Simple DIY Bottle & Vinegar Fly Trap for Outdoor Use

building a fly trap

It is fly season. Don’t let those pesky insects push you from your patio, deck, or gazebo. We have five simple DIY fly traps that will get rid of the insects giving you the freedom to enjoy your home in peace.

Bottled Bait and Vinegar Trap

Flies are constantly hunting for food. Anything sweet or stinky that will attract them to a container is the perfect bait. A simple chemical like Dawn or Apple Cider Vinegar will quickly dispatch the trapped flies.

What You Need

  • An empty 1 or 2-liter bottle of water or a fizzy drink
  • A pair of scissors
  • The bait (stinky food, sugar solution, or an apple)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Some duct tape

You can substitute the stinky or sweet foot with fly bait bought from a store and replace the apple cider vinegar with liquid dish soap.

What to Do

  1. Use your pair of scissors to cut off the top of the water bottle just at the point where the top stops tapering. Using the scissors to pierce a hole before cutting could help. You can also use a utility knife to cut. The top of the bottle should form a funnel-like part while the rest will look like a, well, beheaded bottle
  2. Take the bottom side of the bottle and place your bait of choice in it. Don’t overfill it. A third way full should be enough
  3. Take the top of the bottle you cut off (funnel-like) and place it upside down over the lower half of the bottle with bait. Push it down for a snug fit and use the tape to seal openings around the edge where the two parts meet
  4. Pour some water through the makeshift funnel to trap below. You don’t have to overfill. Ensure that it doesn’t cover more than a third of the bait
  5. Add some soap to the water. This will stick to the fly wings making it hard for them to escape
  6. Alternatively, use apple cider vinegar instead of the soapy water. This will kill the flies

Set the trap down close to a place with high fly activity. This will make it easy to lure them to the bait and trap them. Remember to empty the trap and refill the bait every other day (or sooner if you are catching a lot) to maintain optimum efficiency.