ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

1.5  to 2 litre (3-4 pint) plastic bottles are ideal. It can vary up or down in size. If any black bases that are often on the larger plastic bottles, remove these.

You will require either scissors, a hacksaw or sharp knife and some electric tape or plastic glue.

Cut through the plastic bottle about 1/3rd of the way down as indicated in the illustration. 

Invert the top 1/3rd section of the cut bottle and place in the bottom 2/3rds as indicated in the illustration.

I normally place the bait in first to stop getting this over the entry section as the flys will happily feed on this and not enter the trap. 

Tape or glue the bottle together. In outback Australia where the flys are horrific and have to be seen to be believed, tape is used as these traps are made by the dozen.

Cut some wire in to a 'U' shape with some right angled ends that turn in towards the bottle. Either cut a small hole or heat the wire to burn a hole. This will be used as a hanger to be placed over a branch, on a fence, nail, etc.

Now your trap is ready to hang wherever you need it.

If your problem is in the orchard use yeast or Aussie vegemite with a little sodium sulphide in water to attract fruit flies.

If your fly problem is general, a small chunk of meat chopped into the water will attract blowflies. If you have a general fly problem, just place in a small amount of doggy poo with some water. This will cook nicely in the warm air and attract flys like bears to a honey pot.

The trap works by luring the flies in to enjoy a feed. They are trapped and eventually die. In turn, the flys rot and attract more flys. You will find the stink quite strong, so keep away from the house or dog kennel.

My family have used this trap for decades and it is amazingly effective. No need to pay for expensive variations.

Poor dead Louie.

NOTE: Once the bottle is full of dead flys, empty 90% in to your garden and bury the rotting insects. It makes a great nitrogen fertilizer, but boy does it stink. Yes it is organic and nasty chemicals are eliminated.