food scents and potential food sources. Also, seal up gaps around your windows and doors so they can’t get inside.

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