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There’s nothing worse than trying to enjoy a BBQ in your backyard, just for flies to take over and ruin everything. The same goes for inside your home – no one wants to bat flies away while they’re eating! The worst-case scenario is when a fly actually lands on your food or goes for your drink. Not to mention, flies carry bacteria, which just makes it all even more disgusting. You’ll have to throw away the food this pesky insect has landed on.
If you leave food unattended outside (or even inside) your home, there’s even more chance a fly could land and feast on it. This can be a real nightmare for many people – you don’t want to watch over your food all the time. Many different types of flies can invade your space – and some are worse than others! They come in different sizes; bottle flies are larger than most.
Bottle flies are very common. They’ll land on a range of different things – including things on the ground that you won’t want anywhere near your food or drink! These flies are characterized by the color of their body, which is either green or a blue metallic color. You’ll find them near your garbage, rotten food, or anything with a strong smell. These flies can get everywhere; you’ll want a fly trap to get rid of them!
Fruit flies are another type you’ll commonly find inside your home. These are smaller than bottle flies. They like sugary foods, including rotting fruit, so you may find these inside your kitchen around the fruit bowl. These flies can contaminate food, just like bottle flies.
Instead of calling pest control, the best way to get rid of flies is by using a homemade fly trap. This will protect your food and stop these insects from causing you problems! There’s a range of different types of fly traps you can use, and it all depends on which one you’ll find the easiest to make.
The great news is you can make your homemade fly trap quickly and easily without having to take a trip to the store. You just need objects found around the home.
As for bait, there’s a variety of food and drinks you can use. It will differ slightly, depending on the type of fly you’re trying to trap. If you’re battling fruit flies, you’ll need sweet or sugary types of food such as honey and fizzy drinks. You can also use fruit that’s starting to go rotten.
Bottle flies prefer strong-smelling items we would consider disgusting, like the stuff you find in the garbage. Foods like meat (and this can include raw meat), animal waste, or any other type of strong decay matter are great to use. You may need to mix some of the items above to make the best fly trap.
Easy Homemade Fly Traps
To trap flies effectively, you can use any homemade trap you prefer. Below are some of the top fly traps you can put together yourself.
The Plastic Bottle Fly Trap
This is one of the best fly traps used to get rid of flies, including fruit flies and bottle flies. It’s super simple to make – anyone can create a fly trap like this!
Items You Will Need
To make this fly trap, you’ll need the following items:
One large empty plastic bottle. (This can be a water or soda bottle.)
A marker pen of your choice.
Scissors or a Stanley blade.
A bait of your choice.
String if you want your fly trap to be wall-mounted.
How to Make Your Homemade Trap
Step 1 – First, you need to cut off the top of the bottle. Grab your marker pen and draw a line around the bottle, so you know where to cut. To make the best fly trap, you’ll need to make the line under the bottle’s neck.
Step 2 – Once you’ve drawn your line, you’ll need to use either a pair of scissors or a Stanley blade to take the top off. If you’re using the scissor method, first make a puncture hole in the bottle and then use the scissor to remove the top.
Step 3 – Now, the fly trap needs to be assembled. All you need to do is grab the top you’ve just taken off, turn it upside down, and then insert it into the base of the bottle. You’ll notice this is similar in looks to a funnel. When the flies go inside, they can’t get back out due to the funnel design.
Step 4 – The bottle top should now be secured in place inside the bottle. If you find there’s a small gap where flies may escape, use tape or glue to seal the two pieces – although this may mean you can only use this trap one time. If you’re using bait that won’t fit through the funnel, you’ll need to bait the bottle before you seal it.
Step 5 – If you want to hang this fly trap, you’ll need to make holes to attach the string. You don’t need to hang fly traps, although if you don’t want to see the trap in action, hanging it works well. Make a puncture hole on the side of the bottle and top using your scissors or the blade. Then thread through the string and make a knot in each side so it can be hung.
Step 6 – To make this trap work well, put some water in the bottom of the plastic bottle. Pour the water through the funnel. You need to make sure there’s a gap between the funnel end and the water level, but there should be enough water to create a good trap and enough water to hold dead flies.
Step 7 – It’s now time to add the bait of your choice to the trap. Just a reminder – if using the trap for fruit flies, the bait should be sweet-smelling or include a bit of rotten fruit. When it comes to bottle flies, your fly trap should include a strong-smelling item. To make the bait even more effective, add some dish soap – this sticks to the flies’ wings and helps trap them.
The Glass Bottle Fly Trap
Like the trap above, this is one of the best fly traps you can make at home. It works in the same way as the plastic bottle method but uses a glass jar instead. You don’t need to have scissors or a blade to hand, and it’s quicker to make.
Items You Will Need
For the glass bottle trap, you will need fewer items:
One glass jar with a neck – Mason jar.
A piece of paper or a firm piece of plastic.
Bait of your choice.
A string if you want to hang your trap.
Step 1 – First, grab your glass jar and make sure it’s empty. If you intend to hang this trap, take your piece of string and wrap it around the neck of the glass jar. Make sure it’s tight and secure.
Step 2 – Fill the bottom of the jar with water and add any bait you like. Traps that include the smelliest items work the best. Even rotting fish can be used for trapping bottle flies.
Step 3 – Take either the paper or plastic and roll it into a cone. Ensure the bottom end is small so that flies won’t escape. Place this in the glass and your fly trap is ready!
And that’s all there is to it! We hope our traps will help keep your home free of flies.
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