Housefly control strategies that have been tried and true all have flaws. Flyswatters are unsightly, and pesticides can be dangerous, releasing potentially deadly chemicals into the air.

However, setting a simple trap constructed from an empty plastic soda bottle is an easy and discreet technique to deter flies from buzzing inside your home. 

A DIY fly trap in a hidden area, baited with sweetened water or another enticing substance, will quickly attract typical houseflies. To get to the bait, flies smell it and fly into the bottle, either to lay eggs or to feed.

They are readily captured once inside, as they fly down the trap’s neck. Flies will become imprisoned if they can’t navigate back up the tight opening, or if their wings are wet, they won’t be able to fly. This trap can be utilized both inside and outside.

D.I.Y. fly trap using an empty soda bottle

What you need

  • Two-liter soda bottle
  • Vinegar 
  • Ripe fruit
  • Piece of wire
  • Permanent marker
  • Serrated knife
  • Hole punch 
  • Cutting board
  • Scissor

Instructions

Step 1: Draw a mark for cutting

Using a permanent marker, draw a line around the bottle, right below the tapering neck.

Step 2: Cut out the top of the bottle

Cut down the line with a sharp knife with a serrated blade, severing the bottle’s top. To avoid damaging your counter or table surface, cut on a cutting board.

Use a scissor to cut out the bottle if possible

Step 3: Construct the fly trap

To finish the fly trap, remove the soda cap, turn the top upside down, and slide it into the bottom of the bottle like a funnel.

You can keep the bottle’s cap on, but you’ll need to drill a huge hole in it so the flies can get down into the trap. Keeping the cap on will make it even more difficult for the flies to escape.

Step 4: Add the bait

To place the bait, remove the “funnel” from the bottle and choose a bait you want to use.

Almost any decomposing organic item attracts flies. While flies seek meat and dung to lay eggs, few people will choose to use that as indoor bait. Consider the following suggestions for bait:

  • Slightly overripe fruit
  • A 50/50 mixture of water and sugar
  • Honey or maple syrup mixed with water
  • Dish soap with a fruity aroma

If you’re going to use this trap outside, use a stronger bait. Add a sprinkle of vinegar to any indoor or outdoor trap to keep bees away.

Step 5: Create the fly trap’s handle

If you want a hanging trap, punch two holes in the top of the bottle with a hole punch. Ascertain that they pass through the trap’s two tiers.

Then, through the holes, thread a piece of wire or, in my case, dental floss and connect the ends, and your trap is ready to hang.

If you do not have a hole puncher, you can heat the knife, which will melt and cut through easily.

Step 6: Close up holes

Tape up any holes between the sides of where the “funnel” lies in the bottom of the bottle in case a sneaky fly squeezes out and escapes.

D.I.Y. fly trap using a milk jug

The milk jug fly trap is especially effective if you have a large house fly infestation.

What you need

  • Milk jug
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Honey or syrup
  • Fruit or fruity dish soap
  • Sugar
  • Tape
  • Scissors

Instructions

  1. To make a funnel, cut the top off the 2-liter bottle or milk jug at the bottom of the slope.
  2. Pour 1 cup of vinegar and 2-3 drops of fruit- or sweet-scented dish soap into a mixing bowl.
  3. Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the mixture.
  4. Turn the bottle or jug upside down and wedge the top into the bottom.
  5. Tape it on the wall.
  6. Coat it in honey or syrup, then dust it with sugar.
  7. Place it in a fly zone on a counter.
  8. Wait for the intruders to be captured.
  9. Remove the trap.

D.I.Y. sticky paper trap using honey

It’s a lot easier than you think to make your sticky paper. All you have to do now is get some paper and honey.

Materials

  • Honey
  • Water
  • Paper 
  • Tape

Instructions

  1. Warm up 1/4 cup of water with honey.
  2. Cut the paper out into strips.
  3. Apply the honey water mixture to one side of the paper.
  4. Tape them on windowsills or place them on the counter.

D.I.Y. fly trap using a ziplock bag

Do you want to get rid of fruit and houseflies? You’ll need a mug, cup, or perhaps a small bowl for this trap. You’ll probably want to go for an older cup or jar that you can discard if required.

What you need

  • Containers
  • Ziplock sandwich bag
  • Sugar, honey, or rotten fruit 
  • Dish soap
  • White vinegar
  • Elastic band
  • Fork

Instructions

  1. Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the bottom part of the cup.
  2. Putt in 2 tablespoons of honey or some rotting fruit pieces.
  3. Apply a drop or two of sweet-scented dish soap after that.
  4. Cover the top with a sandwich bag.
  5. To keep it in place, use the rubber band.
  6. With a fork, poke holes in it. These should be large enough to allow the flies to pass through.
  7. On top, drizzle some honey that has been diluted.
  8. Place it on our kitchen counter and wait.
  9. As it fills up with flies, you can empty it and start over.

D.I.Y. vinegar-free fly trap

For those pesky fruit flies, this trap is ideal. If you want to be more creative, you can use this trap in various ways.

You could, for example, paint the cone to seem like fruit to attract the flies. This strategy will work at home even if you don’t get too imaginative.

Materials

  • Juice bottle or mason jar
  • Honey, syrup, or old fruit
  • Dish soap
  • Markers

Instructions

  1. Take a mason jar or an old juice bottle and fill it with your creation.
  2. At the bottom, put some old fruit and honey.
  3. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and a teaspoon of dish soap.
  4. To make a funnel at the top of the container, roll up the paper.
  5. Tape the funnel to the jar or container’s sides.
  6. To trap them right immediately, pour some honey inside the funnel.
  7. Wait for the flies to start flying in.

D.I.Y. fly trap using syrup

Fruit flies are attracted to syrup and aged alcohol, so this could be especially helpful.

What you need

  • A wine or beer bottle with a small amount of liquid left in the bottom
  • Dish soap
  • Syrup
  • Paper
  • Tape

Instructions

  1. Take a bottle of wine or beer from the bottom shelf.
  2. Add a couple of squirts of syrup.
  3. Add a few drops of dish soap to the mixture.
  4. To make a funnel, cut a piece of paper into a funnel shape.
  5. Place the funnel on top and secure it with tape.
  6. Pour a small amount of syrup into the funnel.
  7. Place it on the counter.

Instead of cutting out a piece of paper, or if you don’t have one, you can use a coffee filter instead. Just cut the bottom piece and add it to the bottle.

Or…

If you have coffee packages lying around, just cut a piece of it

These are highly durable and much smoother since the sealed bag is made from laminated barrier film. It’s perfect since the actual coffee package does not hold odor or moisture, so the flies won’t take a nip at the funnel versus actually going inside the bottle.

How to get rid of outdoor flies

If you want to get rid of flies outside, these garden plants work wonderfully at repelling them.

  • Basil: It requires little maintenance and may thrive in any environment.
  • Bay Leaf: This plant grows well in the summer and can be carried indoors.
  • Lavender: You may either hang lavender in bundles around your home or let it grow wild in your yard.
  • Nasturtiums: This flower repels aphids, most beetles, and squash bugs in addition to flies. Many gardeners put nasturtiums along the boundaries of their gardens because it encourages the growth of other plants.
  • Mint: To keep flies, mice, and ants away from your home, plant mint near windows or other openings.

Tips to increase fly trap efficiency

You’ve probably observed that flies are more common at particular periods of the year. In colder climates, this occurs in the spring as the light begins to warm the home’s walls, luring the first flies out of their winter hibernation.

Houseflies have a predictable lifespan that can encompass multiple hatch cycles per season, so if you set out your trap when the first flying pests show, you’ll have a high chance of reducing fly outbreaks, as you’ll catch the majority of them before they can lay eggs to start the next cycle.

Trapping may be an almost regular occurrence in some situations. Flies may be an almost constant presence in warm areas near animal pens or pastures, for example, and you’ll want to keep the fly traps in place for the majority of the summer.

Empty the dead flies and re-bait your trap regularly to keep it in good working order. If you’re using meat or animal droppings as bait, you’ll also need to get rid of any larvae you find in your trap.

If that doesn’t work, try rinsing the bottle with hot water or making a new trap.

Vinegar versus flies

Flies are not killed by vinegar in a bowl. It will, however, draw them in. Flies won’t be able to linger on the surface of the vinegar and drown if the vinegar is mixed with dish soap.

It’s also beneficial to have a little opening so the flies can’t escape the trap. As a result, you’ll want to experiment with a variety of different traps to see which one works best for your home.

Precautions you can do for prevention of flies.

You will never be able to avoid being stung by flies entirely. There are, however, some steps you may take to keep your home from becoming infested.

  • Fruit should be washed and stored in the refrigerator.
  • So that dishes aren’t left sitting around.
  • Check rooms for any odd plates or food, especially if there are children in the room.
  • Take out the trash regularly.
  • Replace any cracked window seals.
  • Examine your screens for rips.
  • Clean with essential oils like lemongrass and lavender.

Final words

Flies aren’t only annoying but also pose serious health threats to you and your family. Whether it’s for preventing or eradicating them, try using the methods we’ve presented in this article to achieve a fly-free home. Best of luck!

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