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How do you make a fly trap?

Given the fact that you’ve arrived at a blog titled ‘how do you make a fly trap?’, we’re guessing that you may be suffering from an infestation. It’s easy to worry when you start to see the fly population grow in your home, and you’d be right to be concerned. However, there are plenty of tools at your disposal in order to win the battle and allow things to return to normal. 

You’d be right in thinking that fly traps are extremely effective in reducing the fly population. However, there are other methods you should incorporate into your fly strategy to increase your chances of success. 

Before you jump right in and get started, it’s important to do some initial research to understand what type of fly you’re facing inside or outside your property. This will give you a better chance to determine what bait you need and what fly trap is best to capture and kill them. 

Let’s start with houseflies. 

Houseflies

Chances are, if you’re suffering from a fly problem, then houseflies are normally the culprit. This species is the most common type of fly you’ll find around your property. They arrive via various access points in your home and they’re attracted to almost anything rotting and smelly. They also love to breed in long grass and will reproduce quickly if they aren’t stopped in their tracks. 

You may be thinking that they don’t look too harmful, and you’d be right (kinda...). Houseflies won’t normally bite or harm you directly, but they do carry various diseases before depositing them onto surfaces and even food. This can lead to various health complications, meaning their long-term presence should be avoided at all costs. 

Fruit flies

The second type of fly you’re likely to encounter is the fruit fly. As their name suggests, this species is more interested in sweet and sticky substances. This means they’re attracted to fermenting fruit and veg, soda bottles, beer, wine, and candy. 

Similarly, with the housefly, they won’t necessarily look to harm you directly, but they do carry various diseases, meaning their arrival should be prevented where possible. Also, with regards to reproduction, fruit flies can lay eggs at an astounding rate. If you don’t move fast, it could be too late to solve the problem yourself. 

DIY

Once you’ve determined which fly species you’re battling, it's then time to work out which trap will work best for you. Before you get started, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the DIY options that are available to you but don’t be. We suggest searching for ‘fly traps for fruit flies, or ‘fly traps for houseflies’, this will strengthen your search and give you the results you need. 

Our second piece of advice is patience. When creating your own DIY fly traps, it’s easy to become frustrated. Some creations will work, some won’t. These things take time! Try a few different types of traps to see what works best in your particular environment. 

Once you’ve found a trap that works for you, continue to use it. Even make multiple traps where possible!

Homemade fly trap

When you decide which trap works best, be sure to use it whilst continuing to try others. One flytrap won’t solve your problem. Let’s cover some of the basics to help you on your path to fly domination. 

The most common type of trap you’ll encounter is the apple cider vinegar trap. Although this is primarily designed for fruit flies, it will catch other fly species too. Simply take a dish and fill it with vinegar and dish soap. Flies will become attracted by the apple cider vinegar but will be unable to escape once the dish soap causes them to sink. Interestingly, the dish soap cuts the surface tension of the liquid, meaning the flies can’t escape. 

If this isn’t your thing, then maybe a cone trap is better suited to you. Take an old plastic bottle and cut off the top. Replace the open top with a cone of paper. Be sure to leave some old residue on the bottom of the bottle. The small entry point in the cone of paper will act as the perfect gateway for flies to enter. However, once they’re inside, they will find it extremely difficult to navigate their way outwards. 

If the problem is more of an outside issue, then there are plenty of ideas to stop flies in their tracks…

Have you ever considered a Venus flytrap plant? Well, you should. These silent killers will act as your perfect ally in your quest to defeat the fly. Simply plant one or two in your garden and watch the magic take place. The plant will attract flies before catching them and digesting them. You won’t even notice this process take place but rest assured they work! However, please note, don’t rely on these plants to do all the hard yards for you. These will help with fly issues, but they won’t take care of the entire population. 

You could also try a ‘disco ball’ trap. Take a clear zip bag and fill it with water. Hang outside your door or any other access point where flies are entering your home. When the wind picks up, the bag will move, causing the water to shimmer and shine. Given the fact that flies have very sensitive eyesight, this will blind them, causing them to fly elsewhere. 

Soda bottle 

Similarly, with the cone trap, you could opt for a soda bottle trap to take care of the problem. This is particularly effective with fruit flies, who can’t resist the sweet sticky soda left at the bottom of the bottle. 

So, how does it work? Well, build up a stash of leftover soda bottles, making sure there’s some soda left at the bottom. Place these bottles around the outside of your property, making sure to leave a gap in the lid for them to enter. Once they arrive at the feast on the residue, they will be unable to escape, leaving them to eventually die in the bottle. This process will also work with empty beer and wine bottles too! Pretty handy if you like recycling!

Finally, to remove and prevent flies from arriving to your home. Natural oils work incredibly well. From our experience, the most tried and tested is citronella oil. Flies can’t stand the scent of it, whilst us humans love it! You can use this natural weapon in many ways, but candles seem to work best. Our advice is, take some citronella candles and place around various entry points to your property. Windowsills and ledges work great. Then, light these candles at times where you’re in the house and don’t want annoying flies to join you. This method will act as a natural forcefield around your home, leaving the flies to search for somewhere else to cause their havoc.

Fly control 

If you successfully manage to remove your problem, or you want to prevent one from happening in the first place, then prevention is always the best strategy. When summer comes around, we see so many property owners suffer, without taking the necessary steps to prevent their arrival. Our suggestions may sound tedious, but in the long run, the pros far outweigh the cons. 

Firstly, flies love food, rotting, and fresh meat. Be sure to store food appropriately to stop them from depositing nasty disease onto you and your family. Air-tight containers are usually the best way to go. The same applies to rotting food. Make sure you dispose of it sealed garbage bags. This helps to prevent flies from feasting inside your trash can. You can also chuck some old fruit and veg to an outdoor area away from your home, this helps to deter the fly population away from your property, allowing them to fly to the desired area of your choice. 

Next, cleaning. A clean home is a fly’s worst nightmare. A regular house clean will help to stop their arrival. We suggest wiping and cleaning work surfaces, particularly after mealtimes. It may look like there’s no food on the surface, but flies will certainly find the tiniest of crumbs. Also, make sure to clean drains where possible. It’s often the case that flies will breed in the kitchen sink. Industrial drain cleaner will help to reduce the probability of this happening. 

Finally, outdoor prevention. As we mentioned earlier in the blog, flies love to breed in the long grass. Therefore, make sure to cut your grass frequently to reduce the surface area for potential breeding! Flies also love pet feces, which means taking care of your dog’s poop will help to alleviate further flies’ arrival. 

The same goes for outdoor events like garden picnics or BBQs. Once you’ve enjoyed the event, clean up afterward. We know it’s tempting to tidy up the next day, but that will be too late. Take everything inside and dispose of it properly. 

Ultimately, this isn’t rocket science, keep your home nice and clean and the chances of a fly infestation are reduced significantly.  We go into all of the above in much more detail here.

Repellent 

The final hurdle of the battle is repellent. If you become aware of how to stop flies from being attracted to you, then half the battle is won. 

Straight off the bat, let’s begin with fly spray. There’s no way around it, this stuff works. If you find yourself going on a hike or long walk, use fly spray. Be sure to cover problem areas that are exposed from your clothing and flies will no longer bug you. There are various options available on the market, but compact bottles are best as they offer the most convenience. The same applies when you go on holiday, be sure to take some spray with you. You can always find it cheaper online and you’re more likely to use it if you’ve bought it ahead of time. 

Finally, clothing. Wearing appropriate attire in outdoor settings will help to deter the fly population no doubt. But what’s best? Well, we’ll state the obvious. Wear clothing that is protective but comfy. There’s no use wearing a fly suit on holiday! Be sensible. Items like hats and long-sleeve shirts work well. The same goes for lightweight trousers. The more skin you have on show, the higher the chance for a nasty bite. This isn’t the case for houseflies or fruit flies, but gnats will definitely look to bite when given the chance. 

The Ranch Fly Trap 

If you’ve read this entire blog and not found what you’re looking for, then chances are the fly problem you’re encountering is pretty bad. For smaller fly problems, a few DIY traps and a little know-how will usually solve the problem. 

In your case, this could point towards a serious fly infestation. However, before you call pest control, we have a solution. 

The Ranch Fly Trap has been designed to deal with bigger problems than a spoiled BBQ or picnic. Our product is used by ranch and farm owners to deal with large-scale fly problems that have the potential to devastate the livelihoods of animals and livestock. In some cases, the fly population can be fatal, killing animals and our equine friends. 

We offer a number of traps, designed to deal with various problems. If you feel like you’re at the point of no return,  then fly domination should be the goal. Our products are set up in a matter of minutes and are ready to fight your corner to fly freedom. We even provide our own bait recipe, saving you valuable time and effort in your mission to a fly-free home. 

To get rid of flies

To truly get rid of flies, you need a reliable product with proven results. There’s a reason why thousands of customers keep using the Ranch Fly Trap every year. We’ve helped homeowners, farm owners and ranch owners remove their fly populations, allowing their livestock to thrive and their summers to be saved. 

Given the fact that flies reproduce so quickly, it’s important to move fast. Stop with hesitation and visit our website today. We’ve got you covered. 

If you’re still not convinced, visit our social media channels to see our results! You’ll be amazed what our product can achieve in such a short space of time. Alternatively, for more educational resources, take a look at our blog. We know a thing or two about flies…