No one likes to spend time at a place where flies are swirling all around. Whether they are in your house, on the porch, or even in your garden – flies can be a real problem. They are not only annoying but these insects also act as the carriers of disease. They love to feast on trash and then fly right inside your house, bringing dangerous germs into your place. This makes it important to get rid of flies before they can bring diseases into the house and ruin the relaxing environment of your home.
While there are a number of ways to turn your house into a fly-free zone, using a homemade fly trap is one of the most preferred methods to put an end to your struggle with flies. Whether you are indoors or enjoying a beautiful day on your porch or in your garden, a homemade fly trap can help you skip the hassle of dealing with flies. Scroll down to read why it is a good idea to always have a homemade fly trap at your place.
Why You Need a Homemade Fly Trap
From running after flies with a fly swatter to buying fly killer sprays, there is a number of ways to deal with flies problems. However, one of the easiest and most preferred ways to steer clear of these annoying insects is to use a homemade fly trap. Here’s why!
1. Flies Needs to go!
The most obvious reason why you need a fly trap is that it can help you eliminate flies from your house. Flies are known to carry pathogens. While they don’t harm you physically, they are still extremely dangerous as they can bring harmful germs and bacteria inside your house.
The germs are transferred on contact. However, it gets worse when flies carrying germs buzz around your food or lands on it. This only increases the chance of germs and bacteria getting your bloodstream and making you sick. To prevent this from happening, it is essential to set a trap to catch and eliminate flies. It is even better when the trap is homemade!
2. Easy to Make and Use
A homemade fly trap is easy to make and use. It will take you only a few minutes to make a DLY fly trap, which can be used for a long time. Also, you can place a homemade fly trap anywhere you want to enjoy your time without having to worry about flies.
3. No Harmful Chemicals
A wide variety of fly killer sprays and fly traps are available in the market that can be used as an alternative for a homemade fly killer. However, these products often contain heaps of dangerous chemicals. Naturally, using these products can cause health problems. For this reason, it is advisable to consider using a homemade fly trap.
4. No Allergic Reactions
Fly killer sprays and fly traps can cause allergic reactions in some people. Since they are made using tons of chemical, and potentially dangerous, ingredients, one can never be sure while using them. On the other hand, since homemade fly traps are free of toxic chemicals, they don’t cause allergic reactions.
5. Economical Option
Making your own fly trap is obviously an inexpensive option when it comes to catching flies. Keep in mind that, sometimes, flies just keep appearing even after you have sprayed the fly killer so you may have to spray it repeatedly. Also, products like fly killer sprays and traps can be costly and using them repeatedly throughout the day can easily take a toll on your wallet. Clearly, using a homemade fly trap is the more economical option. After all – who wants to spend money on flies!
6. Eco-Friendly
Homemade fly traps are surely a good and effective way to get rid of flies but one of the best things about DIY fly traps is that is they do not harm the environment in any way. While other alternatives like chemical spray killers release toxins into the environment, homemade fly traps are eco-friendly and can do the job without causing damage to the environment.
How to Make a Fly Trap
Making a fly trap is not as hard you may have imagined. It works effectively to catch and get rid of flies. Cherry on the top – it takes only a few minutes to make it! So, if you have had it with these annoying flies, it’s time you learn how to make a fly trap and get rid of flies for good. Scroll down to learn 2 different ways to make a DIY fly trap to make sure you never have to see a fly in your house again!
1. DIY Bottle Fly Trap
Things You Will Need
- One empty soda bottle
- A cutter or scissors
- A marker
- 5 – 6 tbsp of sugar
- A few tbsp of vinegar
- Sugary bait
How to make a Bottle Fly Trap
Step 1 – Prepare the Bottle
Find an empty bottle of soda. Simply grab a bottle that has been used or if soda is not one of your favorite drinks, simply pour it out to empty the bottle. Once the bottle is empty, it is time to clean it. Remove the cap of the bottle and wash it thoroughly with water. It is advisable to use warm to wash away the soda. Once the bottle is clean, leave for a few minutes so that it dries off on its own or you can use a rag or tissues paper to dry it yourself.
Step 2 – Cut the Top
Once the bottle is clean and dry, use a pair of scissors to cut the top of the bottle. To make sure you cut evenly through the bottle, it is advisable to make markings before you actually start cutting. Use a marker to draw a line that goes perfectly around the bottle. Use the pointy blade of the scissors to poke 2 adjacent holes on the marking. Insert the scissors in the hole and cut around the bottle. Cut the top of the bottle so that you have two separate pieces of the bottle – the top funnel part and the wider shaft of the bottle.
Step 3 – Flip it!
Flip the top piece of the bottle and place it in the lower piece in a way that the funnel leads into the bottle. Keep in mind that it is important to make sure that you don’t cut too close to the funnel otherwise when you’ll invert the top piece, it won’t fit and will simply fall into the lower piece.
Step 4 – Join the Pieces
The structure of your homemade fly trap is complete. Now, all you need to do is fix it by taping the pieces together. You can also staple the pieces to make sure that the pieces stay in place or simply use some to join the cut edge of pieces in position. Keep in mind that if you are using tape, it is important to make sure it is water resistant. It is advisable to apply three to four pieces to seal it properly.
Another way to join the two pieces of the bottle is to use glue. Whether you use super glue or an ordinary one, make sure it is water resistant. Apply a thin of glue on the top inside of the base pieces before inserting an inverted funnel in it. Press the pieces with your fingers to make sure that they are properly stuck together. Wait until the glue is dry.
Step 5 – Prepare the Bait!
Your homemade fly trap is ready but it won’t catch any flies unless you put out some bait to allure the flies. The idea is to make it as alluring for the flies as possible so that most, if not all, fall for the trap. Everyone knows how flies love to fest on sugary things; therefore, melted sugar syrup makes one of the best baits for flies. Here’s how you can easily create it in just a few minutes.
- Measure around 5 – 6 tbsp of sugar and lay it evenly in a pan.
- Pour just enough water that it covers the layer of sugar residing at the bottom of the pan.
- Place the pan on the stove and let it rest over low heat.
- As the solution begins to boil, use a spoon to stir it. This makes sure that all the sugar has properly dissolved in the water.
- Continue to stir the mixture over low heat until the watery solution turns into viscous syrup. This is important because the syrup is more likely to attract flies as compared to a simple sugar solution.
Your bait is ready! Let it sit in the pan until it is cold enough to be handled.
Step 6 – Pour the Syrup into the DIY Fly Trap
The syrup is ready and the fly trap is done. It’s time to transfer the syrup to the bottle. Use a spoon to slowly drip down the inner side of the funnel. Try to drip it near the edges so that the flies get stuck as soon as they land on it.
Helpful Tips
- Along with the sugary bait, you can also use other things to allure the flies. One way of taking your homemade fly trap to the next level is to slice up some chunks of fruits like apple and fill it in the lower part of the bottle. Allow the fruit to rot. It is a great way to attract flies.
- If you are using fruit bait, keep the trap near a window. It will not only receive heat and light, causing the fruits to rot quickly, but the spreading smell of the fruits will also act as an attractant.
- Before setting your homemade fly trap out for the flies, it is a good practice to repeatedly blow in the bottle. It will help you see better results because most insects, including flies, are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide.
- It is advisable to refrain from reusing the bottle. After some time, you will notice that the attractant lose their potency. Also, the homemade fly trap might get full. When this happens, know that it’s time to throw the bottle away. Trying to empty the bottle is not only hard but also disgusting. You don’t want to handle dead flies. Therefore, don’t hesitate to throw the bottle away and make a new homemade fly trap.
The fly trap is fairly simple and does not cost you more than an empty soda bottle, a few tbsp of sugar, a couple of minutes. Nonetheless, it works effectively, catching the flies as soon as they land on it!
2. Homemade Sticky Fly Paper
Things You Will Need
- A paper bag
- Toothpick
- A string
- A few tbsp of sugar
- A few tbsp of honey
- Water
How to make Homemade Sticky Fly Paper
Step 1 – Find the Right Paper Bag
Sticky Fly Paper is the oldest trick in the book to catch flies. Now, you can make it at home by using a paper bag! While you can use any paper bag, it is advisable to find a big, lengthy one. Also, make sure that the material used to make the bag is not too thin or flimsy. The paper should be thick and sturdy enough to be able to withstand high heat. Also, make sure you don’t use a plastic bag, otherwise, the sticky mixture won’t stick to it or may even burn the bag.
Step 2 – Snip Snap!
Once you have found the right paper bag, use a pair of scissors to cut it. Cut the paper bag into thin but long strips. Keep in mind that the strips you cut should be at least 6” inches in length having a width of about 1” inch. Around 3 – 4 strips should be enough to keep the flies out of your way in a small space.
Step 3 – Poke Holes in the Strips
Poke holes at one end of the strip about an inch from the end of the strip. It is advisable to use a toothpick to make clean small holes in the strips. However, you can also use the pointy end of a knife or scissors. If you have a punch machine at your disposal, you can use it as well to create punch the holes.
Step 4 – Tie the String
Once the strips are ready, it is time to tie a piece of string in the holes that you have poked. The strings will be used to hang the strips. Cut a separate piece of string for each strip, making sure that it is about six inches long. This is important because a piece of string that is too long or short can make it difficult for you to hang the strips once they are ready to catch some flies.
Step 5 – Make a Sticky Sugar Syrup
Make potent sugar syrup which will turn your paper strips into a sticky fly trap. Place one part sugar, one part honey, and one part water in a pan. Put the pan on the stove and let it sit for a few minutes on medium-high heat. Use a spoon to stir the mixture to make sure that the sugar dissolved and all the ingredients are properly mixed together. Turn off the stove once the mixture turns into viscous syrup. Let it sit until the syrup has cooled down to room temperature.
Step 6 – Dip the Strips!
Once the mixture is cold enough to handle, dip the paper strips in it. Hold the paper strip by the string and dip it in the syrup so that it is completely coated with the sugary liquid. Do this for each strip and lay them out to dry out on a baking sheet.
Step 7 – Hang the Sticky Fly Paper Strips
As the strips dry, they will turn super sticky. VOILA…your homemade fly trap is ready! Find a nail or a tack to hang these flypaper strips where they are likely to attract flies. The sugar syrup will work to attract the flies and they will stick to the strip as soon as they land on it
Helpful Tips
- It is advisable to place multiple strips in one place as it will make a more effective. This is because it may be hard for flies to land on a single strip dangling from the ceiling as it hangs around. Placing a bunch of them together can easily solve this problem!
- If this DIY fly trap does not seem to be working, it is probably because the mixture was not concentrated enough. The best approach is to make a new batch of syrup and dip the strips in it before hanging them again.
- After some time, the strips will lose their stickiness or will be filled with flies. It is your cue to take them down. Carefully untie the strings or simply cut it using a pair of scissors. Throw the strips away, making as little contact with them as possible.
Remember, flies are not only annoying but they are also dangerous as they can carry harmful diseases. Now that you know how to make a fly trap, use these inexpensive and easy-to-make fly traps to eradicate flies to keep the flies out of your way!