11 Ways To Get Rid Of Houseflies: Tips & Home Remedies

Who doesn’t hate the buzzing sound that houseflies make? These creatures are so irritating that one can go crazy if surrounded by houseflies. The constant zig-zagging these flies do whenever around people is very frustrating. You will get to see houseflies almost everywhere and it is also not a very big issue to tackle them.

If you are wondering whether the flies are of any danger to human health then you should know there’s a mixed answer to this query. Houseflies are harmless in the sense that they don’t bite and just keep buzzing around people. They are also very dangerous as their body and wings carry a lot of germs and bacteria that can spread several diseases. Whenever flies land on any food or surface or even human skin, they tend to transfer the bacteria and germs thus acting as disease carriers.

Almost every home is infested by flies but there are factors that determine the density of the infestation. If you have a housefly infestation at your place, you should learn about ways to get rid of houseflies. But, we will tell that later because you should first know a few things more about this nuisance-causing insect. Gather some knowledge about why they enter your house and how to prevent this and you are good to go.

Why Do Flies Enter Your House?

Houseflies love entering homes and they also keep playing the in and out game. One moment they will invade your house and the other moment they will fly outside the window only to go back in again. If you are wondering why your house is infested with this insect, we have reasons:

Flies love feeding on rotten food and waste. Any leftovers in your kitchen are a source of attraction for these flies.
If you have pets at home, their faeces is something houseflies love.
When evening sets in, any bright light source in your home is sure to attract houseflies inside the house.
Any open garbage cans inside the house or trash collected just outside the main gate gets the flies going inside the house.
Dirty dishes, leftover food in the sink or food crumbs lying in the kitchen are all reasons why flies enter your house.
Any cracks or openings in windows, doors etc cause flies to enter your house.
Dirty drains, sinks, mops, and even bath areas are responsible for houseflies infestation in your house.

Are Houseflies Harmful?

ways to get rid of houseflies — Source: Erik Karits / pexels

Although houseflies don’t bite or sting the human body it is wrong to say that they are harmless. Houseflies are very much harmful and the kind of harm that they cause to humans is something you need to be worried about. The bodies and wings of houseflies tend to be sticky and they are home to a large number of bacteria, viruses and germs.

Houseflies can easily carry diseases from one source to another and they can also infect your food, surfaces in your home and your skin with the germs and bacteria that they carry. Other than this, the flies also cause nuisance by the constant buzzing sound they make while flying and it causes mental disturbance to people in the house. Additionally, it is also socially embarrassing when you have guests at your place and your house is invaded by houseflies.

The diseases caused or transmitted by houseflies are:

Cholera
Dysentry
E.Coli
Food poisoning
Typhoid etc

Tips For Preventing Housefly Infestation

Flies can enter your house on daily basis and you should take every measure to prevent them from coming in. If you take proper preventive measures, you can keep your house free of flies infestation. Once your house is invaded by houseflies, you will need to try remedies to throw them out of the house but it is always recommended to first try preventive measures.

Keep your dustbins and trash cans covered all the time. Exposed bins are home to houseflies and other pests.
You should not keep any food in the open. Make sure to store food items in air-tight containers.
Check for your window screens, doors and any other points that can serve as an entry for houseflies.
See to it that there are no food crumbs or leftover food on the kitchen counters, dining table tops or kitchen floor.
Avoid any wetness or moisture in any area in your house.
Maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness in sinks, drains, and bath areas.
Do not let water stay in any place in your house as flies love laying eggs in water.
Clean your dishes post meals. Dirty dishes can be home to houseflies.
Discard leftover food and food items if any. Do not let any food rot in the house as flies love feeding on stale rotten food.

Ways To Get Rid Of Houseflies: Home Remedies

It sometimes happens that even after taking all the preventive measures, the houseflies enter your house and it becomes mandatory for you to try home remedies and keep them away. There are several ingredients that are readily available in your house and you can use them to shoo the flies away. Take a look at these remedies as these are the best ways to get rid of houseflies.

1. Vinegar And Soap

An easy trap that you can design at home for capturing houseflies, this one just requires three ingredients. All you need is a little bit of vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar and dish soap. Fill a shallow bowl with vinegar and add the sugar to it. Now pour little dish soap and leave the bowl open for flies to come and settle onto it. Once they are on it, there’s no backing off. They get trapped and die.

This is one of the easiest home remedies to get rid of flies. If you want even better and more effective results, you can keep the lid covered with a plastic film by making a few holes in it for flies to enter and get trapped.

2. Turmeric And Salt

The most commonly found kitchen ingredients, both salt and turmeric are widely used in your day-to-day cooking and these also help a lot to keep your house free of flies. You can dust turmeric and sprinkle salt on kitchen counters and near sinks to keep houseflies away.

3. Clove and Apple

Take an apple and cut it into halves. Insert a few pieces of cloves in the apple halves and keep them in open areas of your house. You can also try this remedy when you want to sit calmly in a place without any flies interruption. Just keep the apple halves near you and flies will not hover in that space.

4. Orange peels

It is time to make the best use of the orange peels that you otherwise dispose off in the garbage bins. Take a muslin cloth and collect fresh orange peels. Tie the peels in the fabric and hang them in your kitchen and also near entry points. It will freshen up the house and also keep flies at bay.

5. Venus Flytrap

ways to get rid of houseflies with venus flytrap — Source: Erik Mclean / pexels

You might feel this is a bit awkward but yes Venus flytrap is a plant that kills houseflies by feeding on them. These are carnivorous plants and have their leaves opened for insects to come and settle on them. As soon as a fly sits on the leaf, it instantly closes the flaps of the leaves and sucks the fluid of the fly. When done, the plant spits out the skeletal remains of the housefly.

It might sound disgusting, but this is a great option to keep flies in control. You can place a Venus flytrap pot outside your house or in balconies and gardens.

6. Banana

As you know houseflies love settling on food items and banana is one of their favourites. For this remedy, you need to cut a banana into slices and collect it in a jar. Make sure to cover the jar with a plastic film and then punch a few holes in it. The houseflies are sure to get attracted to the banana and get stuck inside the jar.

7. Natural Oils

There are several natural oils that work as houseflies repellent and you can use them all to get rid of these nasty insects. Make houseflies repellent sprays by infusing these essential oils in water or rubbing alcohol and using it in your house to keep your house flies free. Additionally, the sprays also elevate the ambience of your home. A few natural oils that work as housefly repellents are:

Neem
Citronella
Lavender
Lemongrass
Eucalyptus
Peppermint

8. Ginger Powder

Take some water in a spray bottle and add dried ginger powder to it. Give it a nice mix and use this spray solution in places where you usually face houseflies problems in the house. This spray works great in keeping the bugging flies away.

9. Basil

ways to get rid of houseflies with basil — Source: monicore / pexels

Who doesn’t love basil? And it is all the more amazing if you can pot a basil plant at home. Along with using it in the kitchen for your favourite recipes, you will benefit from basil in other ways too. A basil plant acts as a housefly repeller and will help you in keeping your house free of insects.

10. Salt And Pepper

Another spray that is effective in keeping this insect away, this one is quite easy to prepare. For the preparation, you need some boiling water. Then add salt and pepper to it and fill it in a spray bottle. Use this spray to keep your house flies free.

11. Flytraps

Not natural or homemade but flytraps are great remedies to keep flies away from your house. You can use a light trap to control flies infestation in your place. It is basically a box with lights attached inside. These lights attract houseflies inside the box and ultimately kill them by electrocuting them. Many light traps do not kill but keep flies trapped for hours.

Alternately, you can also use sticky traps that are strips of sticky paper. You need to hang these sticky traps at regular intervals in the house or outside your home so that flies stick to them and get trapped. This remedy is not very effective and it also fails when the infestation is huge.

All these remedies help you a lot when it comes to controlling houseflies infestation in the house and you can easily give these a try. However, we still suggest that you should first check the areas outside your house and then work on the infestation inside the house. For tips to get rid of ants, read here.

How To Tackle Flies Infestation Outside Your House?

When the area outside your house is infested with houseflies they are sure to enter your house by all means and it is thus mandatory to first take care of the outside to prevent infestation inside the house.

Keep the outsides of your house clean and well maintained.
Do not let any debris, grass cuttings, or dried leaves clutter the outside area of your house.
Keep a check on any stagnant water source near the house.
Make use of insecticides, sprays and other store-bought repellants to keep flies under control.
Install flytraps outside the house or pot plants like Venus flytrap, basil, marigold etc.

FAQs

What is the most common reason for flies entering the house?

Houseflies invade your personal space in search of food. Any food item kept open in your kitchen or dining area is sure to invite flies inside your house.

Should housefly infestation make you worry?

Absolutely! Houseflies do not bite but they aren’t harmless. Since they feed on garbage, faecal matter, rotten food etc, they carry germs, bacteria as well viruses which can easily get transmitted to your food and surfaces in your house. A serious housefly infestation in your house can make you fall sick.

How do you come to know about housefly infestation in your house?

When you start spotting flies in large numbers or in groups zig-zagging in your house and the buzzing noise is high, it is time you need to take serious measures. Also, spotting eggs or larvae in your house is a sign of housefly infestation.

Can you stop houseflies from entering your house?

Yes, you can! If you take the best preventive measures and make sure to keep your doors and windows shut during the evening, there are chances these pesky creatures won’t invade your house.

Do houseflies have a long life span?

No houseflies usually do not live for more than 20-25 days but they reproduce pretty quickly and in large numbers. Thus, you should try removing them at the earliest.

What is the most important factor you should keep in mind while taking preventive measures?

Cleanliness is the most important factor when it comes to keeping flies away. Always make sure to keep your house clean and there are chances your house will be flies-free.

Is it mandatory to opt for professional services for housefly infestation?

Usually, housefly infestation can be tackled by home remedies. If not you can opt for flytraps and repellant sprays as well as insecticides available in the market. In extreme cases, only a professional pest control service is required.