Houseflies are some of the most effective transporters of disease-causing bacteria. This is because they live close to humans and love disgusting and unsanitary places! This makes housefly infestations potentially very dangerous, as they can cause a variety of diseases, such as cholera, e. coli, and salmonellosis, but here’s the good news, there are a lot of ways to fight housefly infestations naturally, and did you know that you can get rid of houseflies with vinegar?
Why you should get rid of houseflies naturally
There is no question that you should get rid of the houseflies on your property. But why should you do it naturally? What’s wrong with using pesticides?
Pesticides are more effective in combatting pests, but they have one downside. They have toxic ingredients that may be dangerous to you and your family. Someone may end up ingesting or inhaling these toxic ingredients.
It’s not a bad idea to go natural. And you can’t go any more natural than vinegar. It’s a very accessible household ingredient. You consume it yourself. So, you are sure that it doesn’t have the toxicity to cause harm to anyone around you.
Different ways to get rid of houseflies with vinegar
Homeowners have a lot of DIY solutions to their housefly problems, and these solutions typically come in the form of traps. These traps require different materials and use different tactics to get rid of houseflies with vinegar. But they are equally effective. Just choose a trap according to your preference.
Take note that these traps use apple cider vinegar. This is important to point out because you may be thinking of white vinegar.
1. DIY vinegar and dish soap fly trap
The idea behind this trap is to attract the houseflies with the apple cider vinegar. The great thing about apple cider vinegar is that it is very effective in attracting houseflies. The pests are just naturally attracted to fermented and sweet substances.
The houseflies will try to land on the apple cider vinegar but end up sinking because of the dish soap. That’s where they meet their doom.
For this trap, you will need the following materials:
- Apple cider vinegar (about 1/2 cup)
- Dish soap (only a few drops)
- Tall drinking glass or jar
- Plastic wrap
- Rubber band
- Toothpick
Make the DIY vinegar and dish soap fly trap with these steps:
- In the drinking glass or jar, combine the apple cider vinegar and dish soap.
- Cover the top of the drinking glass or jar with the plastic wrap. Hold the plastic wrap in place by putting a rubber band.
- Poke holes on the plastic wrap using the toothpick.
- Place your fly trap in the area with a lot of housefly activity.
Houseflies will be attracted to the apple cider vinegar and enter the drinking glass or jar through the holes in the plastic wrap. Once they try to land on the apple cider vinegar, they will sink to the solution and drown, thanks to the dish soap. Dispose of the trap once it’s full of houseflies.
This DIY fly trap can be very effective against fruit flies too. Fruit flies really like the sweetness of the apple cider vinegar. You can try adding a spoonful of sugar to make the solution more effective in attracting fruit flies.
2. DIY vinegar funnel trap
This is the same idea as the previous trap. You will use the apple cider vinegar to attract the houseflies into a trap. The only difference is that you don’t need to include dish soap to drown the houseflies. You will only confine them inside the trap.
Once the trap is full, you can choose to release the houseflies if you are not a fan of the idea of killing, even if they are pests. But make sure to release them far away from your home to prevent them from bothering you again.
To make a DIY vinegar funnel trap, you will need the following materials:
- Apple cider vinegar (about 1/2 cup)
- Water (about 1/2 cup)
- Sugar (about 2 tablespoons)
- Soda bottle
- Scissors
Make this fly trap with these steps:
- Use the scissors to cut the soda bottle horizontally about 1/3 of the way down. Put the 1/3 top of the soda bottle aside.
- In the 2/3 bottom of the soda bottle, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, and sugar.
- Invert the 1/3 top of the soda bottle and put it on top of the 2/3 bottom. It should create a funnel for the houseflies to get in.
- Place the fly trap in the area with a lot of housefly activity.
Houseflies will get inside the soda bottle through the funnel to consume the vinegar solution inside. But they will not be able to get out. They may end up drowning or buzzing around endlessly.
If you don’t have a soda bottle, you can also use a drinking glass or a jar. You can use a cardboard or a thick paper to make a funnel. Simply twist it in a way that will create a cone. Place the cone on top of the drinking glass or jar.
The effectiveness of DIY and natural pest control methods
Sure, you can get rid of houseflies with vinegar. But this is not the only way to solve your housefly problem naturally.
Some homeowners use plants with fly-repelling properties, such as basil, elderberry, lavender, and mint. Some also use cloves and lemons to repel the pests.
But remember that DIY solutions and natural pest control methods are only really effective in repelling houseflies or combatting small infestations. They may have little to no effect on severe infestations.
Even though pesticides have some disadvantages, they are still generally better at getting rid of pests.
When to call professional pest control services
It’s not very common to have a housefly infestation inside your home. But they do happen.
Houseflies may be attracted to the things outside your home, like your compost piles and garbage bins. But leaving your doors and windows open and making food and water too accessible will put you at risk of housefly infestations inside your home.
If you think the houseflies in your property are more than just a little inconvenience, don’t hesitate to call professional pest control services. Every home is different. You can’t read everything on the internet. Professional pest controllers have the equipment and knowledge to deal with your specific case.
Without a housefly infestation in your property, you and your loved ones will be safe from all the diseases these pests may bring.