Flies can get very irritating during the warmer months of the year. Nearly every meal I've eaten outdoors during the got summer months has included a battle with the flies trying to land on my food. Flies are very slow learners, or so it seems. No matter how many times you swat them away, they just keep coming back. House flies do come indoors and can transmit a few diseases, so they aren't insects you really want to around.

1. Clean up all pet and animal droppings as soon as you can. Any fresh, moist droppings will attract flies. To keep flies from breeding either bury it immediately or use a plastic bag to remove it. Place the bagged waste in a lidded rubbish bin.

2. You should also remove kitchen scraps and other organic waste properly. When it comes to food waste, the drier it is the better. Drain any moisture you can from it before throwing it away. Scrape your plates or other leftovers into a plastic garbage bag, tie the bag shut, and put it in a garbage bin with the lid closed.

3. If you have a compost bin, add some sawdust or lime to it to help absorb any moisture and odors that could attract flies. Compost piles work by heating up to a temperature which helps to break down all the scraps and cuttings in it. To do this, they need to be turned regularly. If this is not done, those kitchen scraps may attract breeding flies. Turn your compost pile regularly, and remember to never put meats or animal waste in your compost bin.

4. Rubbish bins and dumpsters are perfect breeding areas for flies. You can drastically reduce fly populations by keeping the bins clean. If you make sure all rubbish within the bin is sealed in a bag and tied closed, you will reduce the smell and reduce the possibility of food scraps leaving a waste residue inside. It's not a bad idea to clean out your bin on a regular basis with a disinfectant to remove any food or pet waste that may have accumulated. Don't forget to put your rubbish out to be collection on rubbish night.

5. The recycling also attract some flies. Rinse empty drink cans, drink bottles, beer bottles, and pet food cans before throwing them in the recycling.

 6. If you have fruit trees in your backyard, pick up any fruit that falls to the ground. Fermenting or overripe fruit provides just the right combination of moist and sweet to attract flies as well as fruit flies.

Traps

However, even if you following all of the sanitation rules mentioned above, it will not eliminate all flies from your backyard. Whilst it will significantly reduce them, it will not completely eliminate them. The next barrier of protection is to use localised traps.

Commercially available traps work very well, particularly for house flies. Flies are attracted to the smell of rotting meat. Traps usually contain a food bait which will often be supplied when you buy the trap. This is often in combination with a pheromone. You should place traps where you see the most flies in a warm sunny area. 

 

A Trap After Four Days

Sticky fly paper does also work, but has a few draw backs such as having a ribbon of dead flies hanging from your wall or ceiling. They are also only really useful when populations are low. If you have followed all the steps to limit breeding sites, hanging a few sticky paper traps will help to eliminate the few that find their way into your home.