House flies are disgusting, disease ridden insects. Flies can be found outside all year in warm climates and can be found indoors and outdoors in a any season. If you live in a cold climate, you may wonder where do house flies come from. They obviously aren't flying around outside and couldn't have come in through an open door or window? Flies can hatch from garbage that may have been left lying around in your house somewhere, a dog or cat who hid their feces behind the couch or from a dirty garbage can in your kitchen. If you have no rotting garbage laying around and no pet who left a little something behind, unfortunately you may have a dead animal such as a mouse, rat, squirrel or bird. The dead animal could be in your attic, basement or in between your walls. If you have looked around and have t been able to find the body, it is most likely between your walls. The only thing that can be done for that is to wait until it decomposes. House flies can be controlled and killed. There are many insecticides available in stores, but they are full of harsh chemicals and I know, I don't want my family around them.




Clean

Clean your house thoroughly. Be on the lookout for anything that can produce a good hatching area for flies. Wash your garbage cans with hot soapy water. After the garbage cans dry, add 20 Mule Team Borax to the bottom of the garbage cans to keep flies away. Wash garbage cans at least every other week.

Make Your Own Flypaper

Warm up approximately 1/2 of a cup of cheap maple syrup, add in 4 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir the maple syrup and brown sugar. Cut heavy paper such as old greeting cards or a brown paper bag in strips 6 to 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Use an old paint brush or pastry brush to paint the mixture onto the paper. Allow it to dry for 3 to 4 hours. Punch a hole at the top and use a string or ribbon to hang up your fly paper. Flies will be attracted to the sweetness of the paper, get stuck on it and die. Strategically place the strips of flypaper around the perimeter of your yard to draw flies away from food and guests.

Use Plants to Repel Flies

Flies are repelled by plants such as Mexican Marigolds and Basil. Plant either in pots and keep in and around your kitchen where flies tend to be a problem or plant them outdoors near doors and window to keep flies from coming in. If you are planning on having an outdoor party, use fresh basil as a decoration near the food or use basil plants as centerpieces. This will keep flies away from the food and your guests.

Use Essential Oils to Get Rid of House Flies

Flies do not like Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Clove or Lavender Essential Oils. Place a few drops of one of these essentials oils on cotton balls and leave around your house on a small dish. Place a few essential oil soaked cotton balls in the bottoms of both indoor and outdoor garbage cans to keep flies away.

Clean up After your Dog

Don't leave piles of dog poop around the yard. It would be like sending flies an invitation to move right in. Picking up poop isn't a glamorous job, but it has to be done in order to not attract flies.