How Do Flies Get in Your Home? Guide to Getting Rid
Annoying. That is the word we would use to describe flies.
Flies enter our homes through windows, doors, gaps, and even via carriers such as humans and pests.
Flies may be a big nuisance and can cause harm. They’re usually found in many dirty areas and carry germs. This means they can deposit the pathogens wherever they sit.
It’s clear that flies need to go, and this article will help you with that. We will be looking into why you may have flies in your home, where they come from, and ways to get rid of them.
Why Do You Have Flies In Your Home
Perhaps the best way to eliminate flies is by understanding what causes them. This way, you can prevent them in the first place, so you won’t have to deal with an infestation later.
Here are four reasons why flies are attracted to your home.
Your House Has Food
Flies have an excellent sense of smell and can sniff out the food in your house. In addition to regular food, flies are also attracted to garbage disposals, cat litter boxes, vinegar, and spilled drinks.
Better Temperature
Flies are always in search of a better temperature. They may enter your home because your home has a warmer climate than the outside. Conversely, they may be attracted to your home because it can offer them a cooler environment.
In addition, your home will offer them light which attracts them too.
Your Home May Have Breeding Grounds
Flies don’t just randomly lay their eggs. Instead, they look for places where, when the egg hatches, the larvae will have something to feed on. Some examples are garbage, rotting food, dirty diapers, and rotting meat.
If you don’t regularly clean your home or if your garbage disposal does not work correctly, you may be encouraging the growth of these flies.
Flies Reproduce Fast
Flies have a really short life cycle and lay a lot of eggs. This means that a tiny fly invasion can quickly turn into a proper infestation before realizing it.
Therefore if you see flies in your home, take steps to get rid of them immediately.
Ways Flies Enter Your Home
Wondering where the flies are coming from? Here are five ways for flies to get into your home.
Doors and Windows
This is perhaps the most common way flies get into the house. They may smell the food or get attracted to something else in your home and fly in as soon as they get the chance.
If you keep your doors and windows closed but are still getting flies, remember that these insects don’t need a huge opening and can sneak in within a few seconds without you noticing.
Check for broken windows and holes around your window frame. Also, make sure your door closes all the way and doesn’t have any gaps for flies to get through.
If you’ve got insect screens, check and make sure there aren’t any tears.
Gaps and Cracks
Because flies, especially the smaller breeds, can get through small spaces, any gaps and cracks in your home will let them in.
In addition to holes in and around your doors and windows, check for openings around your pipes and vents. Look for cracks in your baseboards and ceilings, too.
Flies also enter via exhaust fans and lights.
Eggs
We focus too much on keeping flies out that we forget they may be emerging from within our house.
Adult flies that enter your home may have found a suitable area to lay eggs without you knowing. These eggs hatch into maggots which turn into flies within five to six days.
Females may lay up to 500 eggs over a three to four-day period in batches of 75 to 150. This is how you may end up with a house infestation without knowing it.
To avoid an infestation, identify any potential breeding grounds in your home and remove these immediately.
Via A Carrier
In some cases, flies may be entering your home via a carrier. A fly may be on a person or your pet as they enter your home.
It may be hidden in your backpack, handbag, or luggage.
In addition, fly larvae may enter the house via shoes, clothing, food, and even flowers or soil used for potted plants.
A major carrier of flies, however, are pests. Flies and maggots hitch a ride with pests like rats and squirrels, which carry them into your home.
The problem gets worse if a dead animal is involved. One of these pests may die, or your cat may bring a dead animal to you as a gift which will serve as a breeding ground for these insects. Flies are quick to lay eggs in rotting meat so that the maggots have something to feed on when they hatch.
Duct Work
You may get flies via ductwork if you live in an apartment. Ductwork refers to the ducts used in ventilation or heating systems.
A fly from one apartment may use these ducts to enter another.
Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Flies
Sure, flies are a nuisance, but they’re also harmful to us. They are typically found in manure, garbage, and dead and rotting matter. Therefore you must get rid of these pests ASAP.
Here are four natural remedies to help you get rid of flies.
Flowers and Herbs
Flies have a strong sense of smell which they use to locate food. You can use this trait to your advantage by using strong scents to deter flies.
Basil, lavender, marigold, rosemary, bay leaves, lemon balm, and sage are examples of plants that repel flies.
The plus side of using herbs and flowers is that they look pretty, and you can use some in cooking as well.
Dish Soap and Vinegar
A mixture of dish soap and vinegar may be an effective remedy to kill flies. Take a tall glass and mix a few drops of dish soap with an inch of apple cider vinegar.
Cover this glass with a plastic wrap and poke the wrap with holes.
The vinegar will attract the flies causing them to move into the glass through the holes. However, the dish soap will trap and sink them when they land on the mixture.
Water and Cayenne Pepper
Like flowers and herbs, flies are repelled by the smell of cayenne peppers; therefore, growing these peppers or keeping a pepper plant may help keep these flies away.
If you can’t grow a plant, you can make a pepper spray to help you deter flies.
- Use two to three cayenne peppers and finely blend them in a food processor. The number of peppers used depends on how concentrated you want your mixture to be.
- Add three to four cups of water and blend the mixture further.
- Transfer this mixture into an airtight container and keep this in the sunlight for a week.
- Strain this liquid and transfer it to a spray bottle.
Venus Flytrap
Speaking of plants, why not use one to kill flies?
The Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant that feeds on insects. It will attract the flies by secreting sweet nectar, luring them to its leaves.
Once the fly touches the plant, the leaves close around it. Next, the plant digests the insect by secreting a digestive fluid to break it down over five to twelve days. Then, since the exoskeleton is indigestible, it spits it out later.
It’s best to keep your Venus flytrap out of the house where it will actively feed on flies. This is because it may not be able to feed as well inside your home.
Insecticides and Traps
Not interested in trying out natural remedies? That’s okay! You can use several other methods to eliminate flies.
Insecticides
Most fly sprays work by inhibiting the enzyme flies need to relax their muscles. As a result, their muscles remain contracted, making it hard to breathe and eventually suffocating them to death.
Insecticides are excellent if you’re looking for a rapid and instant kill. However, insecticide resistance is a problem with flies due to their short life cycles. This causes them to develop resistance quickly.
If you plan on using an insecticide, make sure you use one that is safe for both children and pets. Moreover, remember to ventilate the area entirely and cover all food items.
Light Traps
Light traps are another way to eliminate flies. These devices use UV light to attract the flies to the trap. Some traps use high-voltage electricity, killing the fly by zapping them.
Others have glue boards that cause the fly to stick to the surface.
Sticky Traps
Sticky traps are another method to trap pests. These traps are coated with an adhesive that traps the flies, and you can dispose of them later.
This method is better if you want to identify the extent of the pest invasion instead of an elimination method.
Final Words
You now understand everything there is to know about eliminating flies. But, of course, getting rid of them is not the most crucial step, prevention is.
Even if you already have a lot of flies, preventative measures can make sure you don’t get more.
If you’ve tried many elimination methods but nothing has worked, reach out to a professional for advice. Maybe your home needs an exterminator to get rid of the flies entirely.
