What Attracts Flies? Discover What’s Causing Your Fly Infestation

Flies are often portrayed as mild nuisances, which you mindlessly swat away when they buzz around your head. They fly inside as soon as you open a door or window and zip around the house looking for food or a good place to land. And as soon you swipe at one with a fly swatter, they seem to disappear. But flies are more than just an irritation; they can also be dangerous to human and animal health. This realization begs the question, what attracts flies? Discover why flies are infesting your home and property, including some quick tips on getting rid of them.

Are House Flies Pests?

Flies are one of the most common pests around the world. There are hundreds of thousands of fly species, and they inhabit every continent on Earth, including Antarctica. They are considered nuisance pests and are often associated with filth. Unfortunately, flies hanging around garbage, feces, and decaying flesh is a rather accurate depiction of these flying insects. And like many insects, they can easily infest homes once they find a food and water source. And they reproduce quickly, leading to a full-blown infestation if not caught early.

How do you know if you have a fly infestation? Look for these common signs.

• The most obvious sign of an infestation is to see large numbers flying around your home.
• Finding maggots. Flies lay their eggs in warm, moist areas, such as trash, rotten food, and feces.
• Clusters of feces that look like black spots. They are especially noticeable around windowsills, trash cans, and high shelves.

Are Flies Harmful to Humans?

The fly may not be high on your list of dangerous animals, but they spread around pretty nasty stuff. Before the fly lands in your home, it is out in the world, where it shuffles through garbage, feces, dead animals, and anything else vile you can think of. And then it comes and lands on your kitchen counters, or worse: your food. These creatures pick up bacteria, viruses, diseases, and fungi. And can spread them to humans and pets just by landing on a common household surface. They commonly spread diseases like food poisoning and dysentery, which is why seeing multiple buzzing around a kitchen is troublesome.

What Attracts Flies to the House?

Flies are attracted to organic matter and filth. Here are some of the most common reasons a fly will be attracted to your home.

• Uncovered or overflowing garbage. Flies often like to lay their eggs in decaying food inside trash, especially if it’s warm and moist.
• Overripe or rotting produce left out. Fruit flies, in particular, are attracted to damaged fruit and vegetables.
• Dead animals inside walls or attics can easily attract flies, which will lay their eggs in the decay and produce maggots.
• Dirty, clogged drains can cause a drain fly infestation.
• Sugary or alcoholic liquids.
• Heat. A warm home makes it easy for flies to reproduce.
• Light. Like many flying insects, flies can’t resist lamps, computer screens, TVs, etc.

What Attracts Flies Outside?

Most of what attracts flies inside is also what attracts them outside.

• Uncovered or overflowing dumpsters.
• Dead animals
• Pet feces and bird droppings. Flies also like to lay their eggs in here.
• Spilled sugary drinks or rotten food
• External lighting
• Rotting plant debris and manure

What Gets Rid of Them?

Flies like sugary liquids, such as juice, soda, wine, and apple cider vinegar. Some people make a concoction using one of these drinks to attract flies and trap them. For instance, you can place apple cider vinegar mixed with a few drops of dish soap in a glass, secure the top with plastic wrap, and poke a few holes in the top for them to fly through. You can also mix cayenne pepper with water and spray it around your home.

To keep them away, try using lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus, mint, rosemary, and citronella.

How To Get Rid of Flies in the House

The best way to get rid of flies is to remove what is attracting them. Ensure no trash or rotten food is laying around, and inspect crawl spaces and attics for decaying animals that might have snuck inside. Then, seal all the entrances to keep them from coming in.

To get rid of the ones inside, you can set traps, like fly paper and natural baits. You can also lure them outside with light. Or just take a swatter and do it the old-fashioned way. And if all else fails, use an insecticide or call a professional.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © nechaevkon/Shutterstock.com