Why there are more flies in France this summer - and how to get rid of them

Reader Question: I feel like there were far more flies at our house this summer than usual. Was there a particular reason for this?

While flies are naturally more common in the summer months, 2026 has seen a particularly high number of flies across France. 

The main contributing factor is the warmer weather experienced this summer, which looks set to continue well into September.

Hotter conditions benefit flies in several ways, including by speeding up the lifecycle of several species common in France.

Flies develop more quickly in hot weather, reducing the time between egg and adult, and in turn increasing the number of possible breeding cycles across the summer.

This naturally leads to more flies, particularly across a period of prolonged heat. 

France has seen above-average temperatures for much of 2026, meaning the breeding season not only began earlier but often included additional periods. In many places, particularly the still-hot south, it may be ongoing. 

The hot weather also increases the fermentation process of fruit or how quickly food left in the open air goes off, making these foodstuffs more attractive for flies to buzz around. 

Fruit flies in particular, as their name suggests, are strongly attracted to fermented fruit, and one overripe item in the kitchen can quickly lead to an infestation.

However, the hot weather also affects human behaviour, which itself can benefit flies. 

Fruit ferments quicker, food goes off quicker, but for many it may still be left outside or in the kitchen fruit bowl, attracting flies to homes. 

If owners are not careful about ensuring bin lids are closed – not a major problem during the cooler months – they can quickly see an infestation of flies, with food waste bins a perfect breeding ground for hordes of flies.

People are more likely to keep windows open in the evening, providing an easy opening for flies attracted to the smells and odours of a house – namely fruit or food left outside. 

Tips to reduce infestation 

In some cases, an increased presence of flies is not down to your actions. 

Fruit and fresh foods bought at the shops may already have fly eggs on them, and once they hatch inside a kitchen do not have to travel far for more opportunities to feed, regardless of how clean you keep your home.

However, keeping fresh or ripened fruit and vegetables in your fridge, regularly washing food, and most importantly cleaning your fruit bowl, can help reduce the risk of fruit flies. 

While flies are not themselves indicators of poor hygiene, regular cleaning of the kitchen sides, countertops, sinks, as well cupboards, helps. 

Any spilled food or drinks, especially items with sugar, will attract flies and provide them with easy feeding opportunities. 

Of course, getting rid of food waste in the appropriate bin is important, as is making sure the bin lid is firmly closed. 

This applies both to inside bins, and in cases where you have an outdoor bin as part of your collection, that is also closed. 

If you have shared bins (for example you live in a shared building or have waste drop-off points) flies are likely in these areas but should not follow you back to your home. 

To prevent flies entering your home from outside, installing fly nets on windows and doors is popular, although potentially not the most aesthetically pleasing choice.

You can make homemade fly traps to catch any rogue flies or prevent females laying eggs on fruit. 

Take a glass or small bowl and put a few centimetres of apple cider vinegar inside, with a drop of washing up liquid, and mix. 

Flies will be attracted to the smell of the vinegar and land in the bowl, but the dish soap will prevent them from flying away. 

Place it near your fruit bowl to prevent flies from landing on your fresh food. 

Another variant includes a mix of apple cider vinegar and red wine in a glass or bowl, covered with a plastic wrap and small holes poked in. Flies will be able to enter but struggle to fly out. 

Once bowls are full you can dispose of the dead flies in the bin, then repeat. 

An ‘end’ to fly season? 

As months eventually get cooler, many species of fly become less common, and by November and December it can be rare to spot common houseflies.

Flies overwinter in warmer areas where they have access to foodstuffs and breeding grounds, but do not typically leave these areas until conditions start to get warmer in spring. 

You are unlikely to have a suitable breeding ground in your home, with common houseflies often staying in tips or waste sites where temperatures are warm and there is continual access to food.

While common species and fruit flies are therefore less of a problem, residents of more rural areas in France may experience issues with cluster flies. 

These slower, larger insects lay eggs near earthworm burrows for larvae to feed on, and can count two generations in a year. 

While they buzz around outside in the summer, unlike other flies they typically attempt to hibernate inside homes.

The animals are apt at entering through even the tightest of spaces, meaning essentially any area of the home is at risk, including spaces between walls and ceilings typically inaccessible to humans.

This leads to a persistent problem throughout the year, or the risk of stumbling on a mass of flies inside the home. 

In addition, there is a risk of the flies dying, and attracting other insects and pests while doing so. 

Specific cluster fly spray or professional spraying by a pest control expert is needed for infestations already in place, as domestic sprays are generally ineffective for their hiding places which are often inaccessible. 

Otherwise, ensuring entrances are sealed – a difficult task for older, rural homes – to prevent infestations in the following years, is recommended.