5 Easy Homemade Fly Traps Using Items From Home

Nobody likes dealing with pests and the buzzing noise they create around the house. Not only is it frustrating, it is equally unhygienic to deal with. But, as sick as these flies are making us, some individuals don’t prefer using chemical items to eliminate them from the household.

If you are one of those people who doesn’t like using pesticides or harsh chemicals, you have come to the right place. A well-designed fly trap can get the job done and help you trap and eliminate several flies at once, provided you are doing things the right way.

This article will explore everything you need to know about making the best homemade fly trap for indoor and outdoor pests.

Do the DIY Traps Fly Traps Work?

Making DIY traps for flies sounds like a great option. It’s safe and chemical-free, and you get to do it from the confines of your home.

But the question of the hour is, “Do they work?”

And the short answer to that is, “It depends.”

It depends on how well you are creating the trap and what kind of trap you are using to catch which kind of fly. 

The standard sugar-water solution trap usually works best if the housefly infestation has increased drastically inside your home. Similarly, you can consider a sticky paper fly trap if you don’t use sugar syrup and end up inviting the ants inside your home.

It is all about your choices and how well you execute things in real time that makes all the difference in the world.

Also read: 10 Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Instantly at Home

What are the Best Homemade Fly Traps?

With the basic introduction out of the way, the next thing that we need to focus on is the homemade fly traps. For your convenience, we have sorted out the top five DIY traps that are tried and tested, and they work effortlessly in keeping unwanted flies and pests out of your home.

Let’s get this sorted, shall we?

1. Bottle Fly Trap

A bottle fly trap is the most common and effective DIY fly trap that works wonders in eliminating the increase in the number of flies and pests inside and outside your home.

What’s great is that you can create this trap using items likely chilling in your garage, pantry, or basement. It is also a great way to recycle plastic bottles you have no purpose in using in the future.

1. Start by cutting the top of the plastic bottle to create a funnel; this is the easiest with use & throw bottles with cheaper and thinner quality plastic.
2. Once you have cut the funnel from the top part of the bottle, flip it and insert it into the bottle remaining part of the bottle.
3. Use a stapler and staple the sides of the bottle so that the funnel shape stays inside the bottle and doesn’t topple over.
4. Now, go to the kitchen and take a pan. Add sugar and water to the pan and melt until a thick yet pourable sugar syrup forms. Keep the consistency pretty watery since you want to be able to pour it into the bottle once it cools down.
5. Pour the sugar syrup inside the bottle through the funnel-like shape using a spoon.
6. You can also add some extra bits of food to further lure the flies into the bottle.
7. From the side, pour a few tablespoons of white vinegar too. This will keep the bugs out of the bottle.
8. You can leave this trap outside or indoors, straight up, or you can hang it somewhere using a rope and leave it alone for a few days.
9. Wait for a few days, and if you have a severe fly infestation in or out of your house, these traps should work like magic.
10. Ensure that you wash and change the syrup every couple of days.

2. Sticky Paper Trap

You will need a few items like paper, honey, water, and tape, most of which are lying around the house.

1. You can mix some honey and water in a bowl to form a thinner texture or boil some honey and water to achieve a desired consistency.
2. Once done, dip one side of a paper strip into this concoction and leave it in the areas where the flies frequent the most.
3. If they habitually infest areas beyond your reach, you can tape the honey-dipped paper strip on the wall and hope for the best.

3. Ziplock Bag Fly Trap

You will need a few items to set up this DIY trap, including containers, zip lock bags, sugar or honey, dish soap, white vinegar, a rubber band, and a fork.

1. Start by pouring ½ cup white vinegar into the cup.
2. Add 1 tsp of sugar, honey, or even a piece of rotten fruit.
3. Then, add 1-2 drops of dish soap to it.
4. On top of it, add the ziplock bag and secure the same with rubber bands.
5. On the ziplock bag, poke a few holes large enough for the flies to enter the cup with vinegar.
6. On the top of the ziplock, add some honey water or sugar water to lure the flies.

That’s all. From there, you can leave it on the counter and wait until the flies are lured inside.

4. Making Mason Jar & Paper Cone

This particular trick is very similar to the one we mentioned at the beginning of the article. But, instead of plastic bottles, you use an eco-friendly option, a mason jar, and brown paper, but the results are pretty promising.

You will need a mason jar, a standardized sheet of paper, raw shrimp, and water.

1. Roll the paper into a card stock or conical shape so it fits snugly inside the Mason jar.
2. You want to make the paper cone in a way so it isn’t touching the bottom of the Mason jar. You have to leave space to fill the bottle 2″ of the jar with some water.
3. Next, add the water to the jar and the raw shrimp as bait.
4. Put the paper and then hang it in areas where the flies frequent the most. That’s it. 

Next, you’d have to leave it alone for a few days and see how well it works in catching the flies lingering around your home.

5. Fruit Fly Trap Without Any Vinegar

Fruit flies are a pain, especially if you live somewhere with a garden full of fruit trees. You are bound to have an infestation outdoors, which isn’t a favorable experience. Not only do they destroy the fruits, but they also make it unfavorable for you to step outdoors at times.

This trap works great for fruit flies, especially those infesting the outdoors. You will need a Mason jar, rotten fruit, honey or sugar, water, dish soap, paper, and markers.

1. Take the Mason jar and fill the 1-2″ of the jar with water and some dish soap. Froth it up and leave it alone.
2. Next, tape your paper, form a cone, and cut the bottom enough for the fly to pass through.
3. Add some honey to the sides of the paper and put it inside the Mason jar. Tape the paper to the sides of the jar so it doesn’t slip away.
4. Hang the Mason jar outside or leave it indoors when the fruit flies frequent the most, and that’s it.

You can use these effective DIY traps to catch and eliminate flies inside and outside your home. We’d recommend you practice patience throughout the process. Also, if nothing works, it is ideal to consult professionals.

Also read: How To Get Rid of Drain Flies | 8 Easy & Effective Fixes

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