The Simple Fly Trap That Works in Minutes
Here’s how to make the fly trap that changed my summer experience forever:
You’ll need:
A clean container or bucket (plastic works fine)
Warm water
Dish soap
Sugar or honey
Optional: a little vinegar
Instructions:
Fill your container with about 2–3 inches of warm water.
Add a generous squirt of dish soap. This is the key ingredient that breaks the surface tension of the water, making it impossible for flies to escape once they land.
Stir in 2–3 tablespoons of sugar or honey. The sweetness attracts the flies almost instantly.
(Optional) Add a tablespoon of vinegar to deter bees or other beneficial insects from getting trapped.
Place the container in an area where flies are most active, but away from where people are sitting or eating.
Within minutes, you’ll notice flies landing on the surface, unable to take off, and eventually sinking into the water. The combination of the sweet smell and the slippery, soapy surface is incredibly effective.
When I first tried this, I set the trap outside near my back door on a warm afternoon. In less than five minutes, the surface was dotted with flies, and the area felt noticeably calmer. By the end of the day, the trap had collected dozens of them.
Why This Works So Well
The science behind this is simple: flies are naturally attracted to sugar. When they approach the trap, they land on the liquid to investigate or feed. Normally, water’s surface tension would allow them to walk on it, but the dish soap breaks that tension, causing them to sink immediately.
This method is far less messy than sticky fly paper and doesn’t require electricity like bug zappers. It’s also non-toxic to humans and pets, provided you place it somewhere they can’t drink from it.
