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Homemade fly trap

TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
in Problem solving
Has anyone successfully made their own trap with a bottle, as our attempt hasn’t been successful as yet. We’ve mixed an old banana, orange juice, apple vinegar, with a splash of fish soap.. and nada, no flies... they still buzz around neighbouring plants though! Any advice highly appreciated :) 

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Posts

  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    *dish soap, fish soap doesn’t sound at all appealing!
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I think a bit of the Beaujolais left in the bottom of the bottle would do more good. I'm always having to pick black flies out of my wine glass. You also need to consider whether your trap might just attract more flies to the area. You could also insert a bit of animal poo. That always attracts flies😉
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    Unfortunately I couldn’t leave any wine, there are rules on this in our house 😋

    the idea of squishing poo into the bottle really isn’t that appealing. I’ll add more banana ;)
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    a bit of water with some jam?
    Devon.
  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    I’m feeling an experiment coming on, I’ll have to drink another bottle in the name of science!
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Hi @TheRickster  I make flytraps every year to hang in my olive tree.  I use sugar, yeast and water as bait.  Cut the top 3/4 way down off a plastic bottle.  Inverse the top part of the bottle into the bottom part to create a funnel.  Hey presto!!  And they work! Good luck.  PS  There is a saying here - you don't catch flies with vinegar!
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Sorry not 3/4 but a quarter of the way down.  I'll send a photo if you don't get my instructions.  
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    Thanks for that. I read to add vinegar to put off bees, but flies ignore it 🤷‍♂️
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    PPS  They like a spot of beer too!
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    tuikowhai34 said:
    PPS  They like a spot of beer too!
    That’s a hard one to share ;)
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