Learn how to DIY a fly trap that actually works using a mason jar (a soda bottle works too) and bait. These results are 100% real from my own backyard using household items and a stinky bait.
This fly trap DIY works so well outside for green bottle flies, aka blowflies, that it'll turn your stomach. How's that for an endorsement? But more than the trap, the most important thing about this DIY - is the fly trap bait.
Living in an almost 200 year old house with backyard chickens means I've learned how to control a lot of pests.
The best time to control pests is BEFORE you see pests. And I know my flies. I dried and counted hundreds of fruit flies while coming up with the best possible fruit fly traps.
Catching flies is a whole lot easier if you start baiting before they start mating.
Get your fly trap made and placed outside a couple of days before warm weather arrives to keep the population under control from day 1.
As with most pest solutions, double whammying is the best way to go. Don't use just one method. Use several. For instance, pair these fly traps with controlling flies with natural predators like parasitic wasps.
When one of my chickens became sick with flystrike, a deadly affliction caused by bottle flies, I knew I had to head into battle against them.
I made and compared a few homemade fly traps including:
- a mason jar with paper cone
- a soda bottle with the top cut off and inverted
- good old fashioned fly strips (not DIY but I had to test them out!)
The results showed the trap wasn't so much the determining factor in how well a homemade trap worked - it was the bait.
Table of Contents
Mason Jar & Paper Cone Trap
Baited with raw shrimp.
SUPPLIES
- Mason jar
- Standard sized sheet of construction paper
- 1 raw shrimp
- water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Roll a piece of paper or cardstock into a cone and tape it together.
- Put the cone into a mason jar of any size, making sure there's room at the bottom of the jar for at least 2" of water. You may need to adjust the shape of your cone.
- Add water and a single raw shrimp to the jar.
- Wait. Within a couple of days your jar will be FULL of flies.
Yep. A raw shrimp allowed to rot in the sun for days until it has the putrid smell of liquid internal organs. That was the key to a successful fly trap.
Soda Pop Bottle Fly Trap
Baited with commercial, store bought fly bait (although not THIS fly bait which actually looks kind of great. I just ordered some.)
This is the basic DIY fly catcher you see all over Pinterest.
SUPPLIES
- Plastic soda bottle
- Scissors
- Commercial fly bait
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the top off of the plastic pop or water bottle.
- Flip the top upside down (it'll look like a funnel) and stick it back into the bottle.
- Pour a couple of inches of water into the bottom of the trap and then bait it.
In this experiment I used I used store bought fly bait. The container is a 2 litre pop bottle. The flies can get into the bottle, but can't figure out how to get out. Then they drown.
This trap caught NO flies. Not a single one.
But it isn't the design of the trap that was flawed, it was the bait. Store bought fly bait attracted no flies at all.
Fly bait is the most important part of your fly traps.
Fly Strips
The fly strip cost a couple of dollars and dangled sadly from my window frame enticing no flies at all, just hanging there like a limp tongue.
I wanted to make sure I gave all the fly traps a good shot so I kept them all out for a week. This is how things had progressed after 4 days.
Fly Trap Results
Mason Jar with natural fly bait (shrimp) - Caught HUNDREDS of flies in 4 days
Soda bottle with commercial fly bait - Caught ZERO flies in 4 days
Fly strip - Caught 7 flies in 4 days
After 4 days it was pretty clear that the rotting shrimp was the only way to go in terms of bait.
My homemade fly trap recommendations
The trap
Either the mason jar or soda bottle method will work very well to catch flies outdoors.
The bait
Raw shrimp is your BEST choice for fly trap bait.
For this experiment I only baited the soda bottle with commercial bait (which caught nothing) but since then I've tried it successfully with shrimp as a bait. It works just as well as the mason jar with paper cone.
Testing Different Baits
I experimented with different baits including:
- Fermented chicken feed
- Raw sweet corn
- Fresh chicken poop*
- Raw shrimp*
* If you use meat, seafood or poop understand that this gives the flies a place to lay their eggs. That means if you use any of these things that after several days you will ALSO have maggots appear in your fly trap. Consider this when choosing your bait.
The rotting shrimp was the winner by a shrimpboat load.
The only issue with the enticing smell of rotting shrimp was the vile smell of rotting shrimp. If you place your container up high enough (above nose level) you miss most of the stench but given any kind of downward breeze you suddenly feel like you're walking through a rotting whale carcass.
By day 7 I was pretty sure I would have to try something else because I couldn't stand the stench of the shrimp no matter how well it worked. Then a funny thing happened. By days 8 and 9 the trap was so filled with flies they actually suffocated the smell of the shrimp. Yet somehow the stink was enough to continue to attract the flies.
By day 14 the mason jar trap was almost completely FULL of flies.
Home Fly Trap on Day 14
Because there were so many flies I couldn't smell the shrimp at all and the jar was almost full.
After 20 days it stunk again. Stunk like the guts of a hot monkey. But the stink could have been the mass grave of flies as well.
To save myself some grief and whatever happens to be in my stomach, when it comes time to remove the jar I just tie a plastic bag around my head, put a lid on the jar and throw the whole thing in the garbage.
Just kidding. I don't tie a bag on my head. I'm an excellent breath holder on account of my cat's horrific gut issues when she - coincidentally - eats seafood.
Fly trap placement
The best place to put fly traps is actually AWAY from where your fly problem is. (The dog run/chicken coop/picnic area.) The point is to draw the flies way from wherever it is they're fond of.
Top Tip
To repeat ... the best way to get rid of flies around your house is to use TWO methods.
- Parasitic wasps (really just tiny little flying things that are in no way as menacing as their name alludes to) will kill most flies before they even become flies. The wasps kill them in the larvae stage.
AND
- A DIY fly trap like this (or you can buy a similar sort of trap)
What about indoor flies?
Honestly, I just horsetail them with a kitchen towel.
But you can try this indoor fly bait recipe if you want.
Fly Bait Recipe
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vinegar
- 2 Tbsps sugar
- 1 tablespoon dish soap (the dish soap breaks the surface tension of the water and vinegar, making the flies unable to use it as a launching pad when they fall in it)
Use either the mason jar or plastic bottle method. You can use a small water bottle instead of a large soda bottle.
Now that you've mostly eliminated one insect from your yard (totally understandable, flies are sex crazed monsters that feed on crap and then land on your corn on the cob), you might want to help out another.
Learn how to raise monarch butterflies on you property, something I've been doing for over a decade.
If you have a great fly bait recipe, leave it in the comments below. If you have a great maggot story maybe just keep that to yourself. Just kidding. Obviously, I'd love to hear the maggot stories.
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jainegayer
Stupid flies!
Lynne from Design The Life You Want To Live
Ackkkk Karen!
Oh.Boy. You once again proved that you are the bravest woman on earth with a stomach of steel. hahaha! Can you come and live with me? :)
I may have an easier solution for you.
This is what happens when you live in the country (PS everyone, I live about 2 hours North of Karen in the Canadian countryside .... where flies rule the world...eeeek)
I couldn't take another fly. Not another. I bought a fly trap at the local co-op store that my local farmer friends swear by. The farmers coop sells a trap that is basically a BAG that you hang from a tree. Apparently the bag/trap works for about 200 ft. I technically dunno how far, as I haven't tested distances. Ewe.
The bag has a disgusting mixture of something that definitely smells like a rotting shrimp. You add water to the mix and hang it. The bag has only a wee small opening and the rest of it is all sealed up. Basically, it is the paid for version of what you made, now that I am typing this out loud. haha.
It may be a nice alternative to hang easily for you and tuck it away out of sight from the coop. I think it catches 2000 flies. OMG. It works. WORD. One bag. Legit. Works for months.
Not gunna lie.. I have walked by them and occasionally wondered if there was a dead body in my backyard but there's not a fly in sight :) I have only noticed a smell every now and again. Not so bad when it catches a gazillion flies. Hmmmm, right?
Love from the fellow Canuck,
Lynne xx
Design The Life You Want To Live
Karen
LOL. Yes, they stink. The ones that work just plain old stink. Especially for bottle flies which are the dangerous ones.They like a good stink. House flies are easier to catch without a stink. If the bag works at 200 feet I could always hang it from a neighbours tree when they aren't looking. ~ karen!
Carswell
I'm just chuckling to myself picturing your neighbours scouring their yards for evidence of a dead critter - while the problem is really dangling over their head unbeknownst to them. LOL
Carole Crate
What about the poor Turkey Vultures who hunt by sight and scent. Poor things__they might mistakenly take the scent for a dead critter and waste a lot of their valuable hunting time!
Raquel
Is it easy to dispose?
Raquel
Kunyi mangalam
How about fruit flies? We have ainfestation starting about now every year. We have several gross looking jars filled with old decomposing bits of fruit and old wine.... There are several recipes we try. Any ideas?
Kim
Hi Kunyi,
My daughter had a terrible problem last year with fruit flys so I tried a trap I found on the net...same as Karen's bottle with rolled up paper cone but with red wine vinegar in it...the bottle was full in no time! These type of traps do work but you have to have the right bait...thank God for our scientist Karen!
Karen
Hi Kunyi ~ I just put vinegar in a shallow bowl, put plastic wrap tightly across the top and punch holes into the wrap with a tooth pick. Fruit flies LOVE vinegar. They get in, but can't get out. ~ karen!
IRS
Fruit flies? Oh that's easy. Just pour yourself a nice glass of wine. It can be white or red, but the more expensive the better. Then leave it out on the counter for a few minutes while you go answer the phone, or use the bathroom. When you come back, there are sure to be fruit flies floating in your wine. Works for me every time.
Rosa
U are so right. No need for anything else. I counted them and there were 17 in about 30 minutes. Just started falling in my red wine glass. WORKS EVERY time!!!!!
Jim
Plus, you get a little extra protein in your wine
Jen in Maine
Don't waste your wine. 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. cider vinegar in a small jar with a t. sugar and a drop of dish soap. Also poor a small amount of bleach down your drains. Keep bathroom trash cans emptied.
Rondina
Well, I'm glad the language got cleaned up a bit, but really---that 14-day old jar of dead flies kind of equaled out the maggot photos which we were very happy that you were too busy to take.
Now, I have another problem for you. What say you about mosquitoes? After over a month of flooding rains, with parks still under water, and marinas closed because they have become one with the lakes---we have the biggest mosquito problem I have ever seen here. That's roughly 60 years of seeing. They don't bother me, because I rarely get a mosquito bite even though they are all around me and sitting on me. However, others cannot go outside. Any suggestions from anyone are welcome. Hopefully, they will not involve maggots.
IRS
Hear, hear! I second Rondina's request. We built a beautiful deck, and put great lighting in the yard, but we can't sit out on it in the evening, because the little bastards descend at dusk like clockwork.These things are so big they have beaks, and they think I'm extra tasty. (I hope I don't smell like rotting shrimp.) I hate having to douse myself in chemicals, and all the New Age-y repellants don't work. Consumer Reports tested a bunch of different methods, such as citronella candles, wristbands, etc, and they were all found to be useless. So now that you have dealt with flies, Karen, please get to work on protecting us from mosquitoes. This is particularly important because, while most of us don't have chickens to protect, I think we all enjoy summer evenings spent outdoors. If your putrid shrimp cocktail attracted mosquitoes, I would even be willing to share my deck with a mason jar full of the stuff.
JJ
Check out the essential oils for your mosquitoes
Debbie
I am in league with IRS - mosquitoes think I am the cat's pajamas and it is painful. We have found a solution that helps with the back porch area. It is called Mosquito Magnet. The more open the property, the better it works. Online reviews are very, very mixed. We did have to exchange it once in the beginning, and contact the company a couple of times, but with persistence it definitely helps with mosquitoes. It runs on propane that has to be replaced periodically and it is important to follow directions as to when to begin using it for the season. It is also pricey. That said, the fact that I can step outside on humid days and in the evening is worth the extra effort.
Debbie
I also use essential oil if I am not going to be in Mosquito Magnet range. I use plain citronella oil and/or a mixture called Nature (Spark Naturals), though I'm sure other Essential Oil companies have their own versions. I use this when I am pulling wild grapevines, Virginia Creeper and poison ivy (fun, fun). I have to reapply if I get too sweaty.
Jody
I got one of those ThermaCell things and it really works - it's sort of weird but also very nice. Check utube for the hack on refilling the butane cartridge.
Susan
Electric fans are great in sitting areas, like decks. Mosquitos are poor flyers.
Heidi
Listerine use the plain blue kind not only will you smell minty but mosquitoes hate it you can spray your yard with it or put it on yourself
Kathleen
I am sooooooo glad I hadn't eaten breakfast before reading this.
(I made the mistake of scrolling up again and I think I threw up a little in my mouth)
Eeeeuuuuwwwwwwww!
I think I would rather employ a Eunuch to wave the flies away all day, if there are still any about! Or George Clooney. Anything else rather than having to smell rotting shrimp or dispose of that mason jar! :)
Fannie Mae
Ohmygosh, Kathleen!
I now have coffee spewed,Ike EVERYWHERE!
*runs for a ton ofpaper towels*
I just HAD to read it again!
Too funny!
Mondo | I bake he shoots
rotting shrimp? 3 weeks (almost) with the smell of rotting shrimp? I can't even...
CSB
I Just got a new trap because the other two were filled, but you might try spoiled egg or meat scraps in your trap, smells awful tho, but flies love it.
Also you could put out fly predators. They work behind the scene to kill the larva in the pupa stage. They are tiny wasps that don't harm anything but the flies. Just don't put them where the chickens will eat them before they hatch! Near your coop where you put the poop to compost is good. They are not a quick kill, but after a few weeks you will not have any flies but the odd ball ones that don't raise in waste. And they are Safe and reproduce themselves, even tho the company would like to sell you a shipment every 3 weeks all summer. You just need to be patient, they will work. I Always used them around the horse lot or cattle pens. If you get them early they keep the flies controled!
Cynthia Jones
There's 40,000 flies in that jar. Is too. Don't argue.
Catherine
I follow lots of blogs but I laugh at your one the most. I don't have chickens but have enjoyed all the chicken bum pictures and will remember the fly trap that works. So pleased cuddles is doing well. Well done your a great Chicken Mum !
Karen
Thanks Catherine! On all accounts :) ~ karen!
Agnes
Holy shit Karen. That is hands down the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in a mason jar. And this also why you are my favourite blogger.
Edith
Absolutely true!
Karen
ha!!! ~ karen
ronda
what about using the pop bottle whole, with the shrimp (or what ever heinous item you choose) inside ... once the flies drown, and the bottle fills up, can you just put the top on the bottle again? ... and so, saving a precious Mason jar. or would the flies find their way out of the bottle before drowning.
Karen
Hi ronda! The reason you cut the top off the pop bottle is because the cone shape is more inviting for the flies to walk down into the bottle. It also puts the mouth closer to the stink and makes it more confusing for them to get out. :/ ~ karen!
Lynne Streick
It's such a catch 22. In the process of keeping the flies away, more flies are attracted!
nansi
for every one you kill, 1000 will not 'arrive'
Penny
And...about 10000 eggs not laid, that will turn into maggots in everything. I’m so grossed out to see a fly anywhere near a children’s food or toys! Knowing it probably just came from a monster pile of Doo-Doo and now is vomiting on baby’s teething ring?? Gaaaahhhhh.....
Suel
I really love your posts and I'm looking forward to using/following your directions and information. Especially now that I'm moving into the country. I'm considering converting an upscale gardening shed into a henhouse, we'll see.
But most of the time, I just enjoy your gift of humor and imagination. "...Stunk like the guts of a hot monkey", makes me laugh and laugh.
Lynn
I learned long ago to put traps away from areas you do not want such unwanted guests. The problem I am having is wasps under deck an no way to get to nest as deck is to low any ideas how to keep them from building there would be a great help .
ronda
you can buy those fake wasps nests, but they're better put up before wasp season. Wasps think another colony is already in residence, so don't start building. But, I don't have a solution that would help you now except for wasp spray. sorry.
Heather
We have had success with those fake wasp nests. The wasps like to build a nest on the underside of our deck rail.
Karen
Sadly I have no idea Lynn. Wasps are bad because they're more aggressive than bees but on the positive side wasps are great predatory insects. So if you have garden plants,they'll get rid of a lot of pests. ~ karen!
sweetpea
dr. bronner's peppermint soap. you could use a garden sprayer on a water hose if need be. wash the deck and also spray underneath.
I have found wasp and mud dobber nests on the house, went out very early morning and waited until the buggers left the nest, sprayed the nest, then watched as they came back, smelled the nest and never returned. I wouldn't believe it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
you may need to repeat to keep the peppermint soap applied.
on the other side of this, it also deters other pests.
I didn't use a garden sprayer, I simply used a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture.
dr. bronner's peppermint soap can be bought at Targert, on Amazon, etc.
good luck!
Jody
We have many wasp habitats around our house (decking, eaves, furniture...). Thank you for the peppermint soap idea. Can't wait to try it.
Linda
I have the exact same problem with my deck...I sprinkle diatomaceous earth on my deck, over where the wasps/hornets seem to be coming from and then use a broom and sweep it down in there...kills them and ticks and fleas and ants...anything with an exoskeleton living in the leaves under the deck. I have done this for years and it works like a charm!
Mark
Spray some WD 40 where you do not want the wasps to build.
Holly
Mix Dawn dish soap and water, 50/50 in an empty Dawn dish soap container. Find the wasp nest and pour the solution over the nest. The wasps will suffocate and fall through the nest. They can not breathe the Dawn dish soap. Sounds crazy but it works like a charm!
debbie
i have heard from several people paint it as close to the sky color you can get ...they think it is sky and will move on
Peggy
If you take a brown lunch bag and fill it up with plastic bags, then close the bag with a string and tie it on a corner of the porch...high up..wasps will think there is already a nest there and not proceed to build a nest there! Did it last year and no problem!!
Nicki
It's been working for me 4 yrs now. Cheap and very effective.
Linda
...."the guts of a hot monkey". Hahahahahaha!!! :)
Penny
Wonder...what are the guts of a cold monkey like? I can see a surrealist conversation coming out of this...
Carla
I think that you might actually be attracting flies with that smelly shrimp situation. Would you normally have that many flies?
Phillip Whitener
Traps do draw flies, the more you trap and kill, the less there are in the neighborhood to breed.
Laurinda
I really appreciate your sacrifice- I have parrots & a new puppy who still has accidents, so flies get in. Not that I want my house to stink like rotting shrimp, but I'd be happy to lure those few back outside!
Nancy C
Well done!! I quickly pinned it to my Pinterest board, "Chicken Coops and Bees"
Andrea
I'm kinda surprised you didn't wrap the mason jar in brown paper to avoid the sight that accompanied the stink! ( of course, you might have and have the "How to make your fly trap blend with your decor" post is coming soon....)
jen white
I'm with you on this one.
Becky
I think that second round of stench is the smell of rotting flies.... but please, for the love of everything Holy, next time use an old pickle jar--it hurts me to know you are going to throw out that Mason Jar.
I made my funnel out of window screen.. that way it can be out in the rain without the danger of the funnel getting soggy.
Brenda
I, too, had a moment of silence for the Mason jar. :)
And.....window screen funnel = brilliance!!
Susan Firtik
the flies can CLIMB the wire - it needs to be "smooth" material - so maybe some heavy plastic...
June Fraser
I am thinking of making a funnel from an old milk jug??
jen white
I'm totally saving this post to show my girlfriend who thinks I have a mason jar hoarding problem. She doesn't complain when she's eating the pickles, that's all i'm saying.
Debbie
Don’t the fruit flies sneak through the holes in the screen?
Adele Jones
I did see what could be a useful idea on Pinterest, the section on glass cutting. I think I'm going to try cutting and using a small bottle neck upside down.
Gillian Cook
I also save plastic mayo jars for stuff like this, no bad juju throwing them away, but I do agree that the plastic soda bottle has to be the best one...I am going to make some, I have some small plastic bottles, from Gatorade, that way I can hang several...anyway you do it, it will work...its a very good idea