Easy DIY Fly Trap for Fruit Flies and House Flies
DIY Fly Trap That Really Works: Say Goodbye to House Flies and Fruit Flies
Flies are more than just a nuisance — they carry bacteria, breed in filth, and multiply quickly. Whether you’re dealing with house flies buzzing around the kitchen or fruit flies swarming your fresh produce, a simple and effective DIY fly trap is one of the best ways to reclaim your home.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to make a homemade fly trap with basic household ingredients. It’s fast, frugal, and incredibly effective. Plus, we’ve included instructions for both house flies and fruit flies, as they each respond to slightly different attractants.
Table of Contents
- Why DIY Fly Traps Work
- Supplies Needed for House Fly Trap
- How to Make a House Fly Trap
- The Problem with Fruit Flies
- Supplies Needed for Fruit Fly Trap
- How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why DIY Fly Traps Work
Flies are naturally drawn to sweet, fermented, or rotting substances. DIY fly traps work by luring flies in with a strong-smelling attractant and then preventing them from escaping. Most traps use a combination of vinegar and sugar, with dish soap breaking the surface tension so the flies sink and drown. This is a tried-and-true method that’s been used for decades — and it’s just as effective today.
Supplies Needed for House Fly Trap
- Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- Sugar
- Water
- Dish soap
- Mason jar or bottle
How to Make a House Fly Trap
This homemade house fly trap is easy to assemble and works in just hours. Here’s what to do:
- Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 3-4 inches of vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and a few drops of dish soap in a jar.
- Stir gently to mix. No need to fully dissolve the sugar.
- Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke holes, or use the jar lid with holes punched in it.
- Secure the top with a rubber band or canning ring if using plastic wrap.
- Place near doors, windows, or trash cans to catch flies quickly.
- Empty the jar once a week and refill with a fresh mixture to keep it effective.
The Problem with Fruit Flies
Fruit flies thrive in warm kitchens with fresh produce, fermented juices, or garbage. They reproduce rapidly — laying hundreds of eggs every few days. A single missed banana can become a breeding ground in days.
Supplies Needed for Fruit Fly Trap
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cup, mug, or jar
- Plastic wrap
- Rubber band or canning ring
- Fork for poking holes
How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap
- Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar into a jar or mug.
- Cover the container with plastic wrap and secure it with a rubber band or canning ring.
- Use a fork to poke 4–6 small holes in the plastic wrap.
- Set the trap near fresh fruit, compost bins, or sink drains.
- Change the vinegar every few days for best results.
Conclusion
A DIY fly trap is a smart, simple, and low-cost way to rid your home of house flies or fruit flies. These homemade fly traps take less than five minutes to make and work within hours. Just be sure to remove any food or moisture sources, clean trash bins regularly, and change the mixture weekly.
Try both trap versions and see which one works best in your space. Share your success in the comments!
DIY Fly Trap FAQ
What’s the best bait for a fly trap?
For house flies, a mix of vinegar, sugar, and water works well. For fruit flies, apple cider vinegar alone is often enough due to its fermented smell.
Can I use white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?
Yes, though apple cider vinegar is more effective for fruit flies because of its fruity fermentation.
How long does a homemade fly trap last?
The vinegar-sugar mixture should be changed every 5–7 days or sooner if it becomes full of flies.
Are these traps safe around kids or pets?
These traps are non-toxic, but always keep jars out of reach of small children and curious pets.
Do DIY fly traps work better than store-bought traps?
In many cases, yes! DIY traps are just as effective and significantly cheaper over time. Plus, they can be customized based on what kind of flies you’re dealing with.
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Easy DIY Fly Trap for Fruit Flies and House Flies
Ingredients
- Apple Cider Vingar or White Vinegar
- Sugar
- Water
- Dish soap
- A Mason Jar or Empty Bottle
Instructions
- In a Mason Jar or bottle, add about 1/4 cup of sugar, 3-4 inches of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup or so of water, and a drop of dish soap.
- Stir it up a little bi
- Attach twine or string to hang the jar (optional)
- Place saran wrap over the top of the jar and put some holes in it so the flies can get in.
- Put a rubber band or the jar lid around the mouth to secure the saran wrap.
Notes
If you don't have a jar around, you can use an empty 2-liter bottle cut in half with the original opening flipped upside down and put into the bottom half.
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Great idea! This simple project will definitely come in handy… especially for outdoor get-togethers.
Yes, it does!!
What does the dish soap do?
Hi Diane, good question! The dish soap is a little sticky (on legs and wings) and slows the fly down.
This isn’t correct – John’s answer below is correct.
Hi Cathy! I am an ardent Pinerest user. Most all of them are very good. This one didn’t work for me. Not 1 nasty fly in it this am. There were plenty in my house to take a dip in this delicious special made mix for them. I found 1 in am empty wire bottle that I must not of rinsed out after i emptied it last night. So think I’ll go with a little bit of wine in a glass. They seem to like to take a dip in my glass of wine. Have wasted more wine because of these dirty critters!!! Got some out now. Trouble is I pour them a taste and think I need a glass!!! Oh well it’s Sat!!!!!!!
Ha ha! Nice, Sharon. Sorry to hear this didn’t work for you! Seems like you’ve found yourself a (less than desirable) solution? 🙂
Nope. The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the water/vinegar so the flies drown, instead of flying off again.
If you don’t know what you are talking about, please do not just make up answers.
The detergent breaks the surface tension of the water.
A fly can land on water and fly away again, due to the water’s surface tension. A drop of dish soap breaks the surface tension of water, so when the fly lands on the water it will simply slip into the water and drown.
It will break the viscosity on the water and if the flies touch the water there is a better chance of the drowning.
Keep them from getting out and also hope it makes it smell a little better 😬
Breaks the surface tension on the water
from. what I was td it makes it so they can not fly
the dish soap makes the flies stick to the surface of the cider, without it they can just land on the water, drink up, then fly away… the soap messes with the surface tension of the water/cider
Makes it harder to get out of water.
The dish soap breaks the “Tension” of the water surface or the flies could walk on the water.. By breaking this tension the flies will sink into the water and drown,, Other wise you will have a trap of live flies trying to escape!!
It breaks the water surface tension so the flies will drown and not be suspended on the surface.
I had bought a wasp trap several years ago. I didn’t have much luck with their bait. I decided to use the top part of the trap for the vinegar mixture. I was amazed at how many flies, moths, etc. it caught. I had to dump it several times. This fall I’ve been bothered by large black wasps around the outside of the house and some actually get in. This bait works for them. I hung it from a hook outside on the porch.
Nice hack, Lucille! Thank you for taking the time to share that!
It also is attracting wasps, which I seem to have plenty of.
Thanks for this tip. For whatever reason, my house is so infested with houseflies, not gnats or fruit flies, but big old gross houseflies. We’ve have had some success with the tacky yellow strip things, and also the really stinky barn bags used to attract horseflies. We also have one of those handheld electric fly swagger gadgets, it kinda works about 50% of the time. Granted we live in the country, 21 years now, but I’ve never ever experienced something at this magnitude. I have multiple yellow wasp traps, I’m gonna give your tip a try. Fingers crossed!
For fruit flies inside the house I like to use shot glasses filled with apple cider vinegar and Dawn apple scented dish soap. They are small so I can put them in my kitchen window so no one notices them. I fill them 3/4 full with apple cider vinegar and then just a couple of drops of Dawn apple scented dish soap..this has worked really well in the past. It’s the straight walls of the shot glass that really prevents them from climbing back out. They just fall right in and they don’t come out!
The shot glass idea is great Jill! Thanks for sharing!
I don’t have any apple cider vinegar, no wine either. I have some Kombucha. Can I use that? TY
Hi Juju – I’m not super familiar with Kombucha, but I think it’d be worth giving it a try! Will you come back and let me know how it goes? Thank you!
i have used this method for a long time,well sorta, I only used the apple cider vinegar. It works . I have even used Rice vineger (couldn’t find my apple cider or even just vineger in my house) and it worked great!!, almost want to say it might of worked better / faste. I don’t use much,maybe a couple of tablespoons in a small bowl or glass.
Thanks
Plastic drink bottles make good cheap throw away containers. Discard top. Cut top off plastic bottle. Invert the top inside the base. Fill bottle as per recipe. Place in discreetly in gardens. Discard bottle with dead insects when full. Also fly’s hate citrus so cut some lemons, grapefruit, etc in half and leave on window sills or around doors. Both ideas work a treat.
Thank you so much for the ideas! I love the lemon one!
I was wondering, if lemons work, would lemon-scented candles? Maybe lemon scented anything!
Much better than the vinegar smell.
Plastic water bottles or “drink bottles” is a great idea! Thanks for sharing
I don’t know which idea to try first.
I tried the lemons and didn’t work for me.
Try cloves in the citrus friuts and set on table
Great idea Amber. I HATE FLY’S. Hope this works for me. I will definitely try this. Thanks
What does the 3-4 inches of apple cider vinegar mean?
Add apple cider vinegar to the jar until it measures about 3 to 4 inches up the side of the jar…or just use about a cup.
I hate flies and have tried this with the water bottles and in a jar, after 5 days, the jar is at zero, the flies just walk along the saran wrap. The jar, I have one fly each in two jars! I will try the lemons.
How are the lemons working for you Marilyn?
I’ve had the same experience… the flies just sit on the saran wrap, don’t go in. I even put some of the solution along the rim of the holes but then the flies just walk along there and dont need to go any further.
I wonder if they are getting smarter? 😀
Put bigger holes in the Saran Wrap.
The flies do not know that the holes are there. They are phototropic (they see light and dark contrast. Instead of saran wrap, use a dark plastic, like part of a black trash bag. Works great!
I’m trying it now… hope it works cuz I don’t know where these flies are getting in my house from but it needs to stop…
Oh gosh me too. Flys driving me crazy. I have a dust buster Vaccum and l take off after them with it an catch a lot on windows.
Probably the front door !!! That’s where I get mine. !!!!
Will this work outside? I need something to reduce flies during cookouts. Thanks for the tips.
Hi Sammy! Give it a whirl and let us know how it goes!
I have just tried all the suggested mix’s of solutions, just Apple cider vinegar, a mix of both, and then just white, with the recipe for the indoor flies we have here in Las Vegas, NV and so far nothing has worked. I’m very flustered! Our neighbors have a zoo in their backyard it seems! I don’t mind the animals, just these flies!
That sounds awful! Maybe set up a sticky fly trap outside your doors to try and capture some before they even get into your house? https://amzn.to/2YICquz
You could also put some leftover/old raw chicken in the jar and put it outside (it will smell horrible, so you won’t want it inside)…. good luck!
This lady added a rotted shrimp to her trap and she had hundreds and hundreds of flies in it. You just have to hang it outdoors above nose level because it stinks! After a while the bodies of the dead flies pile on each other and help mask the smell, her words, but he said of all the recipes she’s tried, and products/ bait he’s bought, that is the best hands down. Here is the link to read more about it: https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/the-best-homemade-flytrap-and-it-probably-isnt-the-one-you-see-all-over-pinterest/
Hope that helps!
Can you put the solution in a spray bottle and spray it around the house and outside on the porch
The solution actually attracts the flys and then captures them. So I for sure would not spray this around the house (plus it will be smelly!) 🙂
It doesn’t seem to be working. Made it yesterday and zero flies.
I bought some natural spray a week ago that is made from lemongrass oil but it doesn’t smell very good I was hoping this would work!
Sorry to hear that… unfortunately, the stinky smell is required to attract the flies!
I’ve tied this solution, even added syrup to the recipe but not a single fly. So, I started spraying the vinegar directly on my dogs, and rub into their coat, which needs to be re-applied every few days but whatever works! Any effective solutions for house flies will be greatly appreciated! I’ve purchased fly traps but probably too smelly for inside the house or garage. Please advise!!
Great idea about spraying the dogs. If you don’t want traps in the house, then I’d catch them outside, around the entrances to the house. It does require smelly things to attract the flies, so keeping it outside the doors is a good alternative. Good luck!
In researching solutions to this problem such as these I came across one that is pretty much the same thing or idea as this (but they use rotting food, animal droppings etc. Things the flies are most definitely attracted to) but the only difference, which I found to make complete sense and may be what some of the failed projects I’ve read above may beneifit from was they used black plastic instead of clear syran wrap and also put a black cover over the very top above the holes. The cover wasn’t touching but hungover sort of like an umbrella. But the reasoning they had was some fancy term, but explained that flies are naturally attracted to light (hence they are found in windows and doorways etc. a lot). So they use that against them or to our advantage. So by using black plastic to put the holes in they are less likely to want to fly back up to it or stay on it. And the black umbrella type thing that hangs just above that is use to block as much of the light coming through the holes as possible. Therefore setting it up so that the flies will want to fly down into the jar or bottle (clear would be best) going towards the light they see. Genius!!
Oh wow! I’ve never even heard of black plastic wrap! But sure enough, here it is! https://amzn.to/2KK8sT2
We don’t have flies yet where I live, so as soon as they start showing up, I’m going to test this out! Thank you Melissa!
I’m surprised it worked that fast. I put it in my bathroom that had 4 flies in it. I came home 4 hours later and 3 out of the 4 were in the jar dead. This is a true miracle.
https://s.amsu.ng/wJO8d1Yv4WYN
I’m not sure if it will work or not but the link above is a link to a photo of it.
Hi Jayda – great to hear it worked well for you! Bummer, that link isn’t working for me! 🙂
Just made the jar. fingers crossed. I don’t know if anyone noticed the fly on the dawn bottle. how ironic. LOL!
That is hilarious! I seriously never noticed that before!! 😀 Let us know how it goes!
I was wondering if I was the only one!
Any recipe with household items to use a a fly spray, to kill flies not just keep them off? I would like to spray around the house and barn. I love using house hold products. THANKS!!
Deb, have you ever considered essential oils?
I have had success with a mix of Mountain Dew ( about a cup) and a teaspoon of dawn dish soap.
That is a really interesting contraption! I’ll have to test that out! Thanks for sharing DJ!
Does this work for house flies or just fruit flies?
For some, this works for house flies!
For fruit flies you only need a little ACV and a drop of soap, very very effective. For house flies your recipe does not work at all 🙁
Thanks, Cathy! Good trap and simple quick to make with household stuff.
I found that the mixture also attracts moths. We keep one by the garden and one by the house.
Nice!
It worked so well that the fly wouldn’t even let me finish making the mixture before he landed on the mouth of the cup. Being greedy was his downfall because I just gave him a little shove into the cup and down he went. He should be swimming with the fishes in the Mississippi River by now…
Ha ha! I love it Gloria! 🙂
chicken stock in bought “Environtrap” jars works brilliantly
Do u have a recipe for red wasps? The nests are behind outside walls and we simply cannot get to them. Sprays don’t work well, trust me, we have spent a fortune trying to by what’s on the shelves, but they kill 4 or 5, but not handy when there’s 40 or more. I have been stung 13 times this year and I want them to be gone finally. Please help
That sounds terrible! Sorry I can’t help you with that!
We used this in our classroom. Only 2 flies were caught, but it was absolutely FULL of fruit flies!! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve heard of people catching flies and feeding them to their chickens… Would I use the same filler?
how long does it take to work
Hi Sophia, this should start to work within a day or so.
I found that red wine vinegar works better that apple cider vinegar for fruit flies. It has a fruitier scent.
This works beautifully!