Flies are a nuisance pest in the garden but they rarely cause damage to plants.
To get rid of flies outside – It can be more difficult to deal with flies outside than inside as it may not be possible to treat areas not within your control. However, if the flies are breeding in the garden they can be controlled and even if they come from neighbouring property there are ways to minimise the nuisance.
There are many species of fly and many of them will breed in decaying vegetation, manure and compost heaps found in the garden. The larvae of some are parasites of beneficial creatures e.g. cluster flies larvae are parasites of earthworms.
Getting rid of flies in the garden will reduce their nuisance in the garden and in the home. Flies in the home usually enter from outside. Control at source can greatly reduce the flies that would enter through open doors or windows.
There are many types of fly you will find in the garden. Some are beneficial, such as the hover flies that are pollinators and blow flies that feed on dead flesh and help 'clean up' animals that die in the garden. Most, including house flies, cluster flies and fruit flies it is hard to find anything beneficial about them.
Flies are members of the insect order - Diptera (meaning di=two, ptera=wings).