July, 2022 Archives

Flies can spread around harmful bacteria, so getting them out of your house is important — set up one of these DIY fly traps or repellants to get them away for good.

While flies might seem more annoying than anything, they can actually harbor and spread harmful bacteria and pathogens that can cause illness, like E. coli, cholera, or shigellosis, so it’s important to get them out of your house pronto. If you’d rather try some at home options before hiring a pest professional, here are three helpful DIY fly trap ideas that use mostly household and budget friendly ingredients, so you’ll probably already have everything you need.

Each method will include a vessel to hold liquid made from ingredients that’ll attract them inside, like sugar and apple cider vinegar, plus a fruity-scented dish soap, which will reduce the surface tension and keep flies trapped inside. Follow these instructions for whatever vessel you have on hand, and then place it wherever the flies are congregating.

A Soda Bottle Trap

1. Clean out a plastic soda bottle, preferably a two-liter size
2. Cut the top third of the bottle off, using a sharp knife like a utility blade (carefully!) and remove it from the bottom
3. Fill the bottom of the bottle with a sweet bait. This could be water with a 50/50 sugar mix, water with honey or maple syrup, or skip the liquid altogether and use overripe fruit.
4. If using a liquid bait, add a few drops of dish soap.
5. Flip the top third of the bottle upside down and place it in the lower half’s opening. It should look like a cone pointing downwards, leading the flies inside.

A Mason Jar Trap

1. Fill your clean mason jar about halfway with a sweet liquid bait, like apple cider diluted with water and mixed with sugar.
2. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap.
3. Cover the jar with plastic wrap and secure it on using a rubber band. Poke a few small holes in the wrap, so flies can get inside but can’t escape.

A Shallow Dish Trap

1. In the shallow bowl, add an inch or two of apple cider vinegar, plus a dash of sugar, or another sweet liquid bait of your choice.
2. Add in a few drops of liquid dish soap.
3. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and poke a few holes so that the flies can get inside but won’t be able to get out.

A Natural Repellant

If traps aren’t your thing, there are some more natural ways that you can deter flies from your home, so they don’t stick around and cause a nuisance.

• This spice, made from the flower buds of a clove tree, has a pungent aroma that’ll keep many flies away, so place a small bowl of twenty or so whole cloves in rooms where you’re having fly troubles, and they should make their way out.
• Rosemary, basil, and mint all do a good job of repelling flies, as they hate the smell, so it’s good to keep some of these plants growing around your home, like on the kitchen windowsill. Many herbs will repel mosquitos too, especially plus you can clip leaves and use them in your cooking whenever you need.
• Other Plants. Flies don’t just hate herbs, but there are other kinds of plants that’ll keep them away too, including lavender and marigolds. Plant them around your garden, or on your balcony if you’re in an apartment, to stop flies from coming close in the first place.
• Essential Oils. Oils made from many of these plants will also keep flies away, plus they’ll make your home smell wonderful. Try spraying lavender, peppermint, or eucalyptus oils, or add a few drops to a diffuser.

Photo credit: wael alreweie/Shutterstock