Exposed food, dirty surfaces and un-emptied bins can all attract flies and make them multiply. If you have a fly infestation in your house, here are several methods for how to get rid of flies at home.
Remove, clean and disinfect any areas you think could be a breeding ground for flies. This can depend on the fly. For example, house flies are attracted to pet waste, fruit flies like fermented fruit and vegetables and mosquitos thrive off pools of water.
Empty and clean bins
If you want to know how to get rid of fruit flies, remove what attracts them most: rotting food. Fruit flies thrive off decomposing food, especially fresh vegetables and fruit, so empty your bins at least twice a week. Make sure the bin and the area surrounding it is sterilised with a household cleaner like Jif. If they still keep on returning, use a stronger, bleach-based cleaner like Domestos.
Keep food out of sight
After cooking food, always make sure that it’s covered. Avoid leaving uncovered food on counters as these can attract all sorts of flies, including wasps, especially if your windows are open. Cover food with foil when it’s cooling on counters and put it in the fridge the moment it’s cold enough.
Use homemade fly repellent with lemongrass
If you want to know how to get rid of house flies, then make your own fly repellent using lemongrass oil. It will also make your house smell pleasantly refreshing in the process. To make your repellent, mix 20 drops of lemongrass oil with half a cup of hot water. Once cooled, pour it into a spray bottle and apply it to surfaces that flies like to gather. You may even want to add some to your clothes if flies appear to be attracted to you.
Use a hoover
If you want to know how to kill flies, hoover them up using handheld vacuum cleaner. If you have a thick infestation, this can be one of the quickest and easiest ways of zapping them away. Once the surface is clear of flies, clean it and spray it with fly repellent. Always hoover flies when they are resting on a surface, instead of in mid-flight, as they will find it easier to escape when they are flying.
Create your own fly trap with honey
Wasps, house flies and fruit flies love sugar, which is why you can create your own contraption to kill them. Fill a jar with two tablespoons of honey. Create a cone by folding a piece of card and taping the sides together. Place the cone in the jar, making sure it fits snugly, leaving no gaps. For extra security, tape the cone to the sides of the jar. Leave it out in a popular area with flies. Try not to keep the windows open when you are doing this as you may end up attracting more flies to your house!
Knowing how to keep flies away can feel like an ongoing struggle. But with patience, diligent cleaning and homemade fly repellent, you can speed up the process.
Clean and disinfect bins
Make your own fly repellent
Create a fly trap with honey