How do I get rid of flies?

Glass of wine helps with the little fruit flies. Experiments show that they refer red. They die happy. Honesty it does work. I also have several fly catcher plants on my kitchen windowsill.

Years ago I bought some willow expandable trellis things from the 99p shop to put in the bedroom window in my flat so I could leave the window open all day without having to worry about pigeons coming in (as I'd had a couple of pigeons in the flat).
I was amazed to find they also kept the flies out! To the extent that when I came home one day and found I'd left the window open but not put the trellis in, my bedroom was full of flies. So I put the trellis in, and within half an hour all the flies were gone.
I have no idea how it works or why but I now hang a trellis in the back door when I want to leave it open and not have a house full of flies.
Of course, whether or not I'll need to all depends on if we get a summer this year...

Always think it's a bit sad when they fledge, but at least thst means another successful family reared and flying the nest.

Watching the house martins and swallows darting in and out of the barn at the top of our house- through that tiny square window and flying around the garden catching flies- thank goodness there are plenty around- as long as they stay OUT.
I just love listening to them.

There's a type of fly which hatches out in the walls of old houses. We call them cluster flies. They breed outside, then come into the walls of old houses to rest and change there from larva to fly.Then they appear in large numbers in the house, very dopey, cause mayhem then disappear.
Could be those, MoBrown.
If so there's not much you can do about them. We've had them a few times.

When I lived in a house and had more room than in a boat, I had one of those battery operated electric fly zappers. You've probably seen them advertised - they look like a tennis racket. Had loads of fun playing fly tennis and seeing the Sparks and hearing the sizzle when I got one! Great fun!

Juggernaut you have destroyed my dream! I would kill, kill, I tell you (well, get some estate agents details anyway) to move to the seaside, but my children refuse to move out (and if they do, they come back, with extras). Now you've gone and spoilt it by saying there are sand flies! Darn it. And they bite! Ah well.

Flies don't survive long in our house, our springer spaniel catches and eats them. Nothing will stand in his way! He jumps up the wall and on the back of the sofa to leap at them. It seems to be a favourite pastime of his, otherwise he is very laid back.

Greyduster we bought these screens as we didn't want them as a permanent fixture.. they fix on with velcro pads we used white on the frame and black on the screens. You can just take them down anytime you want and the white velcro strips on the frame are almost invisible when the screens are taken off . We didn't put the 'lovely' lacy bit at the top They do the job and don't cost much.
www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Flying-Insect-Curtain--HWP110276/dp/B007CJDO7S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467635691&sr=8-1&keywords=fly+screens

As we're almost on the beach, we don't get many house flies or bluebottles, they don't seem to like the sea air or the stiff breezes here.
We do, however, get nasty, tiny sand flies, and the b*****s bite! We have mesh screens on the doors and windows which keep most of them out. I also have a lot of citronella candles on window ledges, they keep all kinds of midge like creatures away!
Just a tip, if any of you are thinking of putting mesh over open windows, buy black mesh, it sounds daft, but white mesh shows up from outside, black is almost invisible!
Any bigger flies that get in get frazzled with my 'zapper' raquet, it's great fun....for me, not much fun for the flies!

We seem to have more flies here than we ever had in our other house, and I think it's because in the orchard that backs onto my neighbour's house the owner keeps chickens and geese. He has quite a few and I'm convinced they contribute to the problem. We didn't discover this until we had bought the place! They are not at plague proportions, but it is annoying that every time you open the doors in the conservatory, you will have to chase two or three of the b****rs out! Or flail around with the fly swatter like a demented Errol Flynn - at least it's exercise I suppose! Does anyone know how these mesh door screens fit onto conservatory door frames? Do they have to be drilled?

When we moved house many years ago, our new house had secondary double glazing and flies kept emerging from there when it was opened in our first spring and summer. They'd taken up residence and laid their eggs. A vigorous spring clean got rid of them. So I would say (as others have) find out where they're coming from and tackle the source!

We have small fruit flies, no big ones, thank goodness, but they will insist on diving into DH's drinks and of course muggins gets the blame. He sprays, but doesn't seem to help.

Ewwwww! I am laughing though! My friend and her sister were cooking spag bol for their boyfriends and dropped the spaghetti down the sink. Scooped it out and tried to scrape off the tea leaves! The boys asked what the interesting 'erb was, when they saw the black bits! Waste not want not. Nooooo!

50 years ago when I was a student, I bought a rib of beef for a special occasion.No fridge then of course. Had exactly the same problem as breeze with a large fly. I couldn't afford to throw the beef away, so washed it well and browned it well all over. I never told anyone about it. It was possibly the tastiest beef I've ever eaten and I'm still alive to tell the tale. Nowadays I always cover everything tyhough.

I always learn something on here. Just looked up cluster flies Stansgran and interesting to read they're not a health hazard as they don't fly blow human food. Earth worms is their victim of choice. So MoBrown, if you whack one, then go online and look them up (there is a good photo) and it's the same thing, won't be a hazard for your food at least and you can hoover as Stansgran suggested.

You may find there is a decomposing animal in the vicinity. So it will seem like you've been invaded but it will ease off. I use a screen for the conservatory but can't at the back door because the dogs go in and out freely. I use a swatter for the ones that do find their way in. I find boys in particular thoroughly enjoy swatting flies. I give them a bit of a thwack, to do the job but not make a mess, then scoop up with a piece of kitchen roll. My sons/OH run around with glee hitting them as hard as possible, leaving squashed flies on the windows and cills and bits of plastic smashed off my swatters all over the place. While you're being plagued, defrost in the fridge and don't leave any food out. I never defrost out of the fridge now anyway, but many years ago as a rookie, I defrosted some chicken pieces under a fly cover and a little blighter got under and was in the process of fly blowing it (little white eggs all over it) when I noticed it, thank goodness. Had to chuck it all away. During the summer my family are used to me shouting, whilst dishing up, 'Can someone do a fly watch???' Those big fat ones are the most annoying. They sit there looking stupid until you try to swat one then they go 'zoop' and put on a spurt and you miss. Annoying little blighters. Hilda, I wish I could emerge from a little thin space! I'm always plagued by wasps here. Lost count of the times I've had to have them exterminated. Seems this year, they've moved up a floor and are scratching overnight on my bedroom ceiling. Hope they don't fall through!

ive always been told cut mint in a glass in the window helps but i planted my mint outside and dont get any

I have found it easier to get them by swatting from underneath as they see it coming from above.I don't use spray as I have a little dog and she copies me and tries to catch them,bless her.

Like others here I use a fly screen on the conservatory door and open windows to let the others out. Have you thought of getting Pest Control in to have a look at the problem.

I think it sounds as though you have cluster flies. I Hoovered them up . They come from the loft and return annually but not if you Hoover them up.

Our attic barn is full of house martins, swallows and bats - without the flies they wouldn't survive- so you have to be philosophical about it ;)

I use fly papers too. Fortunately we don't get many flies. We have a maternity colony of pipistrelle bats in our roof. They eat about 3000 insects a night each and are wonderful to watch emerging from those little thin spaces.

Yes keep all food covered that's for sure!
We have one of those "tennis racquets" that has a button at the side which fries the things when you press it. You MUST keep it out of reach of children of course.
And sticky fly papers too.
Horrid things-yuk!

We don't get many flies, but if we do, mainly the very small ones, not the horrid bluebottles.In Summer we have most doors and all windows open, and as bags points out, they do fly out after a while.Just Swat them when you see them in the kitchen.