10 ingenious ways to keep flies out of a garage

Struggling to keep flies out of your garage? Flies are a well-known nuisance, and just because they’re not necessarily in your house, having flies in your garage can be just as inconvenient, unclean, and annoying.

Your garage is a hot spot for all sorts of flies, providing shelter, water, and often food, meaning keeping it fly-free can feel like a constant battle. Even non-biting flies, such as house flies, can be bothersome: they are responsible for transmitting diseases and contaminating food.

So, how do you keep flies out of a garage? We talked to pest control experts to learn their simple tricks for preventing full-blown pest invasion.

How do I keep flies away from my garage?

'It's important to keep flies away outside and out of our homes to protect our health,' says Dr. Jim Fredericks, board-certified entomologist and SVP of public affairs at the National Pest Management Association. 'These pests can contaminate food and carry more than 100 pathogens, including E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter, some of the main causes of food poisoning.

‘The most common species invading garages are filth flies like house flies or lesser house flies and cluster flies. Fruit flies can be problematic, too.'

So, if you’ve been wondering how to get rid of fruit flies, or how to keep flies out of the house or garage, use this expert guide.

1. Regularly empty your trash

No one likes taking the trash out. But, not doing it often enough could be contributing to the flies in your garage, so staying on top of it is one of the simplest ways to get them gone for good.

'Flies in the garage typically come from upkeep on cleanliness,' says Kyle Sebach, Director of Operations at All U Need Pest Control. 'Most people keep their trash or receptacles within the garage. This is typically an attractive point for flies as they can smell and like to harborage within food sources. Keeping on top of a regular schedule will help reduce flies.'

This way, you effectively remove the source of the issue and reduce any attraction for flies to your garage.

2. Cover your bins with a well-fitting lid

As flies are primarily attracted to scents and odors, keeping your trash well-covered will prevent them from gathering in your garage.

'Flies may well be attracted to trash or garbage cans stored in the garage, so keep them covered with a well-fitting lid to reduce odors that are attractive to flies,' says Fredericks.

3. Clean your trash cans in-between regular trash cycles

Ironically, cleaning your trash cans is one of the most overlooked household tasks when it comes to weekly chores, particularly those in your garage which you probably don't use as regularly. It might seem unnecessary, but deep-cleaning them will not only keep flies at bay but will also prevent them from festering.

'Most importantly, it comes to cleanliness and sanitation,' says Sebach. 'In between regular trash cycles, you will want to maintain cleanliness within the trash receptacles by using an all-purpose cleaner, or bleaching out any remnants that may have fallen out of the trash bags.'

Shannon Harlow-Ellis, Associate Certified Entomologist at Mosquito Joe recommends: 'A little rinse with bleach and water- it will work wonders,' she says. 'Trash juice is a serious breeding site.'

4. Consider double bagging your bins

Carrying heavy bin bags through your garage can often lead to bad smells and breakages, both of which will attract unwanted flies.

'If you are bringing trash into the garage that has heavy food products, you might want to consider double bagging it to ensure the smell stays within the bags to reduce the exposure to flies,' recommends Sebach.

5. Rinse out cans and bottles before throwing them away

Remnants of any kind of sugary drink will attract flies, so rinsing out your cans before recycling them can help to drastically reduce numbers.

'Fruit flies are especially attracted to juice, soda or beer cans in recycling bins, so rinse out cans and bottles before tossing them in the bin,' says Fredericks.

This will also help prevent bad odors from forming in your garage.

6. Reduce physical entry points

Sealing up entry points to your garage will prevent flies from becoming a nuisance.

'Keeping flies out of the garage also has to do with IPM methods,' says Sebach. 'By making sure you have no inclusions, this will help by reducing the physical entry points that the flies can intrude the garage.'

'Making sure the weatherstripping on the bottom of the garage door is intact will typically be your best solution,' he recommends, so make sure to repair any gaps.

'You can also make sure there is no other inclusion points on the sides of the garage doors, side, entry doors to the garage, or any other holes or entry points in the garage.'

Also, make sure you keep windows and doors closed.

'To reduce the likelihood of house fly invasions, keep garage doors and windows shut,' says Fredericks. 'Flies can sometimes get caught on air currents and become trapped inside garages,' leading to infestations.

7. Keep outdoor lights off

As flies are attracted to lights, keeping outdoor home and garage lights off as much as possible at night will deter them.

'Keep outdoor lights off when possible and close window shades and blinds at night to keep flying insects from being attracted to the light,' says Harlow-Ellis.

8. Use fly tape

If you already have flies in your garage, using fly-tape can be an effective and efficient way to get rid of them quickly.

'Some homeowners like the idea to keep a strip of fly tape in the garage in the summer months,' says Sebach. 'The fly tape catches them while they’re flying around.'

Harlow-Ellis recommends keeping any fly tape away from windows or doors, as fly traps often use attractants, so you want to prevent any more from entering.

'Sometimes, flies are coming from areas outside of our control, like neighboring homes or dumpsters,' she says. 'In these cases a fly trap can be utilized, but, if you have to do it, keep it as far away from the doors and windows as you can. Remember these traps use attractants and we don’t want to bring them to the area we are trying to avoid them getting into.'

9. Clean up pet waste promptly

'Pet owners have an extra responsibility,' says Harlow-Ellis. 'Pet waste is probably the number one residential attractant for not just flies; but rodents as well.' Therefore, ensure pet waste is cleaned up and disposed of quickly to remove a main attractor for flies.

'Promptly clean up any pet waste to prevent potential fly breeding sites from developing near the building,' says Fredericks.

10. Call a professional

In more extreme circumstances, it might become necessary to call a professional to deal with the problem.

'Certainly, controlling flies can be overwhelming,' says Harlow-Ellis. 'If you are unsure how to address your fly control concerns, call a professional. They can provide you with a great Integrated Pest Management program that will help you figure out what measures you should take as a resident and what additional steps they can provide to help alleviate fly problems.'

FAQs

Does vinegar keep flies away?

Contrary to popular belief, vinegar will actually attract flies instead of deterring them. In order to make a repellent using vinegar, mix it with dish soap and place in the affected area in a container.

This will lure the flies in, while the dish soap will trap the flies, preventing them from flying out again.

How to get rid of drain flies

The most natural way to get rid of drain flies for good is to use boiling water. Simply flush the drain with freshly boiled water and clean with a drain pipe brush- no chemicals needed.

So, if you've been wondering why you have so many flies in your house or garage, these expert-approved tips should equip you with all you need to know to fight the flies for good.