4 Small Habits That Finally Kept Flies Out of My Apartment Last Summer

Last summer, I moved into my first apartment. Everything was going well during the first few weeks, and I was finally enjoying having my own space to clean and decorate, but then I spotted a harbinger of the biggest headache I’ve ever had to deal with: a small, black fly.

To this day, I cannot tell you if the flies that plagued my home were fruit flies, drain flies, fungus gnats, or a combination of all of them, but I’ve been determined to avoid the embarrassing experience of last summer. Here are five things I’ve been doing to keep flies at bay (and they’re actually working).

Keeping My Sink Dish-Free

I hate doing dishes and will procrastinate getting the job done until the sink is too full to use and I have no other choice. But after I noticed flies the most in my kitchen last summer, I’ve made a point to follow a 5-minute rule with washing dishes this year: if it won’t take me more than five minutes, I’m doing it.

The easiest way to cut down on dishwashing time is to just wash the dish as soon as you’re done using it rather letting it sit in the sink; this way, leftover food residue won’t have time to dry up and harden, making it much faster to give the dish a good clean and put it away (or in your dishwasher). When your sink is full of dishes, water can easily accumulate, making it the perfect spot for flies to hang out.

So far, I think this has been the most effective method for keeping flies away, but there are other methods I’m using too. 

Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest hacks, expert advice, and more!

Taking Out Garbage Regularly 

Taking my out garbage regularly was already a consistent practice, but when I chose to take the garbage out was the key I was missing. Typically, I’d wait until the garbage bag is full to get the most bang for my buck, but now I take out my garbage regularly at the first sign of a funky scent.

Flies are attracted to the scent of decay, so I didn’t want to give them something else to be allured by. Second to washing dishes, I think this has had one of the best impacts on getting rid of flies in my home.

Keeping My Cat’s Space Clean

While it’s a good rule of thumb to clean your cat’s litter box daily, sometimes that task is low on my list of priorities. Last year, I placed fly traps near my cat’s litter box and food bowl as a safety precaution—I didn’t want her attacking and eating any flies because they’ve entered her space.

I noticed a few flies on the traps last year, but it didn’t seem like a place they were necessarily attracted to. Regardless, this year I placed the traps in the same spot and have been more diligent with getting rid of her fecal matter ASAP and replacing the food in her food bowl in a shorter time frame. The traps in her spaces have remained fly-free so far so I’m taking this as a win as well.

Setting Fly Traps

Lastly, I’ve plugged in a fly trap in my kitchen and near my cat’s litter box to try to catch any rogue flies that have made it in despite my best efforts. In my experience, I think it’s better to put the fly traps out early when you’re only seeing a few flies rather than bringing them out when there are so many that they’ve become a problem. Prevention is almost always the easiest way to deal with a pest, especially if they’re small and multiply rapidly.

I haven’t had to use a DIY solution yet this year, but if you’re not a fan of plug-in traps, then a DIY fly catcher is also super effective.