Make your cut as close as possible to the spot where the top “funnel” part of the bottle meets the tube-shaped cylinder. If you cut too close to the top of the bottle, the next step won’t work correctly. The cut-off top of the bottle will be funnel-shaped. The rest of the bottle will be shaped like a tube. You can also use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the bottle.
If you don’t have a stapler, secure the funnel to the bottle with tape. Apply several pieces of tape around the circumference of the bottle so that the funnel doesn’t move.
Make sure the mixture is boiling before cutting the heat. The boiling turns the sugar water into syrup, which will attract flies more effectively.
Don’t add raw meat if you plan to use the trap inside your home. It will smell terrible. Stick with fruit alone. Instead of meat, you can use a few spoonfuls of old red wine. This will add “meaty” smell without having decomposing meat in your trap. You can also add extra sugar water or honey to your trap.
Once you’re satisfied with the number of flies you’ve caught, wash the bottle out and make a new trap. You can also throw the trap away if you don’t need it anymore. Wear gloves when handling the trap to avoid touching dead flies.
Use a glass or plastic jar. Be sure to wash and dry it before adding the apple cider vinegar.
To attract fruit flies, try using bananas as bait. [11] X Research source For house flies, you can use any rotting meat. [12] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source
For fruit flies, poke holes with a toothpick. Fruit flies are tiny enough to fit through small holes. For houseflies, poke larger holes with a pencil or pen.
Leave the jar for a few days to let as many flies get trapped as possible.
Wash the jar with soap and hot water and let it dry. Use the clean jar to create another trap if needed.
If you don’t have brown paper bags, use yellow construction paper. The color yellow attracts many insects, including flies. [20] X Research source Don’t use plastic bags since the sticky mixture in the next step won’t stick to the plastic.
The strips should be no more than 6 feet (1. 8 m) off the ground, since most flies stay near ground level. [26] X Research source If you prefer, you can also hang the traps around your house to see which spots catch more flies. Once you find a good spot, move the rest of the traps to that area.
Leave the traps hanging for a few days to catch as many flies as possible. Once they are coated in flies, take them down and throw them away. If the traps don’t work, they probably don’t have enough sticky mixture on them. Make a new batch of the mixture and dip the papers in again. Once they’re dry, hang them up again for a few days.
