# Flies, how to get rid of **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2026, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258 "2026-08-10T01:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/21 "2026-08-10T18:31:54Z")
I wasn’t trying it for house flies. We get little things I thought were fruit flies, but may be something else. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/22 "2026-08-10T18:36:02Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’m no entomologist either but I know that when I was plagued with small flies in and around the kitchen (that I suspected were fruit flies), I placed a small cup of vinegar out and a few days later found them drowned in the cup and no more flying pests and that’s consistent with their attraction to ripening and rotting fruit. It has to be mentioned that you should not forget a drop of soap: > **[Apple Cider Vinegar Trap | Homemade Fruit Fly Trap | Orkin](https://www.orkin.com/pests/flies/fruit-flies/apple-cider-vinegar-fruit-fly-traps)** > > Learn how apple cider vinegar fruit fly traps work & why fruit flies are attracted to them. For professional fruit fly control, call an Orkin Pro today. > Add a drop of dish soap to the container with vinegar. The dish soap will break the surface tension of the apple cider vinegar, causing the fruit flies to sink when they land on it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/23 "2026-08-10T18:37:41Z")
I also heard the recommendation to wipe the soap around the inside of the glass, so the flies can’t climb out. I don’t think I did either; just put a few ounces of vinegar in a glass and left it alone for a few days. It really worked well. Edited to add, some sites suggest making a paper funnel so the flies can get in but not easily escape and I didn’t even bother with that. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/24 "2026-08-10T19:12:05Z")
I’ve had good luck removing fruit flies with a vinegar trap. (I add some fruit flavoring, which i bought a while ago, but tastes too fake to use.) I’ve also had decent luck catching house flies with old fashioned fly paper. It comes in rolls, and replacing (or removing) the roll of sticky paper covered in dead flies is kinda gross. But it’s cheap and non-toxic and low effort. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/25 "2026-08-10T19:41:53Z")
Ive had lots of fun with one of [these](https://www.bugasalt.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqrLUm3dbCCMaeJewFComF5QGP2OWcsIubsXFc2IUfWe9F1Vr__) in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/26 "2026-08-10T19:50:38Z")
It’s clear you have no choice but to burn down the house. We get those nasty fruit/sink trap flies. In Portland, the cider vinegar and soap thing worked well, but here in MSP they merely laugh while bathing in it. At least we don’t have billions of ants like we had in Portland. I had to go nuclear on the little fuckers. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/27 "2026-08-10T21:55:08Z")
I don’t know if they have all disappeared, but I have sat in the dark all afternoon with the door to the porch open and I haven’t seen one in a couple hours. It is getting quite dark outside (thunderstorms coming) so I will now close the porch door and turn on some lights. Now I turned the lights on and have seen a couple flies, but far fewer than before. ---
**Author:** ![Cwturner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Cwturner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cwturner)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/28 "2026-08-10T22:44:16Z")
While the vinegar traps work somewhat for the little flies we get in the kitchen, I’ve found that they like to alight on the ceiling. I stuck them up with the wand attachment of our vacuum and it really knocks down the population ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/29 "2026-08-11T00:09:09Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Sorry to say that that has not been my experience. I bought a couple and tried them for a few months during which they caught almost nothing. Same here. Got one a few weeks ago, based on recommendations here, but the house flies ignore it. Has a nice pretty light, though. When the flies start getting slow after a few days, I zap them. > [@Velocity](#): > > I always got a piece of paper, trapped the flies under a clear plastic cup, If I could trap a fly in a plastic cup, I wouldn’t need a trap. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/30 "2026-08-11T00:57:41Z")
If i have few enough flies to trap them manually (which i can do) i don’t have a fly problem. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/31 "2026-08-11T18:53:54Z")
I spoke too soon. Eventually they all emerged from [somewhere]. One curious fact: if I kill one and leave its crushed corpse near me, flies stay away. The effect lasts for about an hour. I should figure out what they are smelling and bottle it and sell it: eau de mouche morte. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/32 "2026-08-11T20:05:43Z")
These outdoor fly traps work pretty well: > **[Amazon.com : RESCUE! Outdoor Disposable Fly Trap – Hanging Fly Catcher with...](https://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Rescue-FTD-DB12-Disposable-Trap/dp/B071XPPZWM)** > > Amazon.com : RESCUE! Outdoor Disposable Fly Trap – Hanging Fly Catcher with Attractant Bait, Fly Bag for Patio, Yard, Trash & Farm Areas – Easy-to-Use Outdoor Fly Control - 5 Traps : Patio, Lawn & Garden It has a yeast packet that attracts flies when water is added. They are kind of stinky, so you need to set them up away from your doors and windows. They attract flies from a wide area, so they’ll go in the trap instead of your house. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/33 "2026-08-11T20:06:47Z")
Maybe a rat died inside your walls; it might be a few days before they stop emerging. Each time they do just open up the door for 1/2 an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/34 "2026-08-11T22:31:59Z")
We’ve had a plague of flies at my house in North Georgia quite some time ago. Big house flies and little gnats/fruit flies. I’ve tried just about all of the tricks and devices but most are marginal at best or simply don’t work at all. The dish of vinegar and drop of detergent didn’t work well for the gnats and as far as I know, house flies are not attracted to UV light. For regular houseflies (the large black ones) I now have a very powerful electric fly swatter. They are easy to see so a swipe, a blue flash and they’re dead. Very satisfying. Fruit flies/gnats (small ones) are harder and way more annoying but I came up with a couple of cures: 1. Put a dish dish of cider vinegar (no detergent) on a countertop under a cabinet. Hang a [sticky fly strip](https://www.amazon.com/Extermanix-Strips-Gnats-Fruit-Flies/dp/B0H6GW7HN1/ref=sr_1_18?crid=1AK7NXW1D6J9O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KwSpiqRGrxtZLgXsqkXPcjYPcJQ8P8O36TENYpoXRYSlI0JQLCC3EKo0-XPbkuneNhcL2tJfXunIrMw184_5UpvR4Q6ZkY20RTjMURVjymZ_Lbm_Ot3RYYSwEC1w9Wwfa-X5pOXm14BorKD10Oe-BBlME1V4V4oeSB4vQBthV5q5GBpbYK1pthf6qgkf5xtlwJGyJ2Cf4MAzIkiJZV8tkoHjBDTJDY92nEu6Xh30WKZWjusMxEez4kerTfBWAQkJFopgY3bzENlZYf5_OryKVhrQ3BCwto09SiSmW1N3deI.2gPFlgLSSyPPtPNkmi7WWxlBJgSRX8eMRcGic44eajQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=fly+strips+indoor+sticky+hanging&qid=1786485663&sprefix=fly+strip%2Caps%2C476&sr=8-18) over the dish of vinegar. Attach the end of the strip to the cabinet over the dish, and let the end of the strip sit in the vinegar. The flies want to contemplate that tasty tasty vinegar but not get too close to it. The fly strip gives them a very comfy place to rest and think about it. This works extremely well and the fly strip will soon get crusty with dead flies. Keep the vinegar topped up and fresh. 1. Place the[most powerful fan](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Industrial-Construction-Commercial/dp/B07XGQ9RM3/ref=sr_1_16?crid=3QQ931CT83LH0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MsxHobD9zXeuKAhbpBIq9o9JFwvV3g4NiL3nnWTKdWflkecTpvFPP5mitJB5LS3XO8wOGy-dbDi2tssPqoB0K3SNjOTxgo40JoKUlrN2T4gA3ypRzWTzUjbe6PViP7hBvnbSb-JiRcgLjwgPhEBhmxbMOAzbUgxmIeWPrsN9UZPBMXsdBjnzz7L36gSrHHdpFnejFpBp4Wr1HsqD300-j6npyt928r1TQ3zjkRQaX-bq0lUUhjoiOFkxsoZRQwNlXWacLMge6x02YCf7ROeLGl-J2IBypJLs-0sE0Pg-uJM.6JuukXmZUTwDf5HrBTIJheIbf3iQ-VX_9mSZnohIfPE&dib_tag=se&keywords=heavy%2Bfan&qid=1786487102&sprefix=heavy%2Bfan%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-16&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.9fe8cbfa-bf43-43d1-a707-3f4e65a4b666&th=1) that you have next to the door that remains open. Aim the fan so that it blows across the door opening. Most or all flying insects will not be able to cross a strong air stream to get into the door. I hope some of that helps. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258/35 "2026-08-18T20:32:54Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > The fly strip gives them a very comfy place to rest and think about it. This is genius, and I’d try it in a heartbeat, but the one (1) time I’ve given my current cat a bath in the 5ish years I’ve had him was the direct result of a sticky fly strip. But my bathroom, specifically, is absolutely nutz with the tiny fruit flies right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flies-how-to-get-rid-of/1032258.md?page=1)