Flies around bins can be a common problem, especially during the warmer months when bins are smellier and flies are more abundant. So, how do you get rid of flies around bins?
To understand how to get rid of flies around bins, we first must understand why flies are attracted to bins.
Flies aren’t interested in the bins per se. They are attracted to odours from within. If bins have a strong odour or rotting, they will attract flies.
During summer, the warm weather accelerates rotting (bacteria growth), and bins start to smell. The smells that attract blow flies and common house flies the most are rotting meat products, fish, or poop. So, to control flies around bins, you should control the bin’s contents. Common fly attractants found in bins include:
- Meat waste from cooking
- Empty meat packets
- Babies nappies
- Dog food tins and leftovers
Note: One other type of fly that is attracted to bins is the fruit fly. This tiny slow-moving fly loves the smell of rotting fruit and is often found around kitchen compost bins. If you want to get rid of fruit flies, read this blog post.
How to get rid of flies around bins
Whether the concern is that flies are attracted to your kitchen bin or your outdoor bin, there are several options you can avail of to get rid of them:
1. Avoid putting fly attractants into bins
Instead of putting attractants such as meat, fish, or nappies into your kitchen bin, take the attractants outside immediately and place them directly into external bins. This way, flies won’t be attracted to your home or business.
2. Change your bins regularly!
It’s a good idea to change your kitchen bins at least once per day. Ideally, you should take the indoor bin bag outside and put it into an outdoor bin last thing each night. If nothing is in bins overnight, the amount of decomposition occurring on your property will be decreased, and fewer flies will be attracted indoors.
3. Bags within bags
If you need to dispose of a fly attractant in your kitchen bin, first put it into its own separate plastic bag, and tie it closed tightly before adding it into the main kitchen bin bag. This should help reduce the smell escaping and attracting flies as well as limit fly access to the material, which they want to access to lay their eggs. But it’s not a foolproof method. It’s much better to put the fly-attracting materials outside immediately.
4. Seal the lid
If the fly problem pertains to your outdoor bin, of course, you won’t be able to make the council collect your bins sooner. The only option you have is to seal the lid securely. Many older bins may not have good seals, lids may be warped, or the seals may no longer be effective. If this is the case, buy new bins and make sure they have good seals so that flies can’t get in when the lid is on. If flies do enter the bin they will lay eggs which will quickly start to hatch into more flies.
5. Don’t overfill
If you overfill your outdoor bins, the contents could put pressure on the lid, creating a gap in the seal where flies can enter.
6. Use Insecticidal spray
If you already have flies in your outdoor bin you might consider emptying a can of fly spray in the bin and sealing it shut to effectively gas the flies that are there. Don’t try this on internal household bins since fly spray is toxic to humans and should only be used in ventilated areas. If using fly spray, read and follow the instructions on the label. If you have flies in internal bins, take them outside before using the spray.
7. Use Traps
Traps such as UV light traps are effective in attracting and trapping or zapping flies. If you have flies in your kitchen regularly, consider installing one of these traps as a control measure. Fly traps won’t solve the problem’s root cause (your bin), but they will help keep the numbers down.
8. Get help
Some professional help to control flies doesn’t have to be a last resort if all else fails. Sometimes it’s best to get a problem sorted properly straight away by professionals to minimise messing about. This is especially true if the fly problem is affecting a business’ operation. When a fly problem affects customers or staff, it affects your bottom line. The Merlin Environmental team specialise in commercial pest control. This means that we can attend to any pest problem discreetly in unmarked vans, and we can operate outside trading hours so as to not cause fuss or disruption. Get in touch if you need commercial pest control help from a reliable and affordable pest control company.
