Homemade Fly Trap - 4 Simple Ideas You Can Make at Home

Flies are annoying creatures. They buzz, zip around your head, and can even bite from time to time. Even one inside your house is enough to drive you crazy, and a full infestation can be a nightmare. Flies are anywhere, especially at the farm when you raise pigs and any other livestock, or in cases like you make your own toilet alternative because you don’t have one on the farm. Therefore, there are many store-bought ways to prevent or deal with flies in and around your property. However, some of the best results come from homemade fly traps. Of course, some of the contraptions take a bit of work to put together. On the other hand, they are cheap, fun to make, and remove flies with lethal efficiency.

So, why not save yourself some money by making a natural insecticide, or making your own fly trap? You choose. If you have a little skill with the scissors and also have a little patience, these four options are your winners. Don’t worry! They are not as time-consuming as they may appear at the first sight! Just bear with us and you’ll see!

4 Different Types of a Best Homemade Fly Trap

First of all, you need to be sure you did everything to avoid actions that attract these insects. Flies are attracted by garbage and rotting food. One of the best ways to deter them from gathering around your home is to clean religiously. Don’t leave food waste in your kitchen trash can for long periods of time and clean your house thoroughly.

After that, you have many options to create a homemade fly trap. Some use recycled goods, some employ special substances, and some are much more simple. Every method works to a certain extent, but you only want to take your time with the ones that give you immediate results.

So, this guide will break down the most effective styles and allow you to choose the exact one you want to build.

1. Bottle Method

Just about everyone uses plastic bottles in their house. So, instead of throwing them out, why not turn them into an effective homemade fly trap?

To employ this method, first, grab an empty soda bottle (though a water bottle can work as well) and fully rinse the interior. Next, wash it out with warm water and take off the cap.
Then, you need to cut the top off the bottle. To do this, use a pair of scissors to poke a hole through the bottle at the area where the top funnel meets the body.
That hole will give you an entry into the plastic and enable you to cut around the entire bottle so that you have two pieces (top and bottom). Cut as close to the funnel part as possible.
A knife also works for the above steps. However, scissors are recommended (especially for kids) because they are less likely to slip.
Once you have two pieces, flip the top part of the bottle over and stick it into the bottom half to create a reverse funnel. You then need to join the two halves together. Stapling works, but you can also use tape or glue.

The Fly Bate

Then, add in whatever bait you want at the bottom of your homemade fly trap. A syrup mix is recommended because it traps the flies and causes them to stick, and you can add in overly ripe or rotten fruit.
Just be sure to put in some vinegar drops, too. That won’t repel flies, but it will keep bees and larger insects away. Now that your homemade fly trap is ready, place it in a sunny spot and let it do the work.

2. Wine Bottle As Homemade Fly Trap Without Vinegar

If you don’t have a plastic bottle in your home, a wine bottle also makes for an effective homemade fly trap. However, this one may seem a bit odd at first glance (and it is better suited for small flies), but it is one of the best ways to take care of buzzing pests in your home.

To create this homemade fly trap, you need to get a wine bottle that has roughly an inch of wine at the bottom. That liquid is important because it will attract insects. Though white wine works, you’ll get much better results when using red.
From there, take a large piece of paper and roll it up to make a cone-shaped funnel. Do this so that the hole is just large enough for flies to get into. (If you make it too big, there is a chance the tricky insects may be able to escape once they fly down into the bottle.)
Once the paper is in the proper shape, stick it into the opening of the wine bottle to create the final product.
It is critical that you make sure the paper is stuck fast and won’t fall out (which would then ruin your trap). For that reason, if the paper does not feel solid or tight enough, you should tape it to the bottle. Glue also works for this step, but the tape is easier and will hold it well enough.

Improving The Fly Trap

That’s all you need to do to make this homemade fly trap. It is easy to put together but it will give you incredible results if put into the right area. The flies will move down the paper and into the bottle, but they won’t be able to get back out through the tiny hole.

However, if you want to improve this trap, you can always add a bit of extra bait to the wine. Rotten or overly ripe fruit is likely the best way to go because sugary syrups, while great in other traps, can overpower the liquid and ruin its natural attraction qualities.

Therefore, once the bottle is complete, place it in any region where flies are a problem.

3. Tin Can

Moving away from bottles, you can also take an ordinary tin can and turn it into an effective fly trap.

To do this, grab any standard can (such as a soup or dog food can) take off the label, and lid, and clean the interior with warm water. Then set the can out to dry and gather some duct tape.
Cut out strips from the tape that are long enough to wrap around the can. During this step, take special care not to touch the sticky ends of the tape (doing so will ruin this homemade fly trap).
Once you’ve cut the tape and your can is dry, wrap the lengths around the can by pressing the tape against it with your hands. Gently rub the tape against the can in order to transfer the sticky material onto the metal.
After the transfer, take the duct tape off the can and touch the metal to test its stickiness. (If you want it to be a bit stickier, you can always add more tape to the can and rub it again. However, one pass should be enough to catch flying insects.)
When you’re satisfied, tape a small flashlight (UV lights are always better) to the underside of a can lid so that the lid is over the base of the flashlight.
Turn the flashlight on and set the can in a fly-problem area at night. As long as everything is upright and there are new batteries in the light, you’ll catch flies in no time.

4. Homemade Fly Trap with Honey on Paper

The above methods utilize less-traditional options for catching flies, but you can also go with a classic by making your own fly paper. Even though this method is more time-consuming, it gives fantastic results.

To start, get a paper grocery bag (the taller, the better) that you can cut into long strips. You cannot use plastic for this process because it won’t hold the sticky mixture.
After you get the bag, use a pair of scissors to cut out long strips that measure roughly 1 by 6 inches. Make four or five of them and lay them flat on a table.
Take the scissors and poke holes roughly one inch from the end of each strip. Do this to each one and then tie a string through it. Every strip needs a string, and the strings need to measure at least six inches long.

Creating And Adding the Fly Bait

Next, make the bait. Create a sugar mixture by mixing one part sugar, one part water, and one part honey in a pan on medium-high until the ingredients fully mix.
Let it cool down and then carefully dip each paper strip so that they are completely covered by the substance. Then place them on a backing strip and let them dry out a bit (so they don’t drip or run).
This is the trickiest part of the entire process because if you do not use enough sugar syrup, the traps won’t work. On the other hand, if you don’t use enough, they’ll be too dry. A little trial and error may be needed, but it is worth the end results.
Once at this stage, hang the strips by wrapping the string around a nail or tack (depending on where you want to put them on your property). They can all be put in one concentrated area or scattered around, but they work better in clumps.

Choose Your Most Suitable Homemade Fly Trap

All in all, it is not so hard to make a homemade fly trap, but choosing one is a bit trickier. The four choices in this article will all take care of your fly problem However, you should pick depending on how much work you want to put in as well as what your property looks like.

So, the fly strips are great for larger homes, both bottles are perfect for concentrated infestations, and the tin can is great for people who need to handle flies in their yards. You can even mix and match if you want. In any case, you should always pick an option that suits your needs and time. Also, keep in mind that you should have a nice time creating these homemade fly traps.

Last but not least, remember to share with us your results and experience on this topic. We are always super excited to find out how you implemented our ideas! Moreover, do not hesitate to ask any further questions in the comments section. Good luck catching all your buzzing enemies with these homemade fly traps!