Flies in Your House? How to Get Rid of Flies Quickly

Have you noticed an insurgence of flies in your home? Often, the spring weather means having the windows open, which can lead to flies getting inside. Regardless of why they are there, you want to learn how to get rid of flies quickly. They’re often annoying and unsanitary to have in the house around food.

House Flies: How Long Do House Flies Live?

The house fly is the most common species of fly in the US and for homes. There are four specific stages for the house fly, including egg, larvae, pupa, and then adult. In general, a housefly can live between 15 and 30 days, but this depends on the living conditions and temperature. 

Fruit Flies: How Long Do Fruit Flies Live?

Typically, the average fruit fly can live between 40 to 50 days in optimal temperatures. The female flies can mate and lay many batches of eggs, which means the population of fruit flies in your home can multiply very quickly. However, the fruit fly’s lifespan is heavily influenced by the temperature. The optimal range is from 68 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fungus Gnats: How Long Do Fungus Gnats Live?

Fungus gnats are a type of fly that can be very pesky and annoying. Typically, they only live for about eight days. However, the larvae feed for roughly two weeks. They start pupating near the soil’s surface in thread chambers. After about three to seven days in this state, the adults come out. Typically, it takes three to four weeks total for the gnats to go from egg to adult.

The Risk of Flies

House flies are a nuisance, but they’re also dangerous. They can spread bacteria and viruses if they bite you. If they’re in your house, your family are at risk for:

• Typhoid fever
• E. coli 
• Food poisoning
• Cholera
• Eye infections
• Tuberculosis
• Dysentery
• Yaws (a mostly tropical infection)

Treatment Options for Flies

Whether you have fruit flies, fungus gnats, or house flies, you can get rid of flies with several different methods.

The first thing you should do is prevent any more from coming inside. To do that, make sure that you check the doors and windows of your home. Are there cracks? Does the window screen have holes? If so, it’s best to fix these issues. Though you can remove flies as they come in, the best way to get rid of them is to prevent them from entering at all.

You should also focus on cleaning up the house. Most flies gravitate toward the kitchen because that’s often where the trashcan is. Make sure that you clean up your mess from cooking and wash dishes as you dirty them. Consider getting a trashcan with a lid to keep the smells inside and the flies out.

Flies can breed in rotten meat and other things. It’s best to take out the trash as often as possible to get rid of the breeding sites.

Plants

Once you’ve done that, you need to know how to get rid of flies naturally. It’s often best to plant flowers and herbs that flies don’t like. These can include:

• Marigolds
• Basil
• Bay leaves
• Lavender
• Catnip

Dish Soap and Vinegar

If that isn’t enough, you can also create traps with dish soap and vinegar. Take a tall glass and add about an inch of some apple cider vinegar to it. Then, add a couple of drops of your favorite dish soap. Take some plastic wrap and cover the top of the glass, and secure everything using a rubber band. From there, you can poke small holes into the plastic wrap.

The flies are attracted to that vinegar, so they fly into the holes. However, they sink instead of landing on it because of the dish soap. It can take a day or so for this to work, depending on the infestation you have. It’s also possible to leave it out all the time to catch any new flies.

Cayenne Pepper

You can mix some cayenne pepper with water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture around your baseboards to keep the flies from flying inside.

Insecticides

Many people dislike using insecticides in their homes. However, if the natural methods didn’t work or you have a severe infestation, you may need to use them. Flytraps can also work well.

Ribbon Flytraps

Those ribbon flytraps are a great way to catch the flies. However, they do look unsightly, and you need to figure out how to hang them from the ceiling. It might be a good idea to use them with other methods until the flies are gone.

Pyrethrin-based Insecticides

If there’s a large infestation, insecticides are often the best choice because they work fast. However, it’s not a long-term solution since flies have shorter life cycles and can develop resistance with time. Plus, the spray only lasts a little while before the effect goes away.

Typically, pyrethrin insecticides are the best choice. Make sure it’s designed for inside use. You should also ventilate the area and follow the directions carefully.

Light Traps

A light trap is a box with a light attached to the back. The flies are attracted to it and get into the light. When that happens, they’re trapped or electrically zapped. For the best results, you should mount them about 5 feet from the floor and keep them away from windows and entrances.

Prevention: Preventing Flies In Your Home

Now that you know how to get rid of flies, you want to keep them from coming back. Ultimately, it’s better to prevent them from coming inside. Try to remove anything that attracts flies and ensure that they don’t have a place to lay their eggs. These tips can help:

• Seal house vents, doors, and windows properly. Make sure no screens have damage or holes.
• Once the trash bag is full, take it out. Also, use a trashcan with a lid that fits on tightly.
• Store all of your food in an airtight container.
• Keep the sink free of dirty glasses and dishes.
• Flies like the light, so try to keep outdoor lights off at night.

Conclusion

Flies are more than just a nuisance. They can be dangerous to your health, too. If you keep the house clean and prevent them from getting inside, it’s the best method. However, you found many techniques to use and learned how to get rid of flies. Whether you choose natural or chemical, you have options now.

If you’re looking for the right team to handle the issue for you, Synergy² is here to help. We provide trusted services throughout the area, so contact us for the best pest control services around.