13 Ways to Get Rid of Flies

Flies. Who doesn’t want to get rid of flies? At least when they’re buzzing around your home in large numbers that is. Not only are flies incredibly annoying, they actually carry many diseases such as salmonella, tuberculosis and anthrax! To make matters worse, did you know that almost every time a fly lands, they throw up? It turns out that flies cannot chew, so they throw up digestive enzymes onto their food so that they can slurp it up. That might make you want to rethink eating that pizza slice a fly just landed on. Looking for ways to deter these pesky pests from making your home their haven? Look no further, here is a list of 13 ways to get rid of flies.

1. Look for the Source to Get Rid of Flies

You may have let in one too many flies from the outdoors, but usually, there is a source that is causing the flies to find your home appealing. Do your best to go throughout your home and see if there is anything that may be attracting them such as a dirty cat litter box, something spilled or sticky in an unusual place or a very stinky trash can.

2. Make a Vodka Based Fly Repellent

For whatever reason, flies do not like the smell of vodka. You can create your own vodka based fly repellent at home and spray it near hotspots such as a trash can. Here is a simple recipe you can make at home:

1 cup vodka

2 tsp aloe vera juice

1 tsp lemon eucalyptus oil

3. Make a Lemongrass Oil Fly Repellent

Flies also do not like Lemongrass. Mix 20-25 drops of Lemongrass oil with 1/2 cup of hot water and spray in areas you want to repel flies. Lemongrass oil smells pleasant also, so not only does it help keep the flies away, but it makes your home smell lovely at the same time.

4. Make a Lemon and Clove Deterrent (Great for BBQ’s!)

Cut a lemon in half and then poke 6-12 cloves in each lemon half. Not only do the flies hate the smell, but it makes a nice centerpiece at a BBQ.

13 ways to get rid of flies

5. Venus Fly Traps

I remember having these plants as a kid and always finding them fascinating. Who says you can’t have one as an adult? Buy a Venus Fly Trap plant and put it on the kitchen counter or in the bathroom. Decorative and functional!

13 ways to get rid of flies

6. Plant These Plants Outdoors

Flies do not like Bay Leaves, Mint, Lavender and Rosemary. Have an area outdoors that flies congregate? Plant these plants near it to help deter the flies. I’m excited to try this tip myself as flies love to hang out on our covered patio on hot summer days.

 

Related Posts:

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DIY Natural Spider Repellent Spray That Really Works!

How to Keep Your Covered Patio Clean and Bug-Free

 

7. Citronella Candles

Flies do not like smoke in general, but they also really hate citronella. If you’re relaxing outside, consider burning a citronella candle near you. This also helps keep mosquitoes away.

8. Make an Outdoor Homemade Fly Trap

There are tons of different homemade fly trap recipes scattered all over the internet. While I was looking for a recipe recently, I found one recipe that the others simply do not compare to at all. The blog The Art of Doing Stuff has come up with by far the best method I have seen and it’s so simple, you will wonder why you hadn’t thought of it. You can find the recipe here.

13 ways to get rid of flies

9. Zap It! Bug Zapper

This tennis shaped bug zapper has high praise on Amazon and is safe to touch. A good purchase if you have kids in the home and at around $22.00 it doesn’t break the bank.

13 ways to get rid of flies

10. Bug-A-Salt Insect Eradication Gun

Although a bit spendy for what it is, this is definitely something I can see a lot of husbands loving. The Bug-A-Salt is a fly “assault rifle” that you load with table salt. It then shoots the salt out in a concentrated spray pattern (like a shotgun) killing insects on contact. The reviews on this are very high, people LOVE it. So even though it does have a higher price tag…it definitely would make a great gift for both yourself or pretty much anyone who is tired of flies and other insects. It also will not harm your walls or furniture and it is battery free.

13 ways to get rid of flies

11. Indoor Fly Traps

If you do not want to use a homemade fly trap to get rid of flies, or you are trying to find something a little less unsightly like a fly strip. Consider the Fly Web Fly Trap. It uses a UV bulb to attract the flies to it and then they get stuck on the sticky glue board behind the light. The glue boards are easy to replace and you can purchase them easily on Amazon.

13 ways to get rid of flies

12. Ziploc Bags and Water

Although not the most pretty method, filling Ziploc bags with water and hanging them on your porch does work to repel flies.

13. Make a Homemade Indoor Fly Trap

I have seen several different recipes for indoor fly traps but one of the most common ones I have seen uses Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Water and Dawn Dish Soap. You can find the recipe here.

Although there are hundreds of methods to get rid of flies, I think this list encompasses some of the most common and most effective ways to win the war on flies. Plus some new ways, such as the Bug-A-Salt Gun, that I would never have thought of 🙂

One comment

  1. Carolina says:

    i have number 9, but yeah, it work great with mosquitoes, no more nights without sleep because of them, but with flies well…as soon as i go near them with that they just move around, it do work but its really hard.
    i saw citronella candles the other day, maybe im gonna get one of those and see how it works

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