There are loads of reasons why flies are annoying. When I am trying to get work done in the garage, and a stubborn fly keeps buzzing around my head, I get pretty annoyed. One time, as I applied a fresh coat of varnish to a table I was refinishing, this big ol’ fly landed right in the middle, plop. I had to let it dry completely, sand it down, and then reapply the varnish to undo that pesky interruption.
But those minor inconveniences are nothing compared to what happens when you have swarms of cluster flies or rapidly multiplying drain flys in your garage. An untidy garage can quickly become a haven for pests as it offers a much more accessible shelter for invaders than our tightly sealed houses.
Once inside your garage, flies can become a serious and constant problem that requires time and money to eliminate. To help save you both, let’s look at how to keep flies out of a garage.
How To Stop Flies from Getting into Your Garage?
The process of stopping flies from getting into your garage starts with cleaning and organizing your space. In a clean garage, sources of decay can immediately be found and taken care of. If fly attractant and food sources are removed, fewer flies will breed inside.
After the garage is clean and the food sources removed, seal all of the entry points where flies could enter. If ventilation is required to work safely in the garage, aim a fan out of an open window to let fresh air in but keep flies out.
All that is left to do is to kill the remaining flies inside. Depending on the size of the infestation, this can be as easy as smacking them with a fly swatter or as complex as fogging the garage. When all of the flies have been removed, make sure to keep your garage clean and tidy to prevent future fly infestations.
Steps to Rid Your Garage of Insects
Getting rid of flies and other insects that have entered your garage is important. Our garages can quickly become cluttered, and if we don’t pay attention, we can have massive insect infestations in a matter of weeks. Follow the steps below to keep house flies and other insects out of your garage for good.
1) Clean Up
Food, water, garbage, dirty trash bins, and other smells can all attract flies. The fastest way to get rid of sources of fly infestation is to clean up the garage. Thoroughly go through the garage and throw away any trash and clean all garbage cans. Make sure there is no decaying organic matter for flies to smell through an open garage door.
Once the organic material is removed, check for leaks and stagnant water. If any is located, dry the water with towels and a fan and then seal the leak. This will prevent drain flies from breeding in your garage. If any wet areas are left from rotting fruit or cracked trash cans, clean them with vinegar to remove all the smells of food and prevent pest infestations from returning.
After everything is clean of wet spots and garbage, you can take this time to organize and arrange the garage to be easier to keep clean in the future. As you clean and organize, make sure to keep an eye out for punctured screens, large cracks, or any other pest infiltration point you notice.
2) Seal Entry Points
As you clean and notice areas that might attract flies, like lights and sugary substances, check for weak areas that flies could use to enter. This environment of easy entry and access to food could lead to large clusters of flies creating a breeding ground. To prevent this from happening, repair broken screens and seal cracks in walls and around doors and windows.
3) Kill and Remove Existing Flies
Even after you clean and seal your garage, you may still have some survivors flying around your garage. They can breed and possibly make it into your home and cause more problems there. It is important to try and kill the stragglers fast so they won’t have time to breed.
Fly baits are an effective way to kill flies without having to chase them with an electric fly swatter. To make fly bait fill a small aluminum or tin container with fly bait pellets. Add water to the lid and place it up high out of reach of pets and children. The flies will eat the poison and die. Alcohol and odors from a beer can also be used to speed up this method, as can apple cider vinegar and sugar water.
Fly traps can also be easily made to kill flies without the need for poison. Soda bottles can be used to make a trap that attracts flies inside and prevents them from leaving.
- Cut the top 3rd of a plastic bottle off
- Pour apple cider vinegar, sugar water or soda, and a few drops of dish soap into the bottle until 1/4th is full.
- Invert the top 3rd that was cut and place it inside the bottle with the cap removed, like a funnel.
- Place the bottle in the corner of the garage that is out of reach from children and pets and refill it with apple cider vinegar solution until the fly problem is gone. These can also be placed near trash cans to help prevent maggots.
A fly light can also be purchased and used to attract and electrocute files. Placing these around windows and doors can drastically decrease the number of insects that make it into your garage.
4) Apply fly repellent to deter reinfestation
Scents like eucalyptus, white vinegar, and pine can be used to deter flies. Choosing the right aromas to infuse your garage air with can help you reduce the likelihood of flies entering your garage. These scents can also mask organic fly-attracting smells between trash days.
5) Keep Garage Clean
Once you have removed the flys and stopped them from entering again, it is a great idea to keep your garage clean and organized. This will help you quickly identify any signs of fly or other pest infestation and prevent costly problems down the line.
Common Flies That Infest Garages
Not all species of flies are going to be a problem in your garage. There are, however, 3 many types that can be a pain in the butt. These are the house fly, cluster fly, and drain fly.
| Type of Fly | Characteristics | How to Remove from Garage |
| House fly | Dull gray with 4 stripes on its thorax | Swat or trap the flies until they are gone. Remove food sources. |
| Cluster fly | Drak gray with golden hairs and a checkered thorax | Spray clusters with insecticide or fog garage for serious infestations. |
| Drain fly | Tiny and light tan with a furry appearance | Remove any standing water and spray with white vinegar. |
What Attracts Flies to Garages
While the occasional sightings of flies are no big deal, regular sightings could mean serious problems. Sometimes the air current and an open window or garage door are all that are needed to attract adult flies. Trash cans and food sources in or around a garage can also contribute to flies inside.
Flies may come into the garage in summer to avoid the heat and find a place to breed. The increased temperatures also amplify the odors rotting food produces. Cold temperatures can also drive flies inside and can lead to infestations in the winter.
Compost heaps too close to a garage or a garden near the garage windows can attract flies that then seek the warmth of your garage. Keep everything that decomposes clean and away from your garage to prevent more pests and flies from getting in.
