How to Kill House Flies

Besides being annoying pests that buzz around your head, flies can be dangerous too. Flies land on faecal matter, dead animals, food scraps, and manure, picking up disease-carrying bacteria and germs in the process.

And what do they do with those germs? As they nibble on our food or walk across our plates and cutlery, they drag those germs along with them on their hairy bodies, legs, and feet.

If you spot a couple of flies in your home, be careful. It could quickly escalate to a fly invasion, making your home a health hazard for everyone living in it. It is worth learning how to kill flies just in case those pesky bugs decide to wreak havoc in your home.

A Short Background on Flies

Flies are insects of the order diptera, and their lifecycle goes from the egg to larva to pupa to adult.

It has membranous forewings with its hind wings looking like small, club-shaped halters. Its head has sucking, and in some cases piercing, mouthparts, big compound eyes and usually short, simple antennae.

The larvae look like maggots, without legs and with extremely reduced heads. Forensic scientists use fly larvae on corpses to figure out the time of a person’s death. The maggots are also used in medicine for wound care and treatment.

That said, flies inside the home are very rarely useful. And, while you may be able to identify and kill flies in the larva stage – simply spray them with insecticide and sweep them into a bag, tying a tight knot in case they escape – you are more likely to spot flies when they reach the adult, flying stage.

How to Kill Flies at Home

One of the most common times when you are most likely to see flies in your home, or see them increase in numbers, is the warmer season.

They can turn up uninvited to your family feasts or weekend get-togethers and gorge themselves freely on the food you have made. If you are wondering how to kill house flies at home, these suggestions can help:

- Use Fly Sprays: Possibly the most effective method of killing flies at home is using an effective spray like the Mortein 2-in-1 Insect Spray. It is a flying insect killer spray that has a dual nozzle to help you kill flies instantly. To use, simply find your target, shake your can, and spray towards the fly.

- Use Electric Fly Swatters: These electric bats can instantly electrocute flies as soon as they come into contact. All that is needed is for you to get your aim right. Just be careful not to hit any metal with your attempts.

- Hang Some Fly Paper: Place sticky strips of fly paper around the entryways of your home. These strips are coated with a substance that attracts flies and some also contain pesticides to kill them when they land on it. This way, you can trap the flies before they have a chance to enter any other areas of your home.

How to Kill Flies in the Kitchen

Flies are particularly attracted to kitchens due to the plethora of food on offer. When it comes to killing flies in the kitchen, the same methods as above will be effective. For one, you may want to keep a fly spray tucked away in a kitchen cabinet, just in case you need to use it on a hungry pest.

That said, the best way to keep flies out of your kitchen is to ensure that you are not tempting them by leaving food unattended. Our article on how to keep flies away can help you find more ways to keep your kitchen and home fly-free.

By following our tips on how to kill house flies, hopefully you can sleep easy, knowing that your fly problem has flown away too (at least, for the meantime!).