Keep Flies Under Control This Summer With a Simple Homemade Spray

Summer brings warm weather, growing gardens, and healthy livestock—but it also brings one of the biggest annoyances on the homestead: flies.

If you're raising chickens, rabbits, quail, turkeys, or other livestock, flies can quickly become a nuisance around feeders, manure, and waterers. Keeping populations under control makes chores much more enjoyable.

One inexpensive spray many homesteaders use can help knock down flies that land on surfaces.

Homemade Fly Spray

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dish soap
• ¼ cup 90% isopropyl alcohol

Mix everything in a spray bottle and shake gently before each use.

How to Use It

Spray directly onto flies when they land on fences, cages, trash cans, outdoor furniture, or other hard surfaces. The soap helps break the surface tension while the alcohol evaporates quickly.

Do not spray directly on your animals. This mixture is intended for flies and surfaces—not for use as an animal treatment.

More Ways to Reduce Flies

The spray works best when combined with good fly prevention:

• Remove manure regularly.
• Keep feed dry and cleaned up.
• Eliminate standing water.
• Keep bedding fresh.
• Use fly traps around barns and coops.
• Improve airflow with fans where practical.

A few minutes of daily cleanup can dramatically reduce fly populations before they become overwhelming.

Final Tip

No single method eliminates flies completely, but combining sanitation, traps, and targeted sprays can make a noticeable difference throughout the summer.

What tricks have you found that work best on your homestead? We'd love to hear your favorite fly-fighting tips!