How To Get Rid of Flies in Texas

A lot of people have noticed all of the flies in Central Texas. Many people are asking why there are so many flies, but also, how do I get rid of the flies? Should I call pest control?

Why are there so many flies in Central Texas?

It is most likely a combination of things. Including, but not limited to:

• It's summertime and the hot temperatures are settling in.
• Much of Central Texas is located in farm and ranch country, so there are quite a few cow pastures, and farms using various fertilizers which attract flies (not to mention the inordinate amount of cow and horse poo!).
• Many people are using lawn fertilizers all around you.
• Your neighbors aren't picking up after their pets...
• You're not cleaning your trash cans on a regular basis...

And sadly, when they are already this heavy this early in the year, they are probably going to be around for most of the summer.

Where do flies come from?

In general, flies love anything with organic matter. Whether it's compost piles or other rotting organic matter, trash cans, pet excrement, sewers, food processing plants, fertilizers and other ground treatments, etc, then chances are, flies are there.

And if you live anywhere near (as in, hundreds of feet away) any of those things... then you have flies near you.

How long do flies live?

Despite the fact that you see a ton of flies all around you (which likely makes you believe that they have long lifespans...) they don't live for very long. In fact, flies only live for about 21 days. However, house flies breed like CRAZY!

Flies will lay up to 600 eggs in their lifetime, laying as many as 75 - 150 each time. And you'll never know it until you have an infestation, because fly eggs are waaaaayyyyy too tiny to see with the naked eye.

Once I've killed the flies, how do I keep them away for good?

Once the flies are already in your house, you'll need to kill them off.

Then there are a few habits you'll want to develop going forward to keep flies out of your house for good; or at least discourage them from entering your house to begin with.

1. Keep your trash cans (inside and outside) CLEAN!
2. Make sure your trash is thrown out regularly and use scented trash bags (w/ trash cans that have lids).
3. Do not let your pets waste pile up in your yard. Pick up after your pet daily.
4. Routinely wipe down your kitchen counters and table to make sure there is no food or liquid residue left behind after each meal.
5. Check all your screens on all your windows and make sure none of them have tears, rips, etc. If they do, replace, or repair the window screens.
6. Check the weather stripping on your doors to make sure there are no gaps. If you can see outside through the edges on your door, then you need to replace your weather stripping.
7. If possible, install a screen door, or at least have a magnetic screen enclosure installed on the exterior of your door.
8. Plant bushes and other vegetation that flies don't like - such as lavender. You can use lavender essential oil room sprays, and even keep a fresh vase of lavender near your windows when they're open.
9. Place bug zappers outside of your doors.
10. Use fly-specific insecticide products (continue reading below...).

Do not use any ol' insecticide to kill flies

While you may be tempted to go and grab any ol' insecticide, we tend to caution against that, as insecticides are usually indiscriminate and will kill any/all insects (Both good and bad). And many of them have residual effects.

Not cool. 

Instead, here are the top four (4) products that specifically target flies that we either have experience using ourselves or products that are generally known to work pretty well when it comes to getting rid of those pesky insects:

These products will eliminate your fly problem

To view the product listings on Amazon, simply click the product title below.

1) RESCUE FTD2 Disposable Fly Trap, 2-Pack

You never have to worry about touching the bait or the flies. It's easy to use and it is sanitary. It has a powerful attractant in it that specifically attracts flies and traps them, and they drown in the attractant water. It can catch up to 20,000 flies! Don't worry, it doesn't have any poisons or killing agents.

However, we do not recommend using it inside due to the odor. We recommend placing it outside of your home or business to get the flies before they come inside.

2) Indoor Bug Zapper w/ UV Light

It will zap the life out of any insect that touches it, but it's safe to humans and pets. The light attracts the nasty insects in your house and takes them out. They drop into a collection tray which you can then quickly remove and empty out as needed. It doesn't get much simpler or cleaner than that.

3) Trapro Wall Sconce Fly Light Trap

For something a little more aesthetically pleasing (but still just as efficient) look no further than the wall sconce fly light trap by Trapro. It looks beautiful, but it carries a deadly secret on the inside. And better yet? There are no zapping sounds, and it's super easy to clean and replace the sticky boards used to trap and kill the pesky things. Did I mention that it looks GREAT inside your home?

4) Victor M380 Fly Magnet Reusable Trap with Bait

If you want a fly magnet trap that's reusable, then look no further than this bad boy. The Victor M380 has a name fitting for a mega-powered battle tank, but it's not (sadly). However, it is a nifty little product designed to attract flies with a patented attractant and then traps and kills the flies. So, that's still pretty cool.

Again, no poisons. This one is reusable though, so when you've killed enough of them, simply empty the bottle of dead flies out, and fill up with water.

In that way, it's not quite as "sanitary" as the bags above which you simply dispose of without emptying out, but it's more cost-efficient in that you can just keep using the same container over and over again without throwing it away, and having to buy a new product.

5) Bug & Fly Clear Window Fly Traps

Ok, these may not be as "sightly" or "sanitary" as the other options, but I can personally say that these will eliminate your fly problem if flies are still getting into your house.

Flies are attracted to windows, and they bounce up and down the windows almost as soon as they get into your house. These sticky traps are easy to attach to your windows (and easy to pull off, as well), and they will trap flies all.day.long.

I HIGHLY recommend using these window fly traps. They're much better than trying to use a fly-swatter and risking pulling a muscle in the process ?.

6) The Solar Insect Torch

Last, but not least, if you want a product that looks good outside, and doesn't require any external power - look no further than a solar powered insect torch.

It provides light, looks great and kills insects all at the same time.

You can get it in either a "torch" or "lantern" form to accomodate every yard application, but no matter which one you choose - the flies (and mosquitoes) will die.

That's a wrap

And there you have it, folks: The best products that kill flies in Texas!

Let us know how they work for you in the comments below. Here's to a fun-filled summer of fewer flies!