Get Rid of Flies with Homemade Sticky Fly Paper
Having flies in the warmer months is a constant battle. No matter what kind of fly you have-be it fruit flies, house flies, or any of the other 16,000 kinds (in North America alone)-they make their surroundings seem unclean and unpleasant. They buzz around your head, knock against windows, march all over your food, and land repeatedly in the same place after being shooed away.
They can also carry whatever pathogens they pick up on those hairy legs after a nice traipse through the trash or a hike on pile of dog doo-doo. In short they’re gross, bothersome, and infuriatingly hard to deter, which makes it tempting to reach for chemical fly sprays. Don’t. They not only harm the environment, they’re bad for you and anyone else around you who breathe it in. It’s really very simple to come up with your own method of getting rid of the nasty buggers, including making your own sticky fly paper.
You will need…
-2 cups of water
-2 cups of sugar
-2 cups of honey, corn syrup, or maple syrup
-Sturdy brown paper
-Baking tray
-Saucepan
-String
-A hole punch (can be improvised) and scissors
Directions
Cut some strips of strong brown paper, like from an old paper grocery bag, about 6-10 inches long. The length is really up to you. At the top of each strip punch a hole and thread a piece of string through it, tying it off to form a hanging loop. In a saucepan, mix 1 part water, 1 part honey, and one part sugar, and heat until it is well combined. Let the mixture cool a little and then dip each paper strip into the syrup, coating each side well. Suspend the strips over a baking tray and leave to drip. When they’re dry, your sticky fly papers can be hung anywhere you need them. Be warned-these do catch flies, and they will fill up.
It’s a rather nasty sight to see fly paper at full capacity, but just use good judgment as to when you should change it.
Warning:Don’t hang these where people passing by can get them caught in their hair. If you’re hanging at the entrance to doorways, cut shorter strips. Getting tangled up with a sticky piece of fly paper is no fun!
Pests can be prevented by natural means just as they can be with toxic sprays, but the former outweighs the latter by far in benefits. Having the instant result of a fly dropping dead on the spot is not worth the lungful of fumes you get with your next breath, nor is it kind to the environment. Whenever possible, make your own means of deterring common household pests. If you find yourself with a spider problem in particular, try making your own spider repellent to keep them away.
P.S. Make sure to take a look at the Everyday Roots Book with 350+ pages of the best home remedies, natural beauty recipes, homemade cleaners and diy household products. View Remedies
By Claire Goodall
Claire is a lover of life, the natural world, and wild blueberries. On the weekend you can find her fiddling in the garden, playing with her dogs, and enjoying the great outdoors with her horse. Claire is very open-minded, ask her anything 🙂 Meet ClaireWe Want to Hear from You! Let us know which remedies work and do not work for you, ask a question or leave a comment:
I really like your ideas!
Why thank you!
will this sticky paper work on roaches too? I tried the sugar and borax mix need more help then that. I had potato’s that was loaded with the buggers can not get rid of them
I just love all of your ideas…
So i made these last night due to a recent infestation of blowflies from a bird’s nest that got brought in to the house.. there was literally an entire swarm of flies (read: at least 2 dozen). I hung fly paper in each room. I also set out a tiny mason jar full of the the leftover mixture. After 24 hours, not a single fly was on the paper, but i caught the nearly the whole swarm in the mason jar!
Hooray! Glad you it worked out for ya 🙂
I made this but flies were walking on the paper but not getting stuck on it I wish I would have thought to save the rest and put it in a jar but it did not work for me 🙁
I got the same results as Jessica, flies just landed and took off from sticky paper at will ! 🙁 Tried adding apple cider vinegar to the sugar mixture to attract them more. Not sure if the little bit of vinegar I added diluted the sugar, but I added straight corn syrup again to the paper in a thin layer, and still, no catchy buggies!!
Apple Cider Vinegar and a drop of dish soap to a little jar is still the best way I’ve found to keep those annoying fruit flies at bay!@!$!
Any ideas??
I tried the apple cider vinegar and the fruit files hung around but never entered the jar. I wonder if the dish soap is the problem….it’s blue and scented. What dish soap is best?
In your formula change the 2 cups water to 1(one)Oz. make mixture in microwave (slowly, 30 sec at a time) or use a double boiler. then use a paint brush to apply. Wear gloves and watch out when the mixture is hot.
Besides using less water also try using less white sugar for this turns hard again when it cools. You might want to try brown sugar too. Half the fun of the do it yourself is the experimentation. If anyone hits on the “super formula” P A A A A L E A S E post it, I know I will. Happy hunting!
I’m not sure if this would work on flies specifically, but if fly paper isn’t working and you want to use a spray, crushing up chrysanthemum petals and mixing with water can produce a natural spray insecticide. Might be interesting to test it out.
Was thinking of using strips of duct tape with sugar sprinkled on it, anybody try this? 🙂