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Common Housefly — species photo
Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

How to Get Rid of Common Houseflies

DIY-friendly
To get rid of common houseflies, remove the garbage, pet waste, and organic filth they breed in, and install tight-fitting screens and door sweeps to keep new adults from getting in. Houseflies complete an entire life cycle in as few as 7 to 10 days, so insecticide sprays and baits that kill adults without addressing the breeding source rarely hold — new flies just keep emerging. Take out garbage regularly, clean up spills and pet waste promptly, cover food, and keep drains clean. Sticky traps and UV light traps supplement sanitation for the adults already indoors. Houseflies don't bite, but University of Florida research notes they're medically important for their ability to mechanically carry bacteria on their bodies and legs, depositing it on food and surfaces — a real but proportionate risk that good sanitation keeps low.

At a glance

  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Time: An afternoon of cleanup, then ongoing habit
  • Cost: Low — screens, lidded bins, sticky traps
  • Success: High with consistent sanitation and screening
The honest answer

Can you DIY Common Housefly?

The verdict on Common Housefly DIY

DIY-friendlyBeginner

A beginner-friendly DIY — sanitation and screens beat sprays every time.

The common housefly doesn't bite and isn't a serious health threat for a typical home, though it can mechanically carry bacteria from waste to food surfaces. Houseflies breed in garbage, pet waste, and organic filth — not on your countertops — so the fix is sealing that breeding material away, combined with tight screens to keep new adults out. Insecticide alone rarely solves an indoor infestation because it doesn't touch the breeding source.

The playbook

The 5 DIY methods — honestly graded

Every approach graded for this species, in IPM order — prevention first, chemistry late. Pick a method to see how it works, the steps, and what it actually takes.

Prevention / Exclusion

Works well

Sanitation and screening together are the definitive fix — this is where the effort belongs.

Houseflies breed in garbage and organic filth and enter through any unscreened gap. Removing the breeding material and physically blocking entry stops the problem at both ends.

Best for: Every case — this is the method that actually solves it

  1. Install tight-fitting screens and door sweeps

    Check screens on windows and doors for tears and gaps, and add door sweeps where needed.

  2. Take out garbage and clean spills promptly

    Use lidded bins, take garbage out regularly, and clean up spills, pet waste, and drains that can serve as breeding sites.

Tools & materials

Window/door screensDoor sweepsLidded garbage bins
Before you start
A single gap or open door undoes the rest of your sanitation work.
Reality check

Why DIY falls short here

Not scare tactics — the specific, proportionate reasons a home attempt can stall for this species.

Ignoring the breeding source

Houseflies breed in garbage and organic filth; insecticides alone rarely eliminate an indoor infestation without removing that source.

Open doors and unscreened windows

A single gap allows constant re-entry, undoing sanitation work indoors.

Straight talk

How risky is it, really?

An honest read — most nuisance species are genuinely low risk, and we say so.

Low risk

Houseflies don't bite, but per UF/IFAS Featured Creatures, they are medically important for their ability to mechanically carry bacteria on their bodies and legs and deposit it on food and surfaces via regurgitation and feces. This is a real but proportionate concern for casual home exposure — good sanitation keeps the risk low.

  • Mechanical contamination of food/surfacesOccasional

    Via contamination, not biting — can be a factor in diarrheal illness like E. coli or Salmonella exposure in unsanitary conditions

    UF/IFAS Featured Creatures

  • Direct harm from a fly landing on youRare

    Negligible — houseflies don't bite humans or animals

    UF/IFAS Featured Creatures

When to call a pro

Houseflies Keep Coming Back?

If sanitation and screening aren't holding, there may be a breeding source you haven't found. Anchor Pest Services offers full inspections across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Call a pro when…

  • Flies persist after thorough sanitation and screening
  • You suspect a hidden breeding source you can't locate
  • A recurring heavy fly population despite your best efforts

General Pest Control

Most housefly problems resolve with sanitation and screening. A pro adds value if flies persist despite thorough cleanup, which can point to a hidden breeding source you haven't located.

Get a Free inspection(603) 785-0118

Keep them out

  • Take out garbage regularly and use lidded bins
  • Repair screens and add door sweeps before summer
  • Clean spills, pet waste, and drains promptly
New Hampshire context

Houseflies in New Hampshire

NH's rural and semi-rural properties near pastures, compost piles, and animal waste see the heaviest housefly pressure through the warm months, May through September. Screen repair before summer is the single most missed seasonal task — a torn screen undoes the rest of the sanitation work in one open door.

Peak season

Warm months, May through September

Before you treat

Make sure it's a Common Housefly

Two quick detours worth taking — confirm the ID, then learn what drew it in so it doesn't come back.

Not sure it's this?

Identify Common Housefly in the Pest Library

Why is it here?

What actually attracts Common Housefly

Common questions

Frequently asked

Sources & further reading(3)
  1. [1]
    UF/IFAS Featured Creatures — House Fly

    Mechanical pathogen transmission, biology, risk framing

    extensionverified 2026-07-13
  2. [2]
    Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Indoor Flies and Their Control

    Sanitation-first control guidance

    extensionverified 2026-07-13
  3. [3]
    University of Minnesota Extension — Flies (Nuisance Insects)

    Screening and exclusion guidance

    extensionverified 2026-07-13

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

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Last updated July 2026

More in Flies & Gnats

Other species you can tackle

Same category — the dot shows each one's DIY verdict at a glance (green = friendly, amber = doable with care, red = call a pro).

Professional Pest Control

Houseflies Keep Coming Back?

If sanitation and screening aren't holding, there may be a breeding source you haven't found. Anchor Pest Services offers full inspections across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Get a Free inspection(603) 785-0118
  • NH-licensed applicators (#782664)
  • Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH

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