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What attracts flies outside?
It’s a well-known fact that, as soon as summer arrives, we welcome the warmth and sunshine with open arms and smiles on our faces. Who could blame us? Summer marks the beginning of holidays, picnics, BBQs, fresh breezes, and an overall enjoyable time.
It would be terrible if something came to spoil the fun…enter the dreaded fly.
Yes, you guessed it, the annoying fly tends to make its presence known around summertime, causing havoc and distress to homes all across the country. Whilst most people consider them to be a mere nuisance, their presence is much more than that.
Before we discuss what attracts them to your home and ways to combat their presence. It’s important to state that your success will depend upon your attitude. Flies are a nuisance and should be treated as such. There are no quick fixes. To win the battle against the flies, a long-term and sustainable plan should be implemented to ensure they don’t continue to return.
In this blog, we will outline what attracts flies to outdoor areas and how to remove them effectively. Let’s make a start.
Infestation
Unfortunately, flies are one of the most common pests around the world. They are vectors for hundreds of diseases, helping to transmit nasty things like stomach flu, diarrhea, and typhoid.
Whenever it’s time to enjoy a meal outside, they make it their mission to swarm around your food, spreading germs and frustration in the process. Flies can also make it from the outdoor into your beloved indoor areas. Thankfully, they become less active in the colder months and usually reach maturity during springtime. So, the time to focus on removing them is during the warmer season.
Fly infestation
Flies tend to hatch outside before making their way through your home, using torn windows or open doors as their access route. They tend to be found in garbage cans or rotting waste where they lay eggs and quickly reproduce. Despite the fact that flies have very short lifespans, a female fly is still capable of laying 150 eggs at a single time!
Therefore, flies are terrible news if you discover an infestation at your home. As we stated previously, untreated fly cases can lead to the spread of bacteria, including typhoid, salmonella, and E.coli.
A strong fly control system will help to guarantee a long-term fly-free zone. In our opinion, we find the following process to be the most effective.
Exclusion – Prevent flies from entering your home.
Restriction – Good housekeeping will help to remove the possibility of potential fly breeding areas.
Destruction – Identify the fly problem and ensure the correct treatment is applied to remove them immediately.
This process should serve as the general outline of how your approach your fly problem. It is then your role to determine how you solve each stage.
Fly control
It’s important to state that a fly infestation is hard to remove completely. However, this shouldn’t be an excuse to jump ahead and use the wrong strategy. For example, the use of incorrect chemicals can be extremely dangerous. A well-considered approach is the only way to defeat them.
As previously stated, many homeowners notice flies in their homes around summer and late spring. Many flies become attracted to trash cans, ripe produce, and moisture. Once you identify what attracts flies outside, you will be able to create a plan that has a better success rate with prevention.
In order to create the perfect long-term fly control solution, it's important to identify the species that you’re encountering. This will influence what they are attracted to. House flies are attracted to decaying filth such as feces and rotting meat. However, fruit flies are more interested in sugary substances, choosing overripe fruit, spilled soda, and even alcohol.
However, generally speaking, flies are attracted to any strong smell, which often develops from trash or food left outside. The scent of fermented and rotted goods is too good to miss, which is why they turn to garbage for their feeding frenzy.
Whilst we have painted a pretty bleak picture, there are products that can be used to stop the flies in their tracks. You can also approach this in a natural way, opting for homemade repellents such as essential oils, cloves, and citrus-based remedies. You could also mix oil with distilled water or vodka and spray on the areas where flies gather.
However, homemade remedies alone won’t stop the problem. Let’s cover some ways to tackle the problem in the most effective (and sustainable) way possible.
Get rid of flies
This may sound dated, but the fly swatter is still extremely effective. It’s immediate, simple, and strangely satisfying to swat flies in your home. However, we do understand that some people may be squeamish about doing the deed with a traditional flyswatter. If this is the case, you could opt for an electric one. These devices (most resemble small tennis rackets) electrocute flying bugs with a loud zap. Less aggressive, but equally effective.
You could also opt for citronella oil. This is a highly aromatic oil distilled from several varieties of lemongrass, which is extremely efficient in repelling both flies and mosquitoes. A great way to make use of this oil is to light a few fragrant candles and set them on your picnic table, porch, or BBQ area. The strong scent acts as a ‘do not disturb' sign for all those unwanted guests!
Flypaper is another great method in treating a fly problem. You can find this at a store, or various outlets online. Once you have it, simply hang it up in the desired areas and watch the flies flock to it!
Depending on the type of fly, you could also attract them using fruit or soda. Try using an orange peel or an open soda bottle to attract fruit flies. They will become attracted to the sweet and sticky scents and become trapped inside the bottle. This is a very cheap method but will only work on a smaller scale.
Flytraps
Fly traps are another great way to trap and remove flies from your home. In the first instance, you could attempt to make your own.
We find a mix of molasses and cornmeal can be a great bait in a shallow dish or saucer. Place your saucer on your patio, or in an area where you want them to group together. This means they will travel to the bait, allowing you to enjoy your picnic or BBQ in peace.
You could also opt for a light trap, using electrically charged light to attract and zap the flies. Make sure to hang these at a decent height, ensuring nobody could run into them. UV light traps will also work in the same way, attracting flies with the spectrum of light needed to make a difference.
How to get rid of flies forever
Ultimately, you can take all our advice and fully research the type of flies you’re dealing with. However, if you fail to take the necessary long-term steps, flies will always return. This makes it critical to change your overall attitude to flies in order to make your home unattractive to flies in the long term. Before you do anything, identify how they are entering and traveling around your home. Begin by examining your outdoor and indoor areas to determine where they tend to travel and group. We suggest looking at windows and doors, as well as tiny cracks in walls or ceilings. This provides the base for your overall strategy, if your home isn’t secure, then you’re fighting a losing battle.
Let’s cover the basics on how to make your home a safer place for friends and family.
Firstly, don’t let pools of water stagnant around your yard. Unsurprisingly, flies need to drink water. Therefore, they are drawn to puddles, birdbaths, and soggy patches caused by dripping sprinklers. Remove all standing water from your home and make sure to check your yard for wet patches. This is a basic change of attitude that will deliver big results.
Secondly, flies like to lay eggs in long grass, which offers them moisture and protection. In order to remove the possibility of unwanted guests on your lawn, mow your grass regularly! Mowing your grass once a week during the peak summer season will help to fight off an infestation.
Thirdly, surround your patio or barbecue with the potted herbs that flies tend to stay away from. These can include basil, lavender, and mint. Not only do these fight off flies, but they will also help to make your yard look pretty too. You could also try a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle which can be sprayed across doors and windows to restrict entry. This is effective, but will need to be re-applied often to receive the full effect.
Lastly, make use of spiders. Unless spider webs stretch across an area you’ll walk through or come across regularly, leave them where they are. Hungry spiders will munch on any flies they can snare. This may sound counterproductive, but spiders can be a strong ally in your quest to defeat the fly.
The Ranch Fly Trap
We’ve already covered the success of fly traps in your battle against the fly. Yes, DIY efforts can be successful, but large-scale operations require a tried and tested method to truly provide safety and sustainability.
The Ranch Fly Trap is trusted by thousands of homeowners all across the globe. Set up in a matter of seconds, they keep your home and animals safe from swarms of flies invading your property over the summer period.
In less than 5 minutes, your fly trap is ready to capture flies and keep your property safe. We also provide a bait solution that will drive your flies mad, ensuring they are attracted to the trap, leaving your property clean and your animals happy.
We even offer our new and improved barrel trap which can be easily emptied and filled with new bait. This means you can use it over and over, ensuring your home is protected year-round.
Designed and shipped from the US, the Ranch Fly Trap is your ticket to an enjoyable summer. No more spoiled picnics, no more ruined BBQ’s, no more flies. Shop now using the button below.