Flies are definitely annoying because they sometimes get in your face and bother you. If you have a problem with flies in your area, then you likely want to do what you can to stop them.
Many people will do what is necessary to kill the flies. You might set up traps or you could even take matters into your own hands by swatting the flies.
Have you ever noticed that dead flies seem to attract more flies? If you killed a fly and left it there, you might have noticed that more flies will sometimes appear to buzz around the corpse of the fallen fly.
Is this normal or simply some type of coincidence? Continue reading to get more information about flies and whether or not they’re attracted to dead flies.
Dead Flies Do Attract More Flies
Dead flies do indeed attract more flies. If you’re leaving dead fly bodies lying around, then there’s a good chance that more flies will come around and take interest.
Why does this occur? Well, the dead flies are interested in the dead flies because of pheromones that have been released.
When these pheromones are released into the air, flies in the area are going to take notice. They’re going to come and check the body out.
Sometimes people can use this to their advantage by tricking the flies. You could set up traps so that the flies will be attracted to the dead fly bodies and then walk into a trap.
This could be an opportunity to kill a bunch of flies at once. In fact, there are commercial fly baits on the market that use pheromones to attract flies.
Of course, dead flies aren’t the only things that will attract flies. There are many other reasons why you might be seeing flies in your home or around your property.
Trash Attracts Flies
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that trash attracts flies. If you have a lot of garbage in your bins, then that might be attracting more flies than usual.
Flies are particularly attracted to garbage that contains rotting meat and things of that nature. This is because the flies are looking for good locations to lay their eggs.
If you leave trash outside for too long during hot summer days, then you might notice maggots on the trash bags. As gross as this is, it’s totally normal for flies to be attracted to your trash like this.
It’s also a good reason why you should never forget to take your trash to the curb on trash pickup day. Do your best to keep your garbage tucked away in bins that flies won’t easily be able to get into.
Flies Are Attracted to Corpses
Flies will be attracted to other corpses that might be present in your yard. For example, if a squirrel was killed by a local predator and left in your yard, you’d likely see flies buzzing around it eventually.
The flies are interested in these corpses for different reasons than why they come to check out dead fly bodies. Flies commonly use the rotting meat of a corpse for breeding purposes.
If you see a dead animal in your yard or even near your property, it’s likely going to be a good idea to dispose of it. Otherwise, the corpse is going to attract flies to the area.
Within a few days of the animal dying, flies are going to start swarming. It’s pretty nasty, but it’s just something that you have to deal with in life.
Standing Water
Standing water can attract flies to your yard as well. You might have standing water after a storm that will make a great breeding location for flies and mosquitoes.
Pools of stagnant water contain the necessary organic matter for flies to breed and thrive. If you’d like to reduce the number of flies in your yard, then it’ll be important to take care of standing water first.
Try to eliminate sources of standing water so that the local flies and mosquitoes won’t have a breeding ground to utilize. Inside your home, it’ll be wise to keep things dry and clean up water messes to avoid issues.
So long as you’re aware that standing water can be a problem, it’s going to be easier to keep flies at bay. You can eliminate water sources outside while also being vigilant to clean up spills inside.
How to Get Rid of Flies
Getting rid of flies is important when you want to enjoy your home peacefully. No one wants to be bothered by flies while they’re relaxing after a hard day’s work.
If you have a fly infestation, then you might need to take extreme measures to get rid of these pests. There are also practical changes that you can make that will reduce the likelihood that flies will be interested in your home and property.
Below, you’ll get good advice for getting rid of flies. You should be able to use these methods to protect your home so that you can stop worrying about pesky flies so much.
Keep Things Clean
Keep things clean in your house and in your yard to keep flies from having a reason to stick around. Flies are going to be more attracted to dirty environments, and this means that you must keep things clean so that flies won’t want to be in your house.
If your home is very dirty and your hygiene isn’t the best, then that’s going to make it more likely that flies will be a problem. This doesn’t mean that your home has to be absolutely trashed to have a fly problem, though.
Even a bit of clutter and having your home be a bit messy can make it more likely that flies will hang around. Do your best to get rid of clutter since it could be hiding breeding spots for the flies.
Ensure that you take the time to clean and wipe down your counters regularly. If you spill something, then be sure to clean it up right away.
Cover any leftover food as soon as you can so that it won’t attract flies. You don’t want to leave food on the counter and keep it uncovered.
In some cases, you’re going to need to keep pet food covered as well. It’s best to keep pet food covered or in airtight containers when your pet isn’t eating.
So long as you take the time to protect your home like this, it’ll be less likely that flies will become a huge problem for you. It’s also smart to keep the yard clean.
You can try to eliminate debris and standing water outside. Keeping the yard tidy and removing things that might attract flies will help out a lot.
It should be noted that many people have problems with flies because of dog poop. Decaying organic matter such as animal feces will attract flies.
If you have a dog or multiple dogs, then there’s a good chance that your dogs are pooping in your yard a lot. This is normal, but not everyone feels like taking the time to pick the poop up right away.
Choosing to ignore the dog poop is going to make the yard more appealing to flies. If you want to avoid having too many flies in your yard, then you should be proactive about picking up dog poop.
It might not sound appealing, but you’ll want to carry plastic baggies around with you while walking your dogs. Pick up the dog poop when the dog is done handling its business and then get rid of the bag.
Putting the baggie right into the trash in a locked bin that flies can’t access is the best course of action. You’ll have fewer flies in your yard if you don’t have dog poop everywhere.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap
Killing the flies might be something that you’ll want to try. While there are many ways to go about doing this, it’s going to be good to try methods that are inexpensive and easy.
If you have some apple cider vinegar that you can use, then you can try pouring it into a large bowl. Mix it together with an equal amount of dish soap.
The apple cider vinegar has a distinct smell that will attract flies. They’ll go into the bowl, but they won’t be able to get out due to the presence of the dish soap.
This winds up being a handy little trap that can kill quite a few flies. You can place this near any areas where flies have become problematic to kill them.
Hang Fly Paper
Hanging fly paper is another option that you can turn to without breaking the bank. Fly paper doesn’t cost much money at all and it works brilliantly.
Just hang the fly paper in various spots around the house. The flies will fly into the paper and get stuck.
When the flies are stuck on the paper, you’ll be able to just leave them there. The fly will eventually die, and you should be able to kill many flies using this simple method.
Fly paper has been used to eliminate flies for many years now. It’s a really good way to get rid of flies that should help you to manage the number of flies that are in your home or near your deck or patio area.
Spray for Flies
Of course, there are commercial sprays out there that can kill flies. You could go ahead and buy special sprays that are designed to kill flies.
Some sprays will be able to provide a bit of protection from flies. Spraying might make it so that flies will avoid the area for a while.
The sprays won’t last forever, though. You’ll likely want to combine using the sprays with cleaning up the property so that you can eliminate the spots where the flies are breeding.
Commercial fly repellents don’t cost a lot of money. It’s worth looking into this if you don’t mind using chemical sprays.
Some people want to avoid using chemicals because they worry about whether they’re harmful or not. While commercially available sprays shouldn’t be harmful to humans, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d prefer to solve this problem using organic methods.
Plant Things That Repel Flies
Did you know that certain plants are capable of repelling flies? Some plants such as lavender, mint, and basil have been known to keep flies at bay.
These plants might also help you to reduce issues with other common pests. You could try planting these plants throughout your yard to protect your home.
One good idea is to try planting lavender around the perimeter of your home. It’s possible that it might keep flies from wanting to enter your house.
You can combine this fly protection method with good cleaning practices to get great results. Even if you aren’t used to taking care of plants, it’s going to be smart to look into this idea.
Call a Pest Control Company If Necessary
If you have an extremely bad fly problem, then you might need professional help. Some homes might have fly infestations that are quite severe.
In this instance, it’d be better to call pest control experts to take care of things. They can use powerful commercial sprays to get rid of the flies fast.
They’ll also be able to determine the root of the problem to get rid of the flies permanently. Experts might figure out where flies are breeding so that they can keep this from happening to your home again.
Of course, you’ll need to maintain things or the fly problem could come back after a certain amount of time has passed. Most people won’t need to call exterminators to get rid of flies, but it depends on the severity of the fly issues that you’re dealing with.
Final Thoughts
Getting rid of flies will be a good idea because no one wants to deal with them. Dead flies will attract more flies, and this means that you should always dispose of flies that you’ve killed instead of leaving them where they died.
Do your best to take the advice above to heart. It should help you to protect your property from flies.
It’s necessary to be vigilant about cleaning when you want to keep flies from becoming a problem. There are many other things that you can do to protect your home as well, but you can decide which methods appeal to you the most.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.