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Getting Rid of Flies in the House Naturally

We just returned from a week's vacation to find flies all over the place! No one was in the house and I did not have them before we left, so we have no clue where they are coming from. They are so disgusting and dirty. Does anyone have any idea how to get rid of them aside from a fly swatter or vacuuming them? I'd like to spray something, but I don't want to use chemicals that might hurt the kids. Thanks!

By MrsC

Best Answers: Getting Rid of Flies in the House Naturally

These are the best answers for this question.

Try Jar with Water, Dish Soap and Raw Meat

By
08/15/2012

I tried duct tape out of desperation with no luck. I then took a jar and filled it an inch or two with water with a drop of dish soap and a piece of raw meat. All the flies went into the water and drowned.

Homemade Fly Tape

By
08/04/2011

My husband uses a strip of duct tape to home make fly tape. He twists the strip, securing it to itself to maintain the twist, then sticks it up. It is beyond gross and works like a charm.

(But I'd rather be able to find the real fly tapes, lol! I haven't seen them here in the UK which is why I'm glad my husband knows how to turn a strip of duct tape into a fly tape:)

More Answers

By
01/04/2013

To get rid of flies take dry basil and lavender and make like a potperie bag and place thru out your house and hang on porch and flies will stay away.

By
08/02/2011

Found this method by accident; it really works. Take a 2-litre pop bottle, cover the bottom with juice (I've tried cider, soda, and various fruit juices, but grapefruit juice works the best). Set the bottle on or near the table, or wherever the flies congregate. They will fly in and can't find their way out. Also works for fruit flies. If you see a lot of fruit flies flying around in there, put the lid on for a few minutes. When you have quite a few flies, empty them into the toilet and put in more juice. continue as necessary. Works even better if you have a light on nearby especially if it's the only light that's on in the room. --shoe

By
08/02/2011

Anything that you spray to kill flies will also be poisonous to any other animal life in the house. You could spray and be sure all pets and people (including fish in the aquarium) are out of the house and then air the place out well after. But, if you don't want poison in the air, you pretty much have to go with the fly tape and the swatter.

By
08/02/2011

My neighbor told me the other day to put water in a baggie, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup with a penny, seal them off so the water doesn't leak out tack them around the doorways, and that will get rid of and deter flies. It has something to do with the penny. She said she has been doing this for years and it really works. She has these bags of water tacked up outside her back door, maybe 4 of them going down the wall.

By
08/02/2011

I have found these at the Dollarama store, four for a dollar. Yes, they are gross, but they are temporary!

By
08/02/2011

Mrs. Story,
Thanks for the tips. I did get the long tube things and they seem to work. You are right, it is kind of gross, but at least it's helping to get rid of them! Thanks again! :-)

By
07/31/2011

Maybe some fly tape will help you. The kind I got came it a little tube. You pry off one end (cardboard), and the tape is attached. As you pull, it unfurls the sticky tape. You use the thumb tack that was already in the end of the tube, and attach it to your ceiling. It may take several, and it's kind of gross to see the flies on them, but once they touch it they're attached! I haven't had to use any in several years, but I imagine it's still easy to find. In the area where you find other insect control supplies (there were several in a package).

One time when my daughter and I went to visit relatives, my husband called and said that there were a bunch of flies all over, and asked if I had any idea why (like had we dropped some food in some hard-to-reach place). Nope. We had no idea why they were there, or where they came from. They were gathering at the living room windows (I assume attracted to the light & trying to get out). He said he got some large double stick tape and put it on the windows to catch a bunch of them. I don't know if it was marketed as fly tape, or if he used some of the Sticky Paws strips we had to keep cats from scratching furniture. But it worked. Here is a link to what the Sticky Paws package looks like (we got ours locally at Petsmart):
http://store.stickypaws.com/merchan ... ct_Code=010-29242&Category_Code=

I hope you find a way to get rid of them soon. I know it can drive a person nuts! Good luck!

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