9 All-Natural Ways to Keep Flies Away From Your Home

9 Ways to Get Rid of Flies Naturally

Close Doors, Windows, and Screens

Keeping the doors and windows shut is one of the most simple yet effective ways to keep flies out of your house. This will ensure that any pesky flies lurking outside don't manage to get into your space.

Additionally, installing screens on every openable window can make a huge difference in the number of flies you see inside your home. Screens guard against intrusion and add an extra layer of protection, acting as an additional barrier against flying bugs.

As you can tell, closing the doors and windows and having properly fitted screens are two essential steps to keeping flies at bay inside your home. If your screens are damaged, it's probably a good idea to repair or replace them.

Remove Rotting Organic Material

Flies like bottle flies like stinky, smelly, nasty things. Things like spoiled food waste, rotting yard debris, and, of course, dog poop.

If you're noticing lots of flies around your home, inside or outside, it will be important to address any sources of rotting materials so they will be less attracted to your property. Flies are known to travel 1-2 miles in search of stinky meals. Don't let your house become a pit stop.

Inside, aim to address areas like:

• Compost bins on the counter: Make sure it seals well so the smell can't get out, and take it out frequently
• Garbage and recycle storage: Keep them clean and empty them regularly, or they will smell, and flies will come looking for a meal
• Dirty diaper storage: Like all stinky trash, dirty diaper storage cans should be emptied on a regular basis

If there are outside sources attracting flies to your property, it's only a matter of time before they make their way inside. Outside, you can:

• Pick up dog poop: This goes without saying, but certain flies like poop and will hang around in large numbers if there's ample poop in your yard
• Move your outside trash bins: Ideally, keep your trash and recycle bins away from the house to avoid drawing flies in
• Enclose your compost: Consider purchasing or building an enclosed compost space that makes fly access more difficult, and if that's not possible, try to keep it as far away from the home as possible

Keep the Air Moving

Believe it or not, you probably have one (or more) of the most effective fly-repellent tools available, and you don't even know it.

Place fans throughout your home, especially in areas where you see flies hanging out. This will keep the air in your house moving, making it difficult for flies to do what they do best: fly! Not only is this method cost-effective, but it also requires little effort to maintain. With the proper positioning and settings, you have an all-natural solution for keeping flies away.

There are specialty fans called "air curtains" that can be installed above doorways and blow over the door to prevent flies and other pests from entering as people come and go. These fans are handy but expensive.

Use Fly Traps

If you are finding yourself in the unfortunate situation of dealing with a fly infestation, there are a wide variety of fly traps, including:

• UV lights: There are UV lights available for both indoor and outdoor use. While effective, these traps are designed to draw flies in before zapping them, so don't place them in areas where you don't want to see flies.
• Flypaper: Homemade or store-bought fly paper can be hung in more localized areas, either indoors or outdoors, to deal with larger flies. Focus on hanging your flypaper in areas where the air is stagnant. Flies like to hang out in the still air, so flypaper can be a great tool for reducing their population size.
• Vinegar traps: These traps work for fruit flies, where the smell of the vinegar draws them in and the device traps them inside. Just make sure you're dealing with fruit flies and not drain flies.

Clean Your Drains and Garbage Disposal

Many flies could be attracted to the smell coming from your drains or garbage disposal, but the most interested party is the drain fly.

Keeping your drains and garbage disposal clean is a necessity if you want to avoid the nuisance of drain flies. These pesky little insects that look like teensy, heart-shaped moths are known to invade the areas near kitchen sinks and bathroom drains.

To prevent an infestation of drain flies, it's important to clean any areas of your home that house drainage systems. Remove debris from your drains and disposal by thoroughly scrubbing with a stiff brush and drain cleaner.

Use Pennies to Keep Flies Away

Hang a bag of water and pennies near the source of the flies. This is said to repel flies as the light reflected from the pennies affects a fly's eyes and/or because it magnifies the pennies and makes them look like another insect's eyes, which scares the fly and keeps them away.

Light Citronella Candles

You might use citronella candles to keep mosquitos at bay, but they can also be effective for flies. The citronella released into the air masks the human scent, which is something insects like mosquitos and flies are attracted to. It's therefore an easy and effective way to keep them away.

Use Baking Soda

If you're dealing with pesky drain flies, turn to your baking cabinet for a solution. Mix equal parts salt and baking soda with double the amount of vinegar, pour it down your drain, and let sit overnight before pouring boiling water down the drain.

Place Plants Flies Hate Near Windows

Certain plants repel flies, including basil, lavender, mint, marigold, lemongrass, and sage, among others. Create an indoor windowsill herb garden or place fly-repelling flowers near windows to keep flies out of your home.

When to Call a Professional

Generally speaking, flies are a source pest, meaning once the source of the issue has been resolved, the issue should go away on its own.

That being said, fly problems can be perplexing, especially if you're having trouble identifying the source of the issue. Don't be afraid to call a pest professional if you're stumped. They'll be able to help you identify the fly in question, as well as point out potential fly sources that need to be addressed.