This Homemade Fly Trap Only Took Me Five Minutes to Make
Whether it's fruit flies lingering in the kitchen or houseflies buzzing in your ears, there's nothing worse than pesky insects inside your home. But, flies can also be a nuisance outdoors — like during a barbecue or outdoor dinner party. If you're looking for an inexpensive and effective way to catch these insects, a homemade fly trap is a clever solution.
Here, we've tried three different methods to lure and trap flies indoors or outdoors. We chose apple cider vinegar as the bait, but use whatever you have on hand. Luckily, flies are attracted to anything sweet — old wine, sugar water, ripe fruit, honey or syrup are some of best bait for a homemade trap. You'll also need dish soap, which helps drown the flies in the liquid.
If you're trying to get rid of gnats, large flies or even wasps in the garden, learn how to make these homemade traps. When you're finished, place the fly trap where you most often see bugs, whether it's near the kitchen, around houseplants or in the backyard.
Make a Homemade Fly Trap: Soda Bottle
Once you finish a soda, turn the bottle into an effective fly trap. The goal: Flies smell the bait and fly into the bottle to get to it. Once inside, they won't be able to fly up the narrow opening and will eventually die off.
Remove the bottle cap and label from a water or soda bottle, preferably one with a narrow opening. Use scissors to cut the bottle in half.
Fill the bottom with apple cider vinegar, leaving a gap between the "funnel" and liquid. Tip: If you don't have apple cider vinegar, try honey, ripe fruit or sugar water.
Add a few drops of dish soap.
Position the top half upside down inside the bottom, so it looks like a funnel.
As long as the problem persists, empty out dead flies and add fresh bait regularly.
Make a Homemade Fly Trap: Plastic Wrap
With a few household items, you can recreate this discrete fly trap – which is best for gnats and fruit flies. You'll need to poke small holes into the plastic wrap, using a fork or knife, but make sure the holes aren't too small for the kind of flies you're trying to trap.
Pour apple cider vinegar into a small glass.
Cover the opening with plastic wrap and secure it with a rubber band.
Poke a few small holes in the plastic wrap, which will allow flies to enter.
Make a Homemade Fly Trap: Paper Cone
For this simple fly trap, you should have everything you need lying around the house. Gather a large mason jar or glass, a piece of paper and bait, then follow these steps:
Pour apple cider vinegar into a large mason jar. Add a chunk of very ripe fruit (apples, peaches or bananas work well).
Roll a piece of printer paper into a cone and stick it into the jar, placing the narrow opening down.
What bait works best for a homemade trap?
The best homemade fly trap is one that can attract both house flies and fruit flies. To lure both outdoors, mix scraps of rotting meat, like fish or chicken, with sugar or honey. When indoors, the best bait is old fruit or honey. Liquid dish soap is exactly what you need to drown the flies. Sugar and vinegar attract them, while the soap breaks the surface tension of the liquid to trap the flies instead of keeping them sitting on the surface.
Why are flies attracted to my home?
According to Ehrlich Pest Control, flies are attracted to the heat in our homes. They also love light, garbage and damaged food. Warm and cluttered spots are their preferred breeding areas, so it's recommended to remove garbage at least twice a week. Other helpful solutions include cleaning out drains and not allowing trash bins to overflow.
Flies also hate the smell of cinnamon and essential oils, such as lavender and lemongrass. Light candles with these scents in places you want to keep flies away.
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