Gross flies are swarming GA right now. Here’s how to best keep them out of your house

The flies are out in droves this year, and coupled with the extreme heat and humidity, it’s creating nuisances, inside and outside the home.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UGA has some disturbing news for folks trying to reduce their fly populations. The lifecycle of a fly is approximately 10 days long and one single fly can produce three or four batches of eggs, with more than 100 eggs per batch.

The most upsetting part of this data is that, “Theoretically, a single pair of houseflies mating in the spring could result in trillions of flies before the summer’s end,” meaning “the fight against them and the annoyance they cause is unlikely ever to be won.”

Gross facts about flies

Flies are definitely a nuisance, but they can also be a hazard.

• Baby flies, maggots, thrive in moist, decaying material
• Flies can’t chew food, so they spit on it to soften it before they “sop it up.”
• Flies often defecate while they eat, so contamination is likely
• They prefer to lay their eggs in sites like garbage receptacles and manure.

How to reduce the number of flies in your home

Although you’ll never fully rid your space of housefly, DIY Pest Control recommends a combined, mulit-front approach can help you manage.

• Clean up: Remove food waste, dirty dishes, crumbs, pet food, and organic debris, take out the trash regularly, and keep bins sealed tightly.
• Seal points of entry: Repair openings in window screens, door seals, and cracks
• Consider natural remedies: Place basil, lavender, marigold, or parsley in entryways. Eucalyptus, peppermint or lemongrass essential oils can act as a deterrent.
• DIY traps: Apple cider vinegar with dish soap, rotten food traps, red wine or fans and candles.
• Mechanical traps: Fly paper or electronic light traps can help with larger infestations.
• Insecticides: Aerosol sprays with pyrethrins or deltamethrin dusts , but make sure to keep chemicals away from food and pets.

Prevention is key

• Don’t leave food or dirty dishes out, immediately wipe down surfaces, clean drains, and empty pet litter boxes frequently.
• Pick up pet waste promptly, keep outdoor trash cans sealed, and remove rotten fruit or vegetables from gardens.
• Keep compost piles turned and covered, and flush out drains with hot water or a cleaning solution.
• Use yellow “bug” bulbs outdoors and limit unnecessary lights at night to make your home less attractive to them.

Common types of flies in Georgia

It may be helpful to know your critters so you can tailor the elimination process.

Types of flies:

• House Fly (Musca domestica):Kitchens and near trash cans indoors
• Fruit Fly: Kitchens near fruit, garbage disposals
• Drain Fly (Moth Fly): Drains, bathrooms, kitchens
• Cluster Fly: Attics, windowsills
• Flesh Fly/Blow Fly: Garbage, near decaying matter
• Hover Fly: Near outside flowers, sometimes indoors

You may not be able to completely reclaim your home completely from these invaders, but elimination tactics can cut down the number.

Do you have any remedies to keep flies at bay? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.

This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Gross flies are swarming GA right now. Here’s how to best keep them out of your house."