Do It Yourself

There’s nothing like flies in the house-the most annoying insect in the summer months. At the end of the summer season, you probably will have waved your arms to shoo flies away at least a hundred times.

Of course, the most classic phrase “Shut the door! You’re letting the flies in!” is heard in every household across the nation all summer long. But, are they harmless?

In fact, ‘how to get rid of flies and mosquitoes’, are some of the top searches online. Indication of the need to get rid of these pesky pests once and for all.

Let’s learn a little more about this seemingly harmless insect…

Why You Need to and Should Get Rid of Flies?

Did you know there are over 100,000 known species of flies? Who knows how many unknown species there really are.

Did you also know flies are carriers of deadly diseases? Flies infest meat and other food items, spreading food poisoning bacteria like salmonella enteritidis.

Because a fly is a restless insect, it moves back and forth between food and filth, and this helps it in spreading infections faster. Flies are attracted to food by their sense of smell; however, they cannot eat solid food.

When a fly reaches the food it vomits on the solid food and creates a solution of it, then sucks it which, in turn, contaminates the food.

What are some other diseases spread by flies? Here is a complete list of reasons to get rid of flies for good:

Flies can cause typhoid and paratyphoid fevers.
They can also spread some other diseases like diarrhea and dysentery, cholera, and conjunctivitis by mechanical contamination.
Other diseases carried by house flies include salmonella, anthrax, and tuberculosis.
They are also known to transmit the eggs of parasitic worms.
Sandflies found in South America, Africa, and Europe are carriers of a microorganism responsible for a disease which eats away at human skin. This disease is known as Leishmaniasis.

Why Use Natural Ways to Get Rid of Flies?

Let’s talk repellents and deterrents to get rid of flies and other insects.

As with my other articles this summer, I will share recipes for all-natural fly repellents and deterrents. They are safer for you, your family, and your pets.

Harsh chemicals can cause more harm than good. So, before you reach for a store-bought can of insect repellent spray, read the following information on how you can get rid of flies the all-natural way.

Here’s a list of all-natural recipes and tricks to get rid of flies we’ll cover in this article:

1. Vodka Based Repellent

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For some reason, flies hate vodka. They just cannot bear its smell, which is why some people use vodka-based repellents to get rid of flies.

What You’ll Need:

1 cup of vodka
2 tsp of aloe vera juice
1 tsp of lemon eucalyptus oil
1/2 tsp of essential oil blend
Spray bottle

Instructions:

After mixing the ingredients, pour the mixture into a spray bottle. This can be applied on your skin or it can be sprayed near the infested area to repel flies.

2. Lemongrass Oil Repellent

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Lemongrass oil has strong insect repellent properties. You can use the lemongrass oil to make a fly repellent spray that also works as a room freshener.

What You’ll Need:

20-25 drops of lemongrass essential oil
½ cup of hot water
Spray bottle

Instructions:

After mixing ingredients together, pour into a spray bottle. Spray it along your doorways, windows, or any other fly-infested area.

Note: In absence of lemongrass oil, you can also use other essential oils such as lavender oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, pennyroyal oil, or peppermint oil. With these essential oils, however, you won’t achieve the same results you would get with lemongrass oil.

3. Clove-Based Deterrent

Cloves are pleasurably aromatic for humans, but flies (particularly house flies) cannot stand the scent of cloves. Here’s a recipe to keep flies away using cloves.

What You’ll Need:

1 lemon
6 to 12 cloves
Plate

Instructions:

To make this deterrent, take a lemon and cut it into two halves. Poke 6-12 cloves into each half of the lemon.

Place on a plate and place in places you want to deter flies. Great for outdoor activities!

4. Apple Cider Vinegar and Witch Hazel Repellent

It’s amazing how much you can do with apple cider vinegar! https://t.co/mZqdGKV3eE pic.twitter.com/RE5fnhGBTo

— Survival Life (@SurvivalLF) August 8, 2016

Want to know how to get rid of house flies with vinegar? This natural repellent works mainly with the common housefly.

What You’ll Need:

1/4 cup of witch hazel
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
30 – 60 of drops of eucalyptus oil
Spray bottle

Instructions:

Mix 1/4 cup of witch hazel with 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.
Add 30 – 60 drops of eucalyptus oil.
Shake well.
You can apply this repellent on the uncovered areas of your body.

Note: Avoid spraying near your eyes and mouth.

5. Sugar-Water Fly Trap

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What You’ll Need:

Wide-mouthed jar
Sugar water
Paper cone

Instructions:

Pour the sugar water in the jar.
Cut a 1 cm diameter hole at the apex of the paper cone.
Place the cone in the jar upside-down (it should not touch the liquid.)

Since the jar contains sweet liquid, the flies will be attracted to it and will go down through the cone into the jar. Once inside, they won’t be able to fly up through the hole to come out, therefore they’ll be trapped inside.

6. DIY Fly Paper

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Flypaper is coated with a sweet fragrant (and extremely sticky) substance which attracts flies. The store-bought flypaper will often have a layer of a poisonous substance above the sticky portion of the flypaper.

You can make your own flypaper at home without the poisonous layer. Here’s how.

What You’ll Need:

Sheets of brown paper or thin cards
Scissors
Saucepan
A large-sized spoon for stirring
Corn syrup
Water

Instructions:

Cut the brown paper sheets into 2 inch wide strips.
Measure equal parts of corn syrup and water and pour into a saucepan and heat the mixture until it starts to boil.
Constantly stir the mixture with the spoon while heating until it slightly thickens.
After this, remove the pan from the heat and soak the strips in the mixture for at least 4 – 5 hours.
Take out the strips and allow them to dry for 2-3 hours.
When the strips are completely dry, hang them in the fly-infested area and your homemade flypaper is ready to catch flies.

Watch this video from Household Hacker for another step-by-step guide to making another fly trap to help get rid of flies:

When the fly season is on, they are practically everywhere. Unfortunately, one way to get rid of flies may be effective for a while but then there always seem to be another batch to take over.

Try a couple or more of these tricks to see which one works best. So far, the sugar water flytrap and flypaper are effective for me, especially outdoors.

Which of these ways on how to get rid of flies are you eyeing on to make soon? Tell us your thoughts about it in the comments section below!

Up Next:

Go to our Survival Life Store to shop some of our favorite self-defense tools and gear!

How To Get Rid Of Flies Naturally And Effectively | https://survivallife.com/get-rid-flies-naturally/

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on August 8, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

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33 Comments

Anonymous

September 6, 2017 at 1:12 PM

Lovely will be trying them! Xxx

Reply
- M r grate
  
  September 4, 2018 at 5:57 AM
  
  M-2. A purchased a hairspray at the dollar store and sprayed it on my hat, got out of my truck the swarm of vicious yellow flies that followed me into the farm came towards me then veered off and didn’t come back. It was in a yellow-gold can. I will post again when I get the name. Amazing stuff but doesn’t work for mosquito
  
  Reply
  - Debra Friedman
    
    September 27, 2018 at 11:39 AM
    
    M r grate, I think you might be talking about ” It” hairspray, I use it for my hair all the time, thanks for the tip,
    
    Reply
Jeff

July 27, 2018 at 7:38 AM

Awesome remedy’s – simplest one was lemongrass but liked the clove one too

Reply
David Wohlfeil

July 27, 2018 at 8:13 AM

I have used the Lemon and clove one but not with a whole lemon, 1T lemon juice and 6 to 8 cloves in a small dipping dish works well indoors. Never used it outside but I think it may work in a screen tent not strong enough for open-air conditions I don’t think.

Reply
Barb

July 29, 2018 at 8:20 AM

Any suggestions for killing maggots?

Reply
- SM
  
  July 30, 2018 at 3:53 AM
  
  Vacuum them up with a dust buster n throw them out! That’s how I do it.
  
  Reply
- SM
  
  July 30, 2018 at 3:55 AM
  
  Vacuum them up with a dust buster n throw them out!in the trash outside. That’s how I do it.
  
  Reply
- Glenn Trombly
  
  July 30, 2018 at 3:54 PM
  
  Chickens. They love ’em.
  
  Reply
- Mike
  
  August 10, 2018 at 6:55 AM
  
  Boiling hot water. Kills instantly, making them look like puffed rice.
  
  Reply
Monte Crooks

July 29, 2018 at 3:32 PM

Now, how do you eliminate MOTHS?!!!

Reply
- Anonymous
  
  August 6, 2018 at 2:03 AM
  
  Smash their little Moth Balls !!!
  
  Reply
  - Ken Sooy
    
    October 12, 2018 at 8:50 AM
    
    ROFL!!! Oh, that was a great reply!
    
    Reply
    - Ben
      
      October 28, 2018 at 11:14 AM
      
      Hell yeah !!!!
      
      Reply
John

July 29, 2018 at 4:52 PM

I have had a recent infestation of stegosaurus. Any suggestion of removing them from my house?

Reply
- Mary Lou
  
  August 8, 2018 at 4:09 PM
  
  Are you sure of the name of what is attacking you?
  
  Reply
  - Robert Briggs USN Retired & Vietnam Vet.
    
    March 2, 2019 at 2:29 PM
    
    He has and infestation of Moths in his Thatched Roof. Bobby The Sea Going Hillbilly in TN.
    
    Reply
- Sherry
  
  August 9, 2018 at 8:46 AM
  
  Tell the kids to put those dinosaur toys away.
  
  Reply
- Paul
  
  September 20, 2018 at 9:23 AM
  
  Yes John, Acquire an RDS-220 and place it in the approximate center of your home. Electrically activate it and I guarantee it will remove all your pests, (rats, mice, stegosaurus’s, etc.) from your home.
  
  Reply
Rick D Taylor

July 30, 2018 at 10:08 AM

I’m not sure about this one but I’m all for biological controls when possible. Try Tyrannosaurus Rex on those.
BTW. Hope you have a BIG, STURDY house!

Reply
Darrell

August 10, 2018 at 8:09 AM

Could you be more clear on the sugar water – jar fly trap please . I don’t understand which end of the cone goes towards the bottom of the jar nor how the cone is affixed to the jar itself. I’m thinking putting a hole in the jar lid then insert cone or make the cone wide enough so that the large section is well seated in the jar opening with the smaller portion of the cone pointing towards the bottom ??? Thinking this should also work for yellow jackets and wasps… Thanks
– Darrell

Reply
Sandra giove

August 25, 2018 at 9:37 AM

How do you get rid of gnats there driving me crazy I made a solution and it works but I still have alot of them

Reply
kenneth davis

August 27, 2018 at 9:34 AM

we have chicken house flies from All around us what would be the best to get these pain in the butt from outside our yard

Reply
TONY BELL

September 1, 2018 at 12:46 PM

I have a small powerful handheld vac with hose and nozzle that is a blast to catch lies and nats with.
No mess from swatting. No messy liquids to contend with. Just leave them in the canister for a few days and dump them in the trash.

Reply
Tonya

September 10, 2018 at 6:15 PM

How do I get rid of those TEENY TINY FRUIT FLIES…..( I believe that is what they are called….u get them when u have rotted fruit and then they like to live in the sink & water in the dishes in the sink) I have gotten rid of the fruit that was overlooked till it rotted and I am trying to keep the water outta the dishs in the sink also but they are still WAY TO MANY FOR MY LIKING

Reply
- Nick
  
  October 6, 2018 at 9:48 AM
  
  Poor distilled white vinegar down your drains, wait for as long as the next day and then pour some cheap household bleach down the drains.
  I’ve worked in bars and restaurants my whole life, that the easiest and most efficient way to reduce fruit fly populations. It may not get rid of them all but the majority of fruit flies species typically nest in open drains where it dark and damp.
  Also boiling hot water works temporarily.
  Also, put your fruit in the refrigerator or if you must leave it out on the counter or cupboard, put your fruit and vegetables in a produce bag. The kind you tear of the roll in every produce department in the world, plus trying the bag closed limits the amount of oxygen exposure to fresh produce and help it slow the ripening/rotting cycle
  
  Reply
- Robert Briggs USN Retired & Vietnam Vet.
  
  March 2, 2019 at 2:45 PM
  
  02 March 2019 If you have a Septic Tank, DO NOT POUR BLEACH OR VINEGAR DOWN YOUR DRAINS!
  
  The Bleach will kill all the Bacteria in your Septic Tank.
  
  This lesson learned the Hard Way with a Cost of $500.00 Plus to get Septic Tank Pumped because of no Bacteria to eat the waste in the Septic Tank.
  
  It ain’t like the Out Houses where you dig a hole and move it to the new hole. Bobby The Sea Going Hillbilly Briggs in TN.
  
  Reply
Sandy

September 20, 2018 at 7:52 AM

I bought a electric fly swatter. It uses 2 AA batteries. I love it. It gets them dead Now. Don’t touch it while it’s on, it can cause quit a Big jolt!

Reply
- Anonymous
  
  September 30, 2018 at 10:29 AM
  
  Aren’t those great! Fun and effective. A little smelly when you zap a bigger insect.
  
  Reply
W.H

September 23, 2018 at 10:11 PM

A easier way to make fly paper. Just use masking tape / use 2 thin pieces to tape a larger piece to something & with a few small drops of Sugar or Sugar + Water or Honey or something else they like, im sure nobody will have any problem with this & it won`t take 2-3hrs. either, more like 2-3 minutes.

Reply
SS in VA

October 15, 2018 at 11:06 PM

Fruit fly trap. Long neck clear bottle with cider vinegar in bottom – about half an inch. If you have fruit out on the counter. put it close by. Not so good is a small preserve jar. Put cider vinegar in bottom and place cling film over top. Hold with elastic band and leave in place Heat 6″ nail or similar and make ¼ ” hole in film.

Reply
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