Flies keep invading my home but one £3 hack traps them - not food or chemicals
No matter how many food (natural) hacks I tried, nothing seemed to banish flies until I tried one technique that helped remove them.
Flies have a way of making themselves at home, no matter how clean you keep your kitchen or living space. I think they are the worst kind of pests, given how many can invade your home at once, the different variety that enters (commonly fruit flies and house flies) and how difficult it is to trap them.
I've tried my fair share of methods to get rid of these flies, from the apple cider vinegar trick to being completely frustrated and using toxic chemicals such as fly repellent spray. But recently, my house has invested in a simpler and cheaper solution. For just £3 on Amazon, this saving grace solution traps flies effectively and quickly without hassle—the solution: sticky tape.
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What is sticky tape?
Sticky tape provides a safe, chemical-free method for controlling flies and other flying insects. Its strong, durable adhesive traps pests securely, ensuring they cannot escape while keeping your home or workspace free from harmful substances.
"Simply remove the protective paper and hang the traps in areas where flies are prevalent. Once the traps are full, disposal is quick and mess-free. The user-friendly design ensures effortless setup and replacement, keeping your space consistently free of pests," reported Amazon.
In my home, we hang these up next to our ceiling lights in the kitchen and close by the cooker. We have successfully caught many fruit flies and several big house flies, which I assumed would be able to evade the long trap.
Now, our home is mostly fly-free until the occasional bug comes in from the open window. This trap does take some time, as you cannot quickly force the fly to the sticky paper; however, once it does make contact, it is then stuck for good.
My other con is that the tape is quite long. As a tall person, I often hit my head against it and had to pray that a fly didn't fall on my head. The tape is very sticky, so when disposing of it, be careful not to stick the sides of your bin bag together, as this causes rips.
Nonetheless, I find this sticky trap better than others, such as the popular yellow Aonova Fruit Fly Traps (which cost £4.99 on Amazon), as it catches a variety of breeds, is cheaper, and can collect more flies at once.
Other reviews
One reviewer shared: "The product is extremely sticky, and found it hard to secure with drawing pin. Nail or tack is better. But so sticky when pulling the tab to unravel it, it tore easily.
"Brilliant job at attracting flies.. non-toxic. Used in my chicken coops. Excellent job." However, a second shopper said: "Didn’t work! Dangly strips all over the place, but only caught 2 flies. The rest of the flies seem to have taken residence!!!"
Another commented: "Easy to unpack and hang in appropriate position, very sticky no escape. Good value and they do work." Discover more about the PEST POLICE 1 X 10 Sticky Paper Fly Catchers for £2.99 on Amazon here.
How to make a DIY sticky trap
Materials you need courtesy of the Spruce:
- A brown paper bag
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of corn syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup of water
To begin, cut a brown paper bag into 12-by-2-inch strips. In a saucepan, heat equal parts corn syrup, sugar, and water, stirring until dissolved.
Submerge the strips in the mixture for several hours or overnight, then remove with tongs. Lay them on a rack over a lined cookie sheet to dry completely. Once dry, hang the sticky strips wherever flies are a problem.
