I sit here in my office most days, and I get a fly buzzing around my head every few days. As I look around, I notice there are no windows open.
Where do these flies come from?
How do flies get in the house when windows are closed, and there seems to be no other way in?
We answer that right here in this post!
How Do Flies Get In The House When All Windows Are Closed?
Summer brings out the worst time for the insect population, with stubborn flies entering your home.
House flies and blowflies, the two most common flies, come into your home because they are looking for food or to find a nearby supply.
Flies frequently enter your home through:
- Doors and windows that are opened
- Damaged ceilings
- Base cracks
- Travel in on clothes or bags
- Broken window
- Roof holes
Drain flies can also enter your home through the gaps around pipes. Fruit flies, for example, lay their eggs in store harvest, whereas fungus gnats lay their eggs in the wet soil of plant pots.
Cold Season Flies
As the weather gets cold, you may see flies that stick around in winter, sometimes in great numbers, just when you thought you’d be free of summer flies.
Even though these flies are bothersome, they are relatively safe. Of course, we all know that flies land on animal feces. There is a small potential that a fly could carry bacteria into your home.
Adults spend the winter inside in a state of semi-dormancy, usually in the upper levels of your home, including the second floor or even the attic.
They fly around occasionally, but you typically see them flocking in warm areas.
Breeding Process Of Flies
The real issue with all these flies is their proclivity to reproduce.
House flies, for instance, can lay more than 150 eggs, which hatch and mature in just a short period.
Because of the temperature, fruit flies inside the house grow even faster. A single female fruit fly could even lay up to 500 eggs simultaneously.
In homes with a temperature of 70°F or higher, the pests mature from larva to adult within 7 to 10 days.
Why Do The Flies Not Go Away
When flies enter your home through holes in the roof or open windows and doors, it can be hard to get rid of them.
When the windows are shut, the flies get trapped as they fly toward the light of the window frames.
House flies can lay eggs in your litter bin before you realize you have an issue. They prefer sugary liquids as food, so they will land on everything left out, including meat, which blowflies also love.
While both species thrive in bacteria-infested environments, they bring that bacteria with them until they come into contact with your food. So if you eat infected food, you may contract diseases such as e—Coli, Salmonella, and cholera.
Tips For Getting Flies Out Of Your House
To trap the adults, use tacky fly strips. It’s preferable to put them around your windows or any light sources.
Fly bug zappers are also useful, but we recommend sanitizing the area where the fly was crushed to ensure no harmful bacteria was left behind. Flies can be kept out by screening all windows and locking outdoor doors promptly.
The flies will flee whenever the weather turns cold, but house flies may lay eggs that would overwinter and infest your home next summer.
Flies are also known to lay dormant until the warmer weather returns, then lay their eggs in human waste or rotting meat.
Nice!
Below are a few additional tips to get flies out of your house.
1. Use Herbs And Plants
Some plants have a strong odor that the flies don’t like. Basil is by far the most popular, which is beneficial for you because it is easy to find in stores and contains antibacterial and antiviral characteristics, making your home healthier.
To prevent flies, put your basil plant anyplace in the house, particularly near an open window. Lavender, peppermint, lemon zest, dandelion root, and wormwood are other plants that repel flies.
There are some essential oils you can use to help deter flies from your home.
2. Use Camphor
Another natural technique to get rid of flies is to use camphor, which can be purchased online and at any homeopathic store. It also has a pungent odor that, as you might expect, flies despise. It originates from the Camphor Laurel tree and, similar to basil, has antibacterial and antiviral effects and insect-repellent characteristics.
It’s typically purchased in blocks or pills, then placed on a hot surface such as a gas hob or heat diffuser.
Put these strategically throughout the house, particularly near open windows, to allow the scent to escape and convey a message to the annoying flies.
3. Use The Honey And Jam Trick
Because of its pleasant flavor and sticky texture, honey is well-known for attracting flies, but the jam will suffice if you don’t have any available.
Getting a huge plastic bottle and then cutting it in two is the best approach to building a honey trap. Fill the lower part of the jar with a combination of honey or jam with water, about an inch or two deep.
Next, flip the top half of the bottle up and down and put that into the lower part to form a funnel. The flies will have an easier time getting in but harder to get out.
Put the bottle beside your door or window or in a room where flies are the most prevalent.
Jam, honey, or anything sweet can be used to attract flies.
Conclusion
Flies are extremely irritating and potentially dangerous insects that reproduce quickly and can enter your house in various ways.
Having house flies in the house is frustrating!
However, there are numerous excellent home methods for getting rid of flies in your house. You can use insect repellent to keep them away or set up traps to trap them in.
In any case, the ultimate pest control goal is to get rid of flies. The above article will help you resolve your problem with flies in your home.
Good luck!
