How to Get Rid of Flies Outside Once and For All

Nothing makes it harder to enjoy an outdoor dinner in peace than flies buzzing around. Fortunately, there’s usually a reason why these pesky critters made a home outside of yours, and you can learn how to get rid of flies outside to ensure they don’t come back. Follow these DIY methods to take preventative steps to keep flies away from your home. 

Why Do I Have So Many Flies in My Backyard? 

There are a handful of reasons why there are so many flies in your yard, and it’s usually easy to pinpoint which one is your problem. In general, flies swarm to wet organic material, ranging from what you’re cooking on the barbecue to an unsealed garbage can. 

Other attractors include animal droppings and wet spots in your yard from heavy rain. Flies are also more likely to pop up in the warmer months when conditions are ideal for breeding, plus high temperatures speed up the decomposition process of natural waste. 

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Exterminator to Get Rid of Flies?

One-time pest control treatments cost between $300 and $500, and monthly treatments cost between $40 and $70 per visit. Since flies are so pervasive, it may take many treatments to  eradicate them, and even then, there’s no guarantee they won’t come back. Instead, taking preventive steps, like planting certain herbs, will cost less and keep the fly population down in your yard. But if the problem doesn’t go away, no matter how many tricks you try, you can consider hiring a professional pest control service in your area.

How to Get Rid of Flies Outside

Here’s how to get rid of house flies on your patio, depending on the severity of your infestation.

1. Find the Source of the Fly Infestation and Fix It

Before doing anything else, determine whether or not your fly infestation is caused by something that you can easily solve. For example, if the issue is a loose trash can lid, replacing the lid with a tighter-fitting option may be enough to get the flies to buzz off. 

Similarly, ensure there aren’t any animal droppings in your lawn or spots where water accumulates into long-lasting puddles. If you’ve covered those bases and there are still plenty of flies, give the next tricks a try.

2. Set Up Fly Traps

Setting up fly traps is a great way to quickly reduce the fly population in your yard. Review the following trap types to determine the best one for your yard.

• Sticky traps: These traps consist of long, thin pieces of paper coated with a scented, adhesive material that lures in flies and traps them. This low-cost option is less visually appealing because it doesn’t hide or conceal the trapped flies. 

• Container traps: As the name suggests, container traps consist of a closed chamber with fly-sized openings and use an attractive odor or UV light to draw flies in without letting them back out. This option does a slightly better job concealing the flies than sticky traps. 

• Homemade traps: You can make a fly trap using common household supplies, like a jar, paper, rubber bands, and a homemade fly-trap solution. Take a piece of paper and curve the ends together to form a cone shape. Fill a jar with ¼ cup vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar and stir to combine. Place the cone into the jar and let the flies take care of the rest.

3. Use a Fly-Repellant Surface Cleaner

If you’ve located the source of your fly infestation and removed the issue, you might still need to clean the area to keep the flies away. For example, if you accidentally left a piece of fruit to rot on your patio table, throw it away, and then spray the spot with an outdoor fly repellent. You can also use a cleaner with essential oils that naturally repel flies, like Pine Sol.

4. Turn On a Fan

If you’re trying to enjoy dinner on your patio and the flies show up when you bring out the food, turning a fan on is an easy way to redirect them. Point the fan toward your food so the air pressure prevents them from landing and contaminating all your tasty, hard work.

How to Prevent Flies Outside

Along with those steps to minimize a fly population, there are also a few things you can do in advance to prevent them from showing up in the first place.

1. Change Your Outdoor Lights

It may surprise you to learn that certain types of lightbulbs attract flies more than others. Incandescent bulbs pull in flies at the highest rate, while LEDs with warm color temperatures have the lowest rate of attraction. Consider switching your outdoor lights to ward off uninvited dinner guests.

2. Avoid Killing Spiders

Though you might be tempted to squish every spider you see, these insects are more like friends than pests because they hunt and maintain populations of bugs like flies. The more spiders, the fewer flies in your backyard.

3. Mow Your Lawn Often

It’s easier to miss rotting, organic material in your yard when it’s covered by tall, unmowed grass. Mowing your lawn often and following proper grass-cutting techniques will ensure  nothing that could potentially attract flies goes overlooked.

4. Plant Helpful Herbs

Certain herbs contain essential oils and emit organic compounds that naturally repel flies, and planting them in your garden can help keep away pests in the long run. These include lavender, eucalyptus, mint, citronella, and rosemary. Not only will the flies go away, but you’ll also have a thriving home garden full of culinary goodies.

DIY vs. Hire a Pro 

By following the fly-repelling techniques above, you can likely eliminate your outdoor fly infestation enough to enjoy your yard again. However, if you have a persistent fly problem that DIY methods can’t resolve, then it’s time to turn to the pros. Hire a local pest control service to reduce the number of pests in your yard and prevent them from returning.