4 Effective DIY Fly Traps to Eliminate Indoor Infestation
It’s that time of year when house flies find a home on your windows and ledges. These pests are not only annoying but can also be a health hazard. Fortunately, you don’t need to run to the store for a solution. Here are four DIY fly traps to catch pesky flies indoors using items you probably already have at home.
Method 1: Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap Trap – A Fruit-Scented Bait
Apple cider vinegar is a multi-purpose ingredient that’s great for fly traps. Mix a few inches of apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon of sugar in a shallow bowl. Add a few drops of fruit-scented dish soap, cover the bowl with saran wrap, and poke a few tiny holes. The fruity scent from the vinegar and soap attracts the flies, and once they enter through the holes in the saran wrap, they drown in the mixture.
Method 2: Syrup and Wine Trap – A Sweet Solution
If you have a bit of wine left in a bottle, don’t pour it out! Instead, add two dashes of maple syrup and dish soap to the wine. Create a paper funnel and stick it on top of the bottle. The wine’s fermentation, combined with the syrup’s sweetness, creates a powerful lure for flies. They’ll find their way into the bottle but struggle to get out, eventually getting stuck in the syrupy mixture.
Method 3: Rotting Fruit Trap – Recycle Your Overripe Fruits
Rotting fruit is often the culprit behind a fly infestation. Use this to your advantage by placing pieces of rotting fruit in a small bowl with ½ cup of white vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Cover the bowl with a ziplock bag, secure it with a rubber band, and poke holes in the top. Drizzle some honey on the bag to make it extra enticing. The smell of the overripe fruit lures the flies, who then crawl into the holes and drown in the vinegar and soap mixture.
Method 4: Two-Liter Bottle Trap – Easy and Effective Fly Catcher
Before you throw away that empty soda bottle, consider turning it into a fly trap. Clean out the bottle, cut off the top to create a funnel, and mix a cup of vinegar with a few dashes of dish soap inside the bottle. Add a cup of water and two tablespoons of sugar, mix everything, and flip the cut-off end to fit it back in the bottle, securing it with tape. Sprinkle some honey or syrup in the funnel and set the trap in the fly-infected area. The sweet smells attract the flies, who then get stuck in the sticky mixture and can’t escape.
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With these DIY fly traps, you can keep your home fly-free without much hassle and enjoy your indoor space without those pesky pests bothering you.
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FAQs: Common Questions About Fly Infestations
Are flies and fruit flies the same?
While both are flies, house flies are larger and more commonly found around garbage and rotting foods, whereas fruit flies are smaller and tend to hover around fruits.
Do these traps work on other insects?
These DIY fly traps may work on other insects, but their effectiveness can vary. Ingredients like vinegar and rotting fruit are more universally attractive.
Why does my home have a problem with flies?
Flies are attracted to rotting food and garbage. Proper sanitation, such as regularly cleaning your home and disposing of rotting food, helps prevent fly infestations.
June Steele
