Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

To many people, flies are tiny and annoying creatures; they buzzed, landed on food, and were generally very annoying. Sometimes they are the subject of concern for some people, even the food that others seek. Whether you want to capture flies for food or just get rid of them, there are many effective methods you can try.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Make fly traps

1. 

   Make a plastic bottle fly trap. One of the best homemade home fly traps is a simple one made out of a plastic water bottle.
   • Open the bottle cap, then use your nose to pull into the plastic bottle and cut off the water bottle above.
   • Fill the bottom of the bottle with ¼ cup of sugar (60 ml), cup of water, and a few drops of blue food coloring. Blue will help attract flies, but almost any color or colorless will work, except for yellow. Yellow is the only color known to repel flies. Also, a little water mixed with dish soap and a few drops of apple cider vinegar also attracts flies.
   • Turn the top of the bottle upside down and place it on the bottom of the bottle to form a funnel. The flies may get into the bottle, but they will find that finding a way out is much more difficult.
   • Place the traps in a sunny spot where flies frequently hang out and wait for them to gather in the bottle.

2. 

   
   
   Make a fly trap with a glass jar and food wrap. If you don't have a plastic bottle, you can make another type of fly trap with glass jars (even drinking cups) and plastic wrap.
   • Pour a sugar solution or a solution of sugar mixed with a little apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap into a glass jar close to the top of the jar.
   • Cover the mouth of the jar with plastic wrap. Tie more with an elastic band if in doubt.
   • Use a pen or scissors to poke a small hole between the wrap. The flies will enter the jar through this hole, and once in, they will drown from the liquid in the jar.
   • Place the trap in a sunny place, outdoors, or where you see a lot of flies.

3. 

   
   
   Use paper fly traps. These are sticky paper fly traps that you can hang around your house to catch flies without doing much work.
   • Fly trap paper is coated with a sticky (sometimes poisonous) sweet substance that attracts flies to come and stick to the trap. These fly traps do not look great indoors but are a very effective way to catch flies.

   

   
   

   Kevin Carrillo

   MMPC, Pest Control Specialist Kevin Carrillo is a senior pest control and project manager at MMPC, a certified minority-owned pest control services business. based in New York. The MMPC is certified against the industry's leading set of standards, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and the New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been posted on CNN, NPR, and ABC News.

   

   Kevin Carrillo
   MMPC, Pest Control Specialist

   Experts advise that: Attach fly traps to your kitchen or bathroom ceiling - anywhere there is a food source that attracts flies. If you have a lot of flies in your home, you need to find a source of flies and fix the problem.

4. 

   Make your own flypaper. Even though flypaper is available at most household stores, you can still make your own with a non-toxic version of wrapping paper, corn syrup and sugar:
   • Cut the package paper into strips about 2.5 cm wide.
   • Use a pen to poke a hole at the end of each strip of paper, pass the string through the hole, and tie it in a ring.
   • Using a wide-mouth pan or bowl, mix ½ cup of corn syrup (120 ml), 2 tablespoons of white diameter (30 ml), and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (30 ml).
   • Dip the strips in the mixture (place the string on the top of the bowl) and soak for several hours or overnight.
   • Remove the strips from the mixture and hang over the sink until no more dripping. You can then hang it indoors or outdoors, or anywhere there is a fly disturbance.
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Method 2 of 3: Catch flies with your hands

1. 

   Cup your hand. The first step in catching a fly is to use your dominant hand to camel like a cup.
   • Practice flexing your hands quickly, your fingertips pressed against the palm end.
   • Be sure to leave some space inside the palm of your hand, as this will be where the fly is trapped.
   • Careful. If you hold your fist too tightly or squeeze it into a fist, the fly will be crushed. But if you don't care whether the fly is alive or dead, it doesn't matter.

2. 

   Wait for the fly to land. When catching the fly with your bare hands, it's best to wait for the fly to land on a flat surface like a table or shelf.
   • Slowly move toward the fly. The sudden action can send the fly away, and you have to wait for it to land again.
   • Wait until the fly lands on a sturdy surface so you can guess its movement more easily.
   • Make sure the plane does not place many objects around. You probably don't want to make things tumble just by catching a fly.

3. 

   Curled his hand over the fly. Once the fly has landed, use the cupping hand to move over the fly a few centimeters away, and at the same time fold the palm of the hand as previously practiced.
   • When the fly senses the movement, it will startle and fly straight into your cupped hand.
   • As soon as the fly is in the palm of your hand, hold your hand quickly to trap the fly inside. Now it is up to you to take the fly outdoors, put it in a jar to watch, or feed it to your pet.
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Method 3 of 3: Use a cup to catch the flies

1. 

   Find material. To catch flies with this method, you will need a cup, preferably a clear plastic cup so that you can see inside without fear of breaking, a sheet of paper or a large piece of cardboard.
   • The cup will catch the fly, and the cover helps to seal the cup so that the fly cannot escape.

2. 

   Wait for the fly to land. It is easier to catch the fly if it sits on a sturdy surface, such as a counter, counter, or window sill.
   • Move slowly towards the fly. The sudden action will cause the fly to fly away and you will have to wait for it to land again.

3. 

   Snap the cup onto the fly. When the fly lands, gently snap the cup onto the fly, keep it inside. If it fails, keep an eye on it until it stops.

4. 

   Move the paper under the cup. Once you have captured the fly, you will face the dilemma of how to lift the cup without letting the fly escape. A single sheet of paper or a loose piece of paper can solve this problem.
   • Make sure the top of the cup stays close to the table as you slip the paper underneath. The gap is too wide to help the fly escape.
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Advice

• Try catching flies in tight, enclosed spaces like bathrooms.
• Close all windows and doors. An open door can help keep the flies away, but also attract more flies.
• Actions fast but must be gentle.
• Flies can live up to 30 days with access to water and food. They can live for 15 days without food and water. If catching flies is difficult, you can choose to wait for them to die.

Warning

• Flies can carry pathogens and bacteria. Remember to wash your hands after handling them.