How to Kill Flies

Don’t know how to kill flies effectively? Try these top 15 simple ways we listed below in this post now to get rid of flies for good.

Tired of sending flies out of your home? You are not alone in this problem as many homeowners are doing the same thing.

These insects may be difficult to deal with, but there are simple methods on how to kill flies and prevent them from coming back.

How to Kill Flies

Flies thrive on garbage heaps, gutters, dumbs, and other types of decaying matter. As these creatures thrive in moist environments that are swarming with pathogens, flies carry various diseases and infections.

What makes the problem worse is that these insects multiply quickly. A female fly can lay about 120 eggs at a time, so it is important to get rid of them as soon as you notice flies in your home.

Some effective alternatives to commercial insecticides are do-it-yourself repellents, swatters and traps, and natural deterrents like herbs and essential oils. This post will show you the best solutions on how to kill flies in your house effectively.

How to Kill Flies and Other Insects: 15 Simple Ways

These methods are affordable, safe, and effective. You may come across different results depending on which method you perform and which type of flies you are dealing with.

1. Bottle Fly Trap

Bottle Fly Trap

Fly traps are one of the most common ways on how to kill flies in the yard.

There are many variations to this technique, ranging both from homemade solutions to commercial products.

The purpose of fly traps is to lure traps and capture them. Once the flies get captured, they will eventually die on their own.

Some perks of this solution include low costs, easy set-up, and high efficiency.

1. Get a big plastic bottle and cut its top off at approximately 1/3 of the total length of the bottle.
2. Place fly baits on the bottom of the bottle. Apple cider vinegar, wine, honey, rotten fruits, and sugar make good fly baits. Add some water if the bait is too dry.
3. Place the top of the bottle on the bottom by turning it upside down. This will allow the flies to enter easily. Once they are inside, they won’t make it out and will eventually die.
4. Place or hang the traps around the yard.
5. Replace the used baits once they are full or when they start to smell really bad.

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2. Essential Oils

Essential oils are great for the aromatherapy, but that’s not all that they have to offer. They are also excellent insecticides, making them one of the best methods on how to kill flies naturally.

In nature, this is a common process. Numerous plants produce natural insecticide properties in order to repel pests away from them.

Making an insecticide spray using essential oils will give you an assurance that the product will not harm your family and pets as most commercial fly sprays come with harmful side effects.

• Add 20 to 25 drops of Idaho tansy or lemongrass essential oil to a spray bottle. Fill it up with warm water and use this solution to get rid of flies and other insects.
• Another option is to add a few drops of essential oil in a diffuser. Leave it in the kitchen, dining area or other room where you always see flies.

The best essential oils for deterring flies and other insects are peppermint, lemongrass, Idaho tansy, lemon, cedarwood, purification, and thyme. You can also use citronella, tea tree, rosemary, clove, eucalyptus, geranium and neem essential oil.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar Trap

Common house flies are attracted to the aroma of fermented things, such as the scent of apple cider vinegar. When you warm up ACV, it produces an ore smell that lures these annoying insects, drawing them into your trap.

1. Pour one-half cup of warm apple cider vinegar into a large jar.
2. Create small holes in the lid to let flies enter the container. You can also use a plastic wrapper if you do not want to damage the lid.
3. Leave the jar in the infested area.
4. Flies will soon follow the scent of apple cider vinegar and enter the lid from which they won’t be able to escape. This technique is also one of the natural ways on how to kill fruit flies.

Alternatively, you can mix apple cider vinegar with a few drops of liquid detergent. Set the bowl in a fly-infested area to kill these annoying insects.

4. Wine

If you have some wine to spare, you can use it to get rid of flies naturally. Like apple cider vinegar, wine is also one of the best ways on how to kill fruit flies in your house.

Here are different ways on how to get rid of flies with wine:

• In a medium-sized bowl, mix enough wine with liquid dish soap. Place the bowl in the infested area to lure flies and kill them.
• Alternatively, you can pour ½ cup of wine in a glass and let it sit in a fly-infested area. Flies will soon be attracted to wine and drown.
• Another option is to leave a bit of wine in a wine bottle and cover the mouth with a plastic wrapper. Poke small holes and set it in infested areas.

Read more: 22 Simple Ways to Get Rid of Gnats

5. Camphor

Camphor is a white, waxy substance derived from laurel tree. It has a strong aroma that repels not only flies but also mosquitoes and other insects. You can purchase camphor in tablet form.

• Place two camphor tablets in the infested area to repel flies and mosquitoes.
• Another option is to add two camphor tablets in a shallow bowl filled with hot water.

Leave it in the infested areas to get rid of insects with the odor.

Note: Do not use this method near pregnant women as it may cause harmful side effects.

6. Flypaper Cards

You can prepare a homemade flypaper strips to eliminate flies in your home. All you have to do is to coat a paper or card board with sticky substances to trap those annoying creatures.

1. In a bowl, mix ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup corn syrup.
2. Use the mixture to coat two or three index cards.
3. Hang it up in fly-infested areas. Place a bowl underneath in case the mixture drips.
4. Flies will soon be attracted to the strips and get stuck on it.
5. Dispose of old cards and create new ones if needed.

If you do not have enough time to make flypaper cards, you can purchase commercial products like ZOMOY Fly Catcher.

These non-toxic strips that attract and capture flies. It can also be used both indoors and outdoors.

7. Sugar, Milk, and Pepper

The combination of sugar, milk and pepper has been used for eliminating flies for centuries.

1. In a saucepan, mix ¼ cup sugar, ½ liter of milk, and four tablespoons of black pepper.
2. Let it simmer for ten minutes.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
4. Set the bowl in the infested area.
5. Repeat this process when needed.

Both sugar and milk lure these insects while pepper kills them immediately.

8. Dish Soap Fly-Repellent Spray

If you do not want to use commercial sprays that may contain harmful chemicals, you can easily make your own at home by using some of your readily available household items.

In this method, you can use liquid dish soap or floor cleaning solution. You can also add a few drops of hot sauce to make the mixture even stronger!

1. Fill half of a 32 oz. plastic bottle with a floor cleaning solution.
2. Add four tablespoons of dish soap.
3. You can also add two tablespoons of hot sauce to make the mixture more effective.
4. Fill the rest with water and stir well with a stick.
5. Spray the solution directly at invading insects and they will die in just a matter of minutes.

Dish soaps and cleaning solutions have powerful ingredients that can damage the cell membranes of flies and other insects, causing them to die due to dehydration. The high capsaicin content in hot sauces or chili peppers sting these insects and destroy their nervous system.

9. Plants that Repel Flies

There are several plants that repel flies and other insects. You can set up a garden in your kitchen or around the windows to keep these insects at bay.

• Bay Laurel – The leaves of laurel are one of the best natural pest deterrents. It is also useful for keeping roaches and mice out of your kitchen, moths out of cabinets, and bugs out of cereals and grains.
• Sweet Basil – This herb is well-known in kitchens and gardens. The aroma it produces is a natural repellant against mosquitoes and flies.
• Citronella Grass – The most popular insect-repellent herb on the market, consider adding citronella grass in your garden to repel flies and other insects.
• Lavender – Known for its pleasant fragrance, lavender is perfect not only for its scent and appearance but also for its insect-repelling properties.
• Tansy – Also known as Golden Button, Bitter Buttons, and Cow Bitter, Tansy is very effective when it comes to repelling adult insects and larvae.

Other plants that you can add to your kitchen or garden to repel unwanted pests are lemon thyme, rosemary, mint, chives, parsley, oregano and fennel.

Read more: Top 10 Natural Mosquito Repellents

10. Fly Light

To catch large flies and other insects, you can use light traps in the fly-infested areas. This method is one of the best solutions on how to kill horse flies as these insects will be lured in by the light.

As the flies get attracted by the light, these insects will be trapped or exterminated by an electric shock.

• Bug Zapper Light Bulb with LED light bulb – Kills pests inside or outside your home.
• Tapro WS108 Wall Sconce Fly Light Trap – Excellent for capturing flies, gnats, mosquitoes, moths and other flying insects.
• LiBa’s Bug Zapper – Electric insect killer ideal for indoor use. Instantly kills various types of pests. Effective, safe to use and chemical-free solution on how to kill flies in your house.

When positioning light traps inside your home, make sure that they are not visible from the outside to prevent new flies from coming in. Place the trap 4 to 6 feet from the floor.

11. Carnivorous Plants

If you are looking for a clean way to get rid of flies, consider adding some carnivorous plants around your home. The most common insect-eating plants that you can place around your home are:

• Hardy pitcher plants
• Tropical pitcher plants
• Venus flytraps
• Sundew

Keep in mind that carnivorous plants are more challenging to grow than common houseplants. Insect-eating plants require bright light (not direct), high humidity, and a special growing environment that is both acidic and moist.

12. Electronic Paddle Swatter

Unlike traditional fly swatters that require you to crush the fly and make a mess, electronic swatters are better options as they kill houseflies and other insects on contact.

These items are among the best solutions on how to kill flies fast.

• The Original Smart Swatter Fly Swatter – Fly swatter patented & made in the USA. Heavy duty, durable, and made of high-quality plastic.
• Zap-It! Electric Bug Zapping Racket – Kills pests instantly upon touch and can be recharged via USB. Safe to touch by humans due to triple mesh layer protection. High endurance and long lifespan.

Electronic swatters are safe and easy to use. Keep them away from small children and pets as these items can still deliver a mild shock.

13. Fly Gun

A fly gun works like a flyswatter, but it is more fun to use as you need to aim at a fly and shoot it. These items look more like a toy gun and kill flies when hit.

• Fly Gun – This item works for all types of bugs.
• BUG A SALT 2.0 The Original Salt Gun – A gun designed for shooting pests with salt. Great power allows you to shoot flies from a distance without running after them.

Operating any of these devices is easy. It is a non-toxic way to kill flies without harming the health of your family and pets.

14. Organic Pyrethrum Spray

Pyrethrum spray is made from Chrysanthemum roseum, which is highly effective against flies and most insects. Follow these simple steps to make your own pyrethrum spray.

1. Collect some flower heads of Chrysanthemum roseum or Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium.
2. Add the flower heads in 1 liter of hot water.
3. Leave it for one hour.
4. Remove the flower heads and add a pinch of soap powder in the solution.
5. Pour it into a clean spray bottle.
6. Spray the solution directly at flies and other insects.

The best time to use this spray is early in the morning or evening as pyrethrin will break down faster when exposed to heat, oxygen, and light.

15. Insect Growth Regulators

Insect growth regulator is one of the best ways to prevent fly infestations. These are chemically manufactured hormones that inhibit the normal lifestyle of insects.

When insects grow, they undergo a molting process. In this phase, insects grow new exoskeleton and shed the old ones.

An insect growth regulator will hinder the molting process and prevent insects from reaching maturity. It is also an effective method on how to kill drain flies, fruit flies, eye gnats, and fungus gnats.

16. Other Fly Control Products

As you know by now, killing flies is not easy. Sometimes, professional help may be required. Luckily, there are numerous manufacturers of products for killing flies.

Not all are effective at what they do, so research the products before buying anything. Make sure that the products you buy have good reviews.

Here are some of the best products that will provide you with solutions on how to kill flies outside as well as inside your home.

• Victor Fly Magnet Bait – Includes patented, non-toxic, reusable, and long-lasting traps. Safe around pets, children, and the environment.
• Rescue’s Fly Trap – Trap with a stinky smell irresistible to flies. Designed to attract and capture flies and other pests.
• Catchmaster’s Bug & Fly Clear Window Traps – Non-toxic traps that attract and capture pests. Easy to dispose of and ready to us right away.
• ExciteR Pest Control Insecticide Concentrate – A pesticide that provides immediate knockdown upon spraying or fogging.
• Demand’CS Insecticide – An effective microencapsulated insecticide.

Read more: 25 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Sugar Ants

How to Prevent Fly Infestations

Preventing flies from entering your home will save you from loads of troubles. It is the first and foremost step in both eliminating existing as well as preventing future fly infestations.

Here are some tips to get you going:

1. Identify their sources

When possible, try to identify the source of flies and set up proper measures, such as fly traps for instance. Reducing the amount of flies around your home will result in less of them getting inside.

2. Destroy eggs and larvae

When you have flies inside your home, watch out for their eggs. They are likely to lay eggs on food or even other materials.

If the food is infested with eggs, you should destroy it or at least remove the area around the laid eggs. Keep food covered or closed at all times to avoid these problems.

3. Secure dumpsters and garbage cans

Garbage cans are a perfect breeding spot for flies. Make sure that they are always closed with a tight-fit lid to prevent flies from getting in.

You should also empty and clean them on a regular basis to get rid of any eggs that may have ended up in there.

4. Maintain drainage

Maintaining proper drainage around the house will help you prevent flies by getting rid of excess moisture.

Make sure that your gutters are taking water far enough from the house (at least 3 meters) and that there are no standing waters nearby.

5. Secure openings

Almost all houses, as well as apartments, have some kind of openings that allow insects to pass. Make sure to locate them and secure them with a screen.

Consider adding screens over the windows that you open regularly.

Read more: Top 5 Things You Can Use to Kill Roaches Naturally

Home Remedies for Fly Bites

Flies are not only annoying in the sense of making noise and leaving mess behind. Some types of them can also bite you, and their bites can get very uncomfortable.

Below are some easy home remedies that will help you treat a fly bite.

Note that these remedies aren’t universal. While they help in most cases, on some rare occasions the bites may even be fatal if not given proper medical attention.

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an excellent natural soothing agent. It is effective at treating bites from various pests. Apply fresh aloe vera gel directly on the bite and let it dry naturally.

Extract the gel by cutting into a leaf of aloe vera and squeezing the flesh out.

2. Ice Compress

Wrap a few cubes of ice in a thin cloth or towel and place it over the bite for a few minutes.

This should immediately alleviate itchiness and inflammation. Pause for a minute or two and then apply the compress again.

Repeat as necessary to relieve discomfort.

3. Oatmeal

When dealing with inflammation and itching, oatmeal is nearly always the answer. It can help you deal with the swelling and itchiness in no time.

Grind some oatmeal and mix it with just enough water to make a paste. Apply the paste on the bite and leave it on for around 20 minutes before rinsing it off.

Read more: 19 Simple Ways to Kill Termites Effectively

Final Word

Flies are not only a nuisance but also they are also a health hazard. Because they like to hang out on fecal matter, garbage cans, and rotten food, they carry millions of bacteria which they can transfer to your food.

If you suspect insects are entering through crevices and open cracks in your home, fill in the openings with caulk, spackle or expanding foam.

Whether you want to have an outdoor party or you want to eliminate these insects from your premises, you can try one or combination of the solutions mentioned on how to kill flies effectively.

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