I, Stephanie, have a personal vendetta against flies. I can't stand the way they sound. I can't stand the way they look---all hairy and buggish. I can't stand the way they relentlessly bother our equine friends. Which is why I'm delighted to bring you a cheap, quick death trap for these abominable pests. Hang a few in your barn and your fly population will swiftly decrease. Now if you have a tender heart toward insects, there are fly traps you can make where the flies are humanely trapped, not killed. Then I suppose you'd drive them to the nearest state park and set them free to frollick among the lilies. Me, I'm all for disposing of as many as possible.
To make your own fly trap, all you'll need is the following:
Empty 2 liter bottle, heavy scissors or knife, duct tape, 24inch long piece of twine or rope
For the bait: Dish soap, water (I used freshly filtered. See? I'm providing the best for their last moments upon the earth. Now excuse me while I pat myself on the back.) You'll also need vinegar, sugar, and a banana. Mine came out of the freezer. What? Doesn't everyone have half a dozen black bananas in their freezer? You can also just use a chunk of raw meat, but....ew.
To begin, take the label off your bottle and using scissors or a knife, cut the top of the bottle right were the top of the lable was.
Now stir in 1/2--1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar, a couple drops of dish soap, one banana peel (you can throw the fruit in if you're feeling generous. Me? I'm making banana bread.) Add two cups of warm water and give it a good stir.
Take the top of the bottle that you cut off, place it spout down over the bait, line up the edges, and duct tape the layers together. Use your scissors to poke two holes on opposite sides of the bottle, then take your twine and tie knots to secure. Your finished trap should look like this:
Hang your traps in the barn and dispose of them when you deem them full. Your horses will thank you. And until flies are on the endangered species list and I develop a conscience about killing them, I will too.
Anyone have more tips on fly control?
10 comments:
Thanks Stephanie. What a great and simple idea.
Hook
Thank You SOOO Much! We have tried equine fly spray, avons skin so soft, and some stuff you run down the horses back. I am so sick of these flies! I'm waging an all out war with them and there will be soda bottles EVERYWHERE!!
This is a great idea. We are going to have to give it a whirl here and see how it works. Think it will work against those huge horse flies (that are as long as my thumb)? Sonny Bunz, my hay levitator-in-training, would love you F-O-R-E-V-A if it cleared those things up!
Elegant design! I am going to do mine in green. What a great homeschool project, and my kid has already read it and is ready to go!
Ksenia
I am definitely trying this! I live in the city but have been besieged by flies the size of small fowl! Let the carnage begin!
Thanks! It is so helpful and easy! I never thought that you could prevent flies with jut a soda bottle and some other household items!
I'm going to do this for sure - I have a horse plus I live a block from a dairy farm - the flies are unbelievable.
Question: White Vinegar or Cider Vinegar?????
Thanks!
I purchased one of those "reusable" fly traps with the fly attractant. I bought EXTRA packages of the attractant with intentions of dumping out the flies and reusing the bottle. BIG mistake! When I opened the reusable trap the smell was so foul that I nearly vomited! I do not have a weak stomach... It was the worst smell I have experienced in my life! I threw the entire trap into the trash, and now I have the fly attractant left. I'm going to make this trap and use the attractant I have leftover! Thanks for the great idea!
You need to give "Fly Predators" a try too. They really work! For about $20 a month, they are a godsend. I will try this trap to get the last few stragglers. Seems like it should work too.
Last year my husband and I had a fly swatting contest and once we saw we were equals to the task, we combined our count and ended up killing over 600 in one afternoon. (I know, we have no lives. ) Our chickens thought it was heaven but there is a better way to use our time, I'm sure. Thanks so much. Fingers crossed.
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