Flies are a menace that everyone would gladly avoid. However, vanquishing them from your house can easily be done with a homemade fly trap. With a little ingenuity and some DIY know-how, you can learn to use standard household items to create different house fly traps along with fruit flies traps. You'll even learn which bait works best for a DIY fly trap science project.
Homemade Fly Trap With a Milk Jug
How do I get rid of flies in my house? A simple solution is an indoor homemade fly trap. You just need to get them attracted and find something that kills them. Apple cider vinegar and Dawn work great for the killing part, while sugar will attract them. If you have a big house fly problem, the milk jug fly trap works well. But you can also use a 2-liter bottle if you don't have an empty milk jug on hand. Plus the flies will love the sugary remnants of the soda.
What You Need
Before you dive into your DIY adventure, you need a few supplies.
- Milk jug or two-liter bottle
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fruit or sweet dish soap
- Scissors
- Tape
- Sugar
- Honey or syrup
Two Liter DIY Fly Trap Instructions
Now that you've got your jug and vinegar, follow these simple DIY instructions.
- Cut the top of the 2-liter bottle or milk jug off at the end of the slope to create a funnel.
- Pour in 1 cup of vinegar and 2-3 drops of fruit- or sweet-scented dish soap.
- Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Flip the top part of the bottle or jug upside down and wedge it in the bottom.
- Tape it in place.
- Coat it with honey or syrup and sprinkle on some sugar.
- Set it on a counter in a fly zone.
- Wait for the buggers to be trapped.
- Throw away trap.
Homemade Fly Trap With Syrup
Fruit flies love syrup and old alcohol, so this can work particularly well for them.
Materials You Need
First things first, you need to grab:
- Wine or beer bottle with a bit left in the bottom
- Dish soap
- Paper to create a funnel
- Syrup
- Tape
How to Create a Homemade Fly Trap With Syrup
With your wine bottle in hand, it's simple to vanquish those flies forever.
- Grab a bottle with wine or beer in the bottom.
- Add a squirt or two of syrup.
- Add a few drops of dish soap.
- Create a funnel out of paper.
- Fit the funnel into the top and tape it into place.
- Sprinkle a bit of syrup on the funnel.
- Set it out on the counter.
Honey Fly Trap Sticky Paper
Making your own sticky paper is actually a lot easier than you think. You're just going to grab some paper and some honey.
Materials
Honey fly traps are easy with the right materials.
- Paper
- Honey
- Water
- Tape
Honey Fly Trap Instructions
Creating a DIY honey fly trap is nearly as simple as grabbing the materials. There are only a few steps to fly removal.
- Warm ¼ cup of honey and water.
- Cut paper into strips.
- Coat one side of the paper with the honey-water mixture.
- Lie these on the counter or tape them to windowsills.
Easy Homemade Fly Trap With Ziplock Bag
Looking to get rid of house and fruit flies? You'll need a mug, cup, or even a small bowl for this trap. You're probably going to want to opt for an older cup or jar that you could throw away if necessary.
Fly Trap DIY Materials
Before you can get rid of those flies permanently, you need a few things.
- Containers (pop bottle, cup, mug, mason jar, etc.)
- Ziplock sandwich bag
- Sugar, honey, or rotting fruit
- Dish soap
- White vinegar
- Rubber band
- Fork
Instructions for Ziplock DIY Fly Trap
With your Ziplock bag at the ready, you are a few steps away from success.
- Put a ½ cup of vinegar in the bottom of the cup.
- Add 2 tablespoons of honey or a few pieces of rotting fruit.
- Follow up with a drop or two of sweet-scented dish soap.
- Place a sandwich bag over the top.
- Use the rubber band to secure it in place.
- Poke holes in it with a fork. You want these to be large enough for the flies to get through.
- Sprinkle some watered-down honey on the top.
- Set it on our counter and wait.
- You can empty out and repeat as it gets full of flies.
Fruit Fly Trap DIY Without Vinegar
This trap works great for those pesky fruit flies. You can get pretty creative with this trap if you choose to. For example, you could color the cone to look like fruit to bait the flies in. But even if you don't get all creative, this method will still work at home.
Fly Trap DIY Materials
It's important to grab the perfect materials for this job!
- Mason jar or juice bottle
- Old fruit, honey, or syrup
- Water
- Dish soap
- Paper
- Markers (optional)
Making a Fruit Fly Trap
Once you have the right tools, the making of the homemade fly trap is simple.
- Grab a mason jar or an old juice bottle.
- Put some old fruit and honey in the bottom.
- Add a ½ cup of water and a teaspoon of dish soap.
- Roll up the paper to create a funnel at the top of the container.
- Tape the funnel to the sides of the jar or container.
- Sprinkle some honey onto the funnel to trap them right away.
- Wait for the flies to come in.
Which Bait Works Best for a Homemade Fly Trap Science Project?
When it comes to bait for a science project to attract flies, you want to reach for anything sugary or sweet. Therefore, sugar, honey, syrup, and old fruit work perfectly to attract in the flies. For example, a cheap and easy fly trap bait is a bit of sugar in water. Additionally, you can use apple cider vinegar, old wine, and even rotting foods like fish or shrimp.
What Is the Best Home Remedy to Get Rid of Flies?
When it comes to the best home remedy for getting rid of flies, it all comes down to having the right trap, bait, and place. The best baits are sweet or rotting foods. Other tips for success include:
- Putting the trap in a high traffic area.
- Make sure your holes aren't too big so they can fly back out.
- Adding enough liquid that they will fall in it.
- Do not add too much liquid. You want the scent and fruit to lure them.
Will Vinegar Kill Flies?
Vinegar in a bowl does not kill flies. However, it will attract them. Mixing the vinegar with the dish soap ensures that flies can't stay on the surface of the vinegar and drown. It's also helpful to have a small hole so that the flies stay in the trap and can't get back out. Therefore, you'll want to try a combination of different traps to find the one that works best for your home.
Precautions You Can Take to Avoid Flies
There is no way that you are going to be able to completely avoid flies. However, there are some precautions that you can take to make sure your house doesn't become infested.
- Wash and put fruit in the fridge.
- Follow a house cleaning schedule so dishes aren't left sitting around.
- Check rooms for any random dishes or food, especially with children.
- Take trash out regularly.
- Fix broken seals on your windows.
- Look for rips in your screens.
- Use essential oils like lemongrass and lavender for cleaning.
- Use traps to eliminate gnats.
Keeping the Flies at Bay
Even the best of house cleaners will be the victim of flies at one time or another. However, by using a few household items you can easily get this pest control problem handled. Now that you know how to get rid of them, it's time to start making traps.
Read next: Here's some practical expert advice for getting rid of flies.
