How To Get Rid Of Flies

Getting rid of flies on your own is possible, but it requires a thorough, strategic approach that addresses both the source of the infestation and active adult flies. Flies reproduce rapidly — a single pair can turn into thousands within weeks — so effective DIY control means cutting off breeding sites, eliminating attractants, and using targeted control methods. Here’s how to get rid of flies from homes and businesses:

Identify the Source and Eliminate Attractants: Flies are drawn to food, organic waste, and moisture. Begin by inspecting your home or business for sources such as uncovered trash, food scraps, compost bins, pet waste, and stagnant water. Remove or properly secure these attractants: keep trash in sealed containers, clean spills immediately, store food in airtight containers, and ensure drains and sinks are free of buildup. Reducing breeding grounds is the most effective first step in controlling fly populations.
Maintain Rigorous Sanitation Practices: Regular cleaning disrupts fly life cycles. Wipe counters, sweep floors, and sanitize food preparation areas daily. For businesses, implement a strict schedule for cleaning storage rooms, kitchens, and dining areas. Pay attention to hidden areas like under appliances, behind dumpsters, and corners where organic matter may accumulate. The cleaner the environment, the less hospitable it is for flies.
Use Physical Barriers: Screens on windows and doors, door strips, and air curtains prevent flies from entering. For business entrances or high-traffic areas, installing self-closing doors or mesh screens can dramatically reduce indoor fly presence. In areas where flies are most active, such as kitchens or storage rooms, consider fly nets or fine-mesh covers over drains.
Apply Traps and Lures: Commercial sticky traps, UV light traps, and baited fly traps can capture adult flies efficiently. Place these near entry points, windows, doors, or areas where flies congregate. UV traps are particularly effective in businesses because they attract flies away from customers or workspaces while being easy to clean and maintain. Ensure traps are positioned strategically and replaced or cleaned according to manufacturer instructions.
Use Natural Repellents or Homemade Solutions: Essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, or lemongrass act as natural fly repellents. You can create sprays by diluting these oils in water and applying them to entryways, windowsills, and counters. Additionally, a simple vinegar-and-soap trap can lure and drown flies: fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar, cover it with plastic wrap, and poke small holes in the top. Flies enter and cannot escape.
Control Outdoor Fly Populations: For homes or businesses with outdoor areas, manage fly populations by maintaining clean garbage areas, regularly mowing lawns, and removing decaying organic matter. Outdoor fly traps or bait stations can reduce the number of flies before they enter indoor spaces. Ensuring proper drainage and reducing standing water will also discourage breeding.
Consider Targeted Insecticides if Necessary: If the infestation persists despite sanitation, traps, and barriers, use insecticidal sprays or residual treatments labeled for fly control. Focus on areas where flies rest, such as walls, ceilings, and corners, and always follow the product’s safety instructions. For businesses, select products safe for food handling areas if needed.
Maintain Long-Term Prevention Measures: Even after eliminating the immediate problem, flies will return if conditions remain favorable. Establish ongoing routines: daily cleaning, weekly inspection of potential breeding sites, regular replacement of traps, and seasonal maintenance of screens and doors. Consistency ensures that fly populations remain low and reduces the need for chemical interventions over time.

DIY fly control can be effective if you’re diligent about sanitation, source elimination, and prevention. However, if flies keep returning despite these efforts — especially in a commercial setting or if the source is hard to identify — it may indicate a larger infestation hidden in drains, walls, or structural voids.

How To Get Rid Of Flies Fast

For rapid reduction of a fly population, treatments that directly target adult flies and their immediate environment work fastest. Here are some of the most effective approaches, ranked by speed of action:

Aerosol or Residual Insecticide Sprays: These sprays kill adult flies on contact, while residual sprays leave a chemical layer on walls, ceilings, and other surfaces where flies rest. Aerosol sprays provide immediate knockdown of visible flies, and residual sprays prevent reinfestation for days to weeks. Only use products labeled for indoor fly control, avoid spraying directly on food surfaces, and ventilate treated areas.
UV Light Fly Traps (Electric or Glueboard Traps): Flies are attracted to the light and either get electrocuted or stuck on sticky surfaces. These traps provide continuous capture and can significantly reduce adult fly populations within 24–48 hours in confined areas. Position traps near windows, doors, or areas of high fly activity, and clean them regularly to maintain effectiveness.
Baited Fly Traps: Attractants such as sugar, fermented food, or commercial baits lure flies into a container or sticky trap where they cannot escape. These traps are effective within hours to days, particularly in high-activity areas. Baits should be replaced frequently, and traps should be placed away from food-handling areas to prevent contamination.
Fly Swatters and Manual Removal: Directly killing individual flies provides immediate results but is labor-intensive and practical only for small-scale infestations or isolated flies.
Environmental Control Measures for Fast Impact: Removing trash, food scraps, pet waste, covering or storing food, and eliminating standing water or damp areas prevents flies from entering or reproducing. These measures complement chemical or trap-based treatments and speed up population reduction.

For the fastest results, combine methods: use sprays or residual insecticides to knock down adults, set up UV or baited traps to capture remaining flies, and thoroughly clean surfaces and remove attractants to prevent immediate reinfestation. This integrated approach ensures rapid reduction while minimizing the risk of a rebound in fly populations.

How To Get Rid Of Flies Permanently

Completely eliminating flies permanently is extremely challenging because flies reproduce quickly and are constantly attracted to food and waste. However, long-term eradication—or maintaining populations at near-zero levels—is achievable with persistent, integrated measures. The most effective solutions combine environmental management, exclusion, and targeted control:

Source Elimination and Sanitation: Flies breed in organic waste, trash, pet feces, spilled food, and damp areas. Removing these attractants is the foundation of permanent control. Key steps include keeping all garbage in sealed containers and removing it frequently, cleaning food prep and storage areas daily (including under appliances and behind sinks), disposing of pet waste promptly, and eliminating stagnant water near drains, gutters, or outdoor areas. Persistent sanitation drastically reduces breeding grounds and is critical for long-term control.
Structural Exclusion: Preventing flies from entering the home or business is essential for lasting results. Install window and door screens in good repair, use air curtains or self-closing doors in high-traffic areas, and cover vents, drains, or other openings where flies could enter. Limiting access points over time significantly reduces indoor fly populations and prevents reinfestation.
Integrated Trapping and Monitoring: Continuous capture of adult flies interrupts reproduction cycles. UV light traps are effective in kitchens, warehouses, and food service zones, while sticky traps and baited traps can be positioned near doors, windows, and garbage areas. Regular monitoring and replacement of traps ensure consistent effectiveness. Combined with sanitation and exclusion, trapping eliminates flies quickly before they can reproduce.
Targeted Insecticidal Treatments: Chemical interventions support long-term control when applied strategically. Residual sprays on walls, ceilings, and fly resting sites prevent adults from surviving indoors. Larvicides applied to outdoor breeding sites, drains, or compost disrupt the development of eggs and larvae. Rotating chemical classes occasionally helps prevent resistance. Strategic use of insecticides complements other control methods rather than serving as a temporary fix.
Regular Maintenance and Vigilance: Permanent fly control requires ongoing practices. Daily cleaning, weekly inspection of potential breeding sites, and routine trap replacement are necessary. Seasonal checks of screens, doors, and drains prevent new fly entry, and immediate action at the first sign of infestation stops populations from establishing.

The most reliable path to permanent fly control is an integrated approach that combines sanitation, exclusion, continuous trapping, and targeted insecticidal use, supported by ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Because flies are prolific and mobile, no single method alone can guarantee permanent elimination, but consistent implementation of all these measures can keep populations at near-zero levels indefinitely.

How To Get Rid Of Flies Naturally

There are natural control methods that can significantly reduce or manage fly populations, though achieving complete elimination naturally is difficult because flies reproduce rapidly. The most effective natural strategies focus on disrupting breeding, repelling adults, and capturing them:

Sanitation and Environmental Management: Removing sources of food and breeding sites is the most powerful “natural” method. Flies need organic waste, food scraps, pet feces, and standing water to reproduce. Regularly clean counters, sweep floors, empty trash frequently, and cover compost or garbage bins. Eliminating damp or decaying material outdoors—such as rotting vegetation, fallen fruit, or stagnant water—reduces fly breeding naturally.
Essential Oils and Natural Repellents: Certain essential oils act as natural fly deterrents, including eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, lavender, and citronella. These can be used in spray form on windowsills, doorways, or other areas where flies enter. Planting herbs like basil, mint, or marigold near entrances can also help repel flies. While they won’t kill flies outright, they reduce indoor populations by discouraging entry.
Biological Control: Predatory insects such as wasps can target fly larvae, especially in outdoor or compost environments. Birds, frogs, and certain spiders naturally consume adult flies. Encouraging these natural predators in gardens or yards can help reduce fly numbers.
Non-Chemical Traps: Homemade traps using apple cider vinegar, sugar water, or fermented fruit attract flies and prevent them from reproducing. Sticky traps placed near windows, doors, or garbage capture adult flies. While traps do not address larvae directly, they are an effective method to reduce adults quickly.
Environmental Modifications: Reducing moisture and improving airflow in basements, kitchens, or storage areas makes the environment less favorable for fly development. Cover drains and seal cracks where flies may enter or breed.

Natural methods are generally better for long-term prevention and population reduction rather than instant elimination. They are most successful when combined—sanitation, repellents, traps, and environmental management together can keep fly populations very low without chemical interventions.

Learn more: Natural Fly Repellents

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Flies

Our professional pest control is the best way to get rid of flies because it addresses the root causes of infestations, not just the visible problem. Flies multiply quickly, carry harmful bacteria, and often breed in hidden areas that most homeowners and business owners overlook. Our professional services provide a combination of expertise, tools, and long-term prevention strategies that DIY methods can’t fully match. Here’s why:

Expert Identification of Fly Species

Not all flies are the same — and neither are their breeding sites or control methods.

House flies often breed in garbage or food waste.
Fruit flies thrive in drains and overripe produce.
Drain flies live in organic sludge inside pipes.
Cluster flies invade attics and wall voids in large numbers.

Our pest professionals identify the exact species, then tailor the treatment plan to its habits and life cycle.

Thorough Inspections to Find Hidden Breeding Sites

Flies rarely breed where they’re most visible. Our professionals know where to look:

Floor drains, grease traps, or mop buckets in commercial kitchens.
Wall voids, attics, or crawlspaces where moisture accumulates.
Manure piles, dumpsters, or landscaping features outside a property.

Without eliminating these breeding grounds, flies will continue to come back.

Advanced Tools and Treatments

Our professionals have access to solutions that the average homeowner or business owner can’t easily obtain.

Commercial-grade drain treatments break down organic matter that supports fly larvae.
Professional UV light traps and baiting systems provide continuous monitoring and control.
Residual insecticides are applied precisely and safely to kill flies where they land.
Biological control products target larvae without harming people, pets, or the environment.

Safe and Targeted Application

DIY sprays and traps may kill some flies but often expose people, food, or surfaces to unnecessary chemicals. Our professionals are trained to:

Apply treatments only where needed.
Follow strict health and safety standards.
Protect kitchens, dining areas, and sensitive business environments from contamination.

Long-Term Prevention Strategies

Fly control isn’t just about elimination — it’s about keeping them from coming back. Our professional services include:

Sanitation recommendations tailored to your property.
Structural advice, such as repairing screens, sealing entry points, or managing waste disposal.
Scheduled treatments and monitoring to keep populations under control year-round.

Protecting Health and Reputation

Flies carry bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, making them a serious health risk. For businesses, especially restaurants, grocery stores, or healthcare facilities, fly activity can quickly lead to health code violations, customer complaints, and damaged reputations. Our professional pest control ensures compliance and protects your brand.

While DIY methods may reduce adult fly populations temporarily, they rarely eliminate the infestation at its source. Our professional pest control delivers precise identification, thorough treatments, and long-term prevention — making it the most effective, efficient, and reliable way to get rid of flies.

Get Rid Of Flies With Miche Pest Control

Hiring our team of professionals at Miche Pest Control is an investment in long-term protection, expertise, and peace of mind. Here’s why:

Personalized Service and Local Expertise: We know the specific pest pressures in the area. Our technicians understand the environment, climate, and building types common to the area, allowing them to provide targeted, effective treatments.
High-Quality, Comprehensive Solutions: As a full-service provider, we don’t just treat surface problems; we address the root causes. From inspections and prevention to exclusion and ongoing maintenance, we deliver complete, integrated pest management (IPM) programs designed to both eliminate infestations and prevent future ones.
Accountability and Reliability: We live and die by our reputation. We rely on trust, referrals, and repeat business, meaning we're committed to doing the job right the first time and providing exceptional customer care.
Faster Response Times: We respond quickly to emergencies and schedule services sooner than large, national chains. Especially when you’re dealing with urgent pest issues, that speed matters.
Customized Treatment Plans: We tailor our services to your property’s specific needs instead of using one-size-fits-all chemical treatments. This results in safer, more effective pest control that minimizes environmental impact and reduces unnecessary pesticide use.
Highly Trained, Experienced Technicians: We invest in training, certification, and continuing education for our technicians. We stay current on the latest pest biology, control techniques, and safety standards.
Long-Term Prevention and Value: Our focus on providing quality service means fewer callbacks, longer-lasting protection, and better value over time. Instead of repeated, temporary fixes, you get strategic solutions that protect your home or business for the long run and provide better peace of mind.

Hiring our team means you get expertise you can trust, faster service, safer and more effective treatments, and long-term results that protect both your property and your peace of mind. Contact us today!