5 Methods for Managing Fly Breeding Grounds

No one enjoys having flies in their home. While these tiny creatures serve a purpose in nature, inside our homes they tend to land on our food, buzz around our faces, and generally become frustrating, persistent pests.

While chasing flies with a swatter (or a shoe) may seem like an option, the most effective way to handle them is to eliminate their breeding grounds outside your home, preventing them from entering in the first place. We’ll guide you through the best methods for managing these breeding sites to help you put an end to the issue once and for all.

5: Take Out the Trash

Flies are drawn to garbage, decaying food, animal remains, and feces in your yard—gross, right? But these are also prime spots for flies to lay eggs and multiply. To keep the fly population down, it's essential to maintain cleanliness. Regularly take out the trash and don't let bags linger for weeks. The same applies to dishes with leftover food inside your home. Outdoors, be sure to clean up any animal waste and keep your yard tidy. Don't provide flies with anything to feast on and breed in.

4: Manage Your Compost Pile

Composting is an excellent way to enhance soil quality for gardening while recycling waste from your yard and kitchen. However, one of the major challenges you'll face when composting is dealing with flies. The manure and food scraps in the compost pile are highly attractive to these pests. But don't worry, there are effective ways to tackle this issue—even within the stinky compost heap.

SheKnows.com, a gardening blog, suggests turning and mixing the compost every two to three days. If this doesn't solve the problem, try pouring boiling water over the pile. Not only does compost require moisture, but the heat will effectively eliminate flies and their larvae.

3: Use Fly Traps

A highly effective way to combat flies in your yard is to set up a flytrap. There are many different types of traps—some use liquids, others are electric, and some rely on food as bait. In general, they work by attracting flies into a confined area where they are either trapped or killed instantly. Most of these traps are reusable and environmentally friendly.

The University of Arizona's Center for Insect Science Education Outreach offers great instructions on how to make your own flytrap using a two-liter soda bottle and some raw meat. It's time to reclaim your home (and your yard) from the flies!

2: Keep Them Out

Ever hesitate to open your windows on a sunny day because you're worried about letting flies in? While it might seem simple, window screens are one of the most effective ways to prevent flies and other insects from entering your home. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also advises sealing your windows and covering entry points from the outside. Be sure to do this in spring and summer before the flies start buzzing around, laying eggs inside and around your house! Plus, installing window screens is a cost-effective way to keep your home cooler during the warmer months, saving on energy bills.

1: Spray the Yard

If you've already tried the previous four steps and your home and yard are still overrun with flies, it's time to go all out. There are various pesticide sprays designed specifically for treating your yard for flies, as well as other pests like fleas and ticks. With a proper application, these sprays should effectively tackle the flies living in your lawn.

To use these chemicals, you'll need a pump sprayer, a misting system, or a tool that attaches to your garden hose. However, if using harsh chemicals on your lawn doesn't appeal to you, there are plenty of organic insect sprays available. Organic Gardening.com suggests a homemade spray made from onions, garlic, and cayenne peppers. In short, there are options depending on how aggressive you want to be in dealing with the flying pests in your yard.