Flies are annoying insects that can make your life a living hell. For the most part, flies are attracted to decaying organic dirt—and there could be many reasons why flies are attracted to your garage.
Most people aren’t vigilant about flies as they are inclined to buzz around. Unless you know where to look, finding their colony or burrow is going to be practically impossible.
On most occasions, flies will find their way into your home because they can smell food. They like to sit in moist places and feed on trash. Likewise, flies are attracted to ripe products, such as fruits.
Eliminating flies in your garage isn’t going to be a walk in the park, as you’ll need to figure out what type of flies are coming from your garage.
For example, the common housefly is attracted to many things, including feces, organic dirt, decaying produce, and sugary substances like alcohol and spilled soda.
Similarly, the drain flies are attracted to moist environments and are likely to stick around in places where the humidity is high. Also, they need a favorable climate to lay eggs and build a colony.
So before you can go about eliminating the flies, you need first to figure out what brings them into your home. As you already know, there are many reasons why flies might enter your home or garage.
Signs of Fly Infestation
1. Small Clusters
If you start noticing dark spots or clusters around your garage, that’s a red flag. They often appear in areas that are full of light and are usually the size of a pinhead. This is a sure sign that an infestation is starting to develop in your garage.
You can check for these clusters in the crannies of your garage, behind the shelves, or other hard-to-reach areas. Flies are likely to scatter if you try to approach these areas. Meanwhile, you need to act as fast as possible because these cluster flies tend to grow over time.
2. Regular Sighting
Regular sightings of flies are another indication that infestation is brewing up in your garage. While this is a no-brainer, you must keep an eye on it. Take your time to figure out what kind of flies are buzzing around and what might have attracted them to your garage.
If you notice flies buzzing around the bins or anywhere around your garage, you need to take action instantly; otherwise, they will spread over time. Oh, and don’t forget to eliminate their colony as they are going to trace it back.
3. Maggots
Larvae are generally baby flies in their larval stage, and their presence indicates that flies have laid eggs and hatched. If you notice these pesky insects buzzing around your garage, that’s a bad sign. And if you aren’t serious about fixing the problem, it won’t be long before flies buzz all over your home.
That said, how do you eliminate flies in your garage? Here are the most effective practices that you can implement to get rid of flies in your garage once and for all.
Why Are There So Many Flies in the Garage?
Frequently, flies are attracted by odors and air currents and will find their way into your garage when the garage door is open. House flies can be found on nearly any surface, including the window sills, floors, and walls.
The reason for so many flies in your garage is because they can reproduce quickly in a short period. This is due to their short lifespan that ranges between 15 to 30 days. However, this depends on several factors, such as food availability, environmental conditions, and species.
6 Amazing Ways to Get Rid of Flies in the Garage
If you notice pesky insects in your garage, you must fix this problem right away before they can cause any more harm to your home.
Additionally, flies can damage your fabrics and clothing items as they will find shelter from outdoor components and build a home in them. So how do you get rid of these annoying insects? Let’s find out:
1. First Find the Cause
Before you can go about fixing the problem, the first step is to identify the root cause. It doesn’t matter how many traps you put in place or how many flies you kill—they’ll keep coming back. Find that one thing that’s attracting the flies to your garage, and then offer a solution.
But before then, you need to consider the overall state of your garage. When was the last time you gave it a thorough clean? If you regularly clean the garage, finding the root cause might be as easy as falling off a log. Furthermore, you don’t have to fret about pest infestation if you consistently clean your garage.
Once you’ve known the root cause of the problem, you can then eliminate the flies. It’s pretty straightforward to get rid of the object that attracts flies. So, if you’re looking to find the root cause, you need to approach the area gradually.
2. Try Electric Light Traps
You’ve probably seen these around people’s porches for getting rid of mosquitoes and moths.
Electric light traps can create a crackling sound when they catch a bug, signaling that it’s been fried to death. The best thing about this method is you can just plug it in and leave it inside your garage to do its work.
There are many types of electric light traps for both outdoor and indoor use. You can ask the salesman from your local merchandise store to pick the most suitable type of trap for your garage.
3. Fly Swatters Can Help
Sometimes, the most straightforward methods are the most effective. Another excellent way to get rid of flies in your garage is to start using a fly swatter. Pick up an electric fly swatter, and go on a killing spree.
Kill as many as you can! It’s one of the best ways to get a head start on killing the flies in your garage. Unfortunately, if it’s a severe infestation, you won’t be able to get rid of it just by using a fly swatter.
However, it’s a way for you to thin the herd and get a jumpstart on killing the flies. If they are breeding in the garden, your only option will be to remove the breeding grounds, but that’s easier said than done.
Using a fly swatter will help you reduce the population considerably.
4. Try Residential Pesticides
Before you try out this method of flies from your home, you need to ascertain that the pesticide in question is safe for your family. Additionally, you’ll need to ensure that your pets and kids don’t have access to the area you’ll spray with the pesticide.
The use of pesticides is an excellent way of getting rid of flies fast. The advantage of using pesticides over other remedies is that you can choose to do it once in a while—once or even twice in a year. Besides, it’s one of the sure-fire ways, but necessary precautions should be taken.
5. Purchase New Trash Cans
This is one of the most common practices I see most of the time. People are keeping their unused or old cans in the garage. Sadly, leaving open cans in your garage is the #1 reason why flies see your garage as the best habitat they would ever find. And because you’ll find yourself throwing trash into such cans, you’ll be attracting the flies even more.
During hot seasons, you’ll need to ensure that your trash cans are cleaned at least once every month. Alternatively, you can get rid of any cans that you no longer use to limit the chances of flies getting into your compound.
If your trash can doesn’t have a bag in it, there are chances that organic matter could be stuck inside. In this case, you may want to use high-quality cleaners because water alone isn’t going to clean your trash cans properly. In a nutshell, you need to go through the proper steps in ensuring that your trash cans in the garage are always clean.
6. Check if There Are Any Leaks
This could probably be the first step you need to take when you suspect that there are flies in your garage. Check to see if there are any leaks within your garage, and if there are leaks, the chances are that flies are in your garage.
Flies love environments that are free from any environmental hazards so that they can lay and hatch their eggs. And if your garage has any leaks, this could be an opportunity for flies to lay and hatch their eggs.
Therefore, if there are any leaks, ensure that you plug them so that flies don’t find their way into your garage.
7. Vinegar and Dish soap
You can also get rid of flies, especially trap flies, using a mixture of dish soap and vinegar. To use this remedy, mix a few drops of dish soap and an inch of apple cider vinegar in a bowl or tall glass.
Cover the bowl or tall grass using a plastic wrap, then secure it using a rubber band. Next, you need to create some holes at the top. Because flies love apple cider vinegar, they’ll draw close to it and get trapped through the holes. The dish soap will make the flies sink instead of landing.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will Cluster Flies Go Away on Their Own?
Yes, cluster flies can go on their own. However, they’ll always go away and come back during the warmer and winter seasons. When they’re back, they’ll try by all means to get into your house—through the window or doors.
2. Why Are Flies so Bad This Year 2021?
Flies breed and feed in filth—feces, spoiled food, garbage, and rotten fruits and veggies. This is why you should ensure you have proper hygiene around your compound to prevent flies from harboring around.
3. What Smell Will Keep Flies Away?
Essential oils, lavender, peppermint, among others, will keep flies away. Besides keeping flies away from your home, these oils will also spread some beautiful aroma around your home. However, apples and vinegar will attract flies to your compound, so try not to have them around.
4. How Do I Know if I Have Cluster Flies?
Check around to see if there are any dark grey abdomen with yellow hairs on their thorax. Usually, cluster fly wings overlap when they rest. If you notice any of these characteristics on any fly you see around, then know that cluster flies have invaded your compound.
5. What Are Tiny Black Flies Called?
The tiny black flies are called Fungus gnats, but they are always mistaken to be fruit flies in most cases. Please note that fungus gnats are smaller insects than fruit flies. However, white fruit flies usually have very visible bodies.
Bottom Line
Don’t let flies frustrate you when there are many ways you can get rid of them. In this post, I’ve discussed some of the best-proven methods to get flies out of your garage. Of course, you’ll not use all the hacks discussed in this post all at once. But through trying each of them, you’ll find the best method.