4 Simple Ways to Capture Flies

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A guide to catching flies in traps or with your hands

Co-authored by Kevin Carrillo and Devin McSween

Last Updated: September 4, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Traps

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Catching Flies By Hand

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Using a Cup

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Luring Flies Outside

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Preventing Flies from Getting Inside

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How Do You Catch Fruit Flies?

There are lots of simple ways to catch flies in your home, whether you want to get rid of these annoying insects , feed them to a pet, or study them up close. We spoke with several pest control specialists to learn the best ways to trap, capture, and lure away house flies and fruit flies. We’ll also tell you how to keep flies from getting inside. Read on to find out more!

The Best Ways to Catch Flies

To make a simple trap, cut the top off a bottle. Fill the bottom with sugar water or apple cider vinegar and dish soap. Then, flip the top upside down and set it inside the bottom portion. As an alternative, make a trap by filling a jar with bait, covering it with plastic wrap, and poking holes in the plastic.

Section 1 of 5:

Using Traps to Catch Flies

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1
Make bait depending on the type of flies you’re dealing with. Pest control specialist Joshua Bloom says different scents attract different flies. Find out what flies you’re dealing with and make your bait. For instance: ^{[1]
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- House flies are drawn to sweet scents, like sugar water, syrup, honey, and fruit. However, they’re attracted to almost anything odorous.
- Fruit flies are lured by fermenting odors, like apple cider vinegar, beer/wine, or ripe fruits (particularly bananas).
- Fungus gnats are drawn to raw potatoes.
- Blow flies are attracted to meat.
2
Build a trap with a plastic bottle. To make this fly trap , unscrew and remove the cap from any sized plastic bottle. Then, use scissors to cut off the top ¼ of the bottle . Fill the bottom part of the bottle with your bait. Then, take the top ¼ of the bottle, turn it upside down, and rest it inside the bottom piece to form a funnel. The flies will be able to crawl into the bottle but will find it hard to get out. ^{[2]
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- To make bait for house flies , add ¼ cup (50 g) of sugar, ¼ cup (60 mL) of water, and a couple of drops of blue food coloring.
  - Note: Most colors, as well as no color at all, can attract the flies. Just make sure not to use yellow, as it can actually repel flies. ^{[3]
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- To catch fruit flies , pour a few inches of apple cider vinegar into the bottle and add a few drops of dish soap. ^{[4]
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- Place the fly trap in a sunny spot that is frequented by flies and wait for them to collect inside the bottle.
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3
Make a trap with a jar and plastic wrap as an alternative. Pest control specialist Kevin Carrillo says you can make a simple trap by “filling a glass or dish with a small amount of attractant, putting cellophane over the top, and poking a couple of holes in it.”
- For instance, pour apple cider vinegar or sugar water into a jar. Then, add a few drops of dish soap. The soap causes the flies to stick in the liquid, preventing them from flying away. ^{[5]
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- Use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap in place if it looks loose.
- Place your trap in a sunny spot indoors, outside, or wherever you see flies. Once the flies get inside, they’ll drown in the liquid.
4
Create a trap out of a wine bottle as another option. For this trap, simply leave a bit of red or white wine inside a wine bottle and add a few drops of dish soap. Then, fold a sheet of paper into a cone shape and stick it inside the bottle to act as a funnel. ^{[6]
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- Place the bottle in the area where you see flies.
- Wine is great for attracting fruit flies. If you’re dealing with other flies, add different bait into the bottle, such as syrup.
5
Hang flypaper from your ceiling for a quick alternative. Flypaper, also called fly tape, is a type of sticky paper that you hang around to attract flies. The best part is that it takes minimal effort to catch the flies. ^{[7]
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- Flypaper is coated in a sweet, sticky (and sometimes toxic) substance that attracts flies and causes them to get stuck. Flypaper may look temporarily unsightly in the home, but it is a very effective method of catching flies.
EXPERT TIP

Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.

Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist, MMPC

Our Expert Agrees: Pin flypaper to the ceiling in your kitchen or bathroom — wherever the flies are already attracted to a food source. If you have more than a couple of flies, you need to start looking for their food source and fixing that problem.
6
Make your own flypaper as an alternative. If you don’t want to go out and buy flypaper, it’s easy to make your own non-toxic version with a brown bag, maple syrup, and sugar: ^{[8]
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- Cut a brown paper bag into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide strips that are at least 6 inches (15 cm) long.
- Use a pen to poke a hole at the top of each strip.
- Thread a little string or twine through the hole and tie it in a knot. This allows you to hang up the strip.
- In a pan or bowl, mix ½ cup (120 mL) of maple syrup, 2 tbsp (25 g) of white sugar, and 2 tbsp (22 g) of brown sugar.
- Place the strips of paper in the mixture (dangling the string over the edge) and leave them to soak for several hours or overnight.
- Remove the strips from the mixture and hold them above a sink until they stop dripping.
- Hang the strips indoors or outdoors, or wherever you notice the flies.

Section 2 of 5:

Catching Flies with Your Hands

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1
Practice cupping your hands. The first step in catching a fly is to bring your hands together and bend them into a cup shape. Then, practice quickly shutting your hands together.
- Make sure to leave a hollow space between your palms, as this is where you will trap the fly.
- If you shut your hand too tightly, or make a closed fist, you will simply crush the fly. Only do this if you don't mind that the fly dies.
2
Wait for the fly to land. When catching a fly with your bare hands , it's best to wait until the fly lands on a flat surface, such as a table or countertop. This makes it easier to predict the fly's movements.
- Move slowly towards the fly. Any sudden movements can set the fly off and you will have to wait for it to land again.
- Make sure the surface is clutter-free, as you don't want to knock anything over in your fly-catching attempts.
Slightly cup each hand and raise them above the table on either side of the fly. Just keep your hands far enough away so it doesn’t get spooked. Then, start to slowly move both hands towards the fly. ^{[9]
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4
Clap and wave your cupped hand over the fly. Quickly cup your hands together several inches above the fly and wave your hands back and forth. When the fly senses your hand movement, it will get spooked and fly straight upwards and directly into your cupped hands. ^{[10]
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- As soon as the fly enters your hands, close them tightly to trap the fly inside. Now you are free to release the fly outdoors, place it into a jar for your inspection, or feed it to a pet.

Section 3 of 5:

Using a Cup to Catch Flies

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It is much easier to catch a fly once it has landed on a stable surface, such as a table, kitchen counter, or even a window pane. Just move slowly towards it, as any sudden movements can cause it to fly off.
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Place a clear cup over the fly. Quickly and stealthily place the opening of the cup over the fly, trapping it inside. If you miss, follow it around until it lands again. ^{[11]
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- Use a clear jar or food storage container if you don’t have a cup.
3
Slide a piece of paper beneath the cup. Carefully guide a piece of paper, index card, or even a credit card, under the cup. Then, hold the paper in place over the cup’s opening. This effectively traps the fly inside the cup. ^{[12]
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- Keep the cup as close to the table as possible when you slide the paper beneath the cup. If you leave too big a gap, the fly can escape.

Section 4 of 5:

Luring Flies Back Outside

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If a pesky fly is bothering you and you want it out of your house, simply dim all the light sources in your home. Flies are drawn to light, so turning off all the lights and closing all the blinds on your windows makes your home unattractive. ^{[13]
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2
Open your door and turn on the porch light. To draw the fly outside, open your front or back door. Then, turn on a light near the door to attract the fly, whether you flip on the porch light or set up a flashlight. ^{[14]
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- As an alternative, use a UV light trap . Carrillo says that flies “find the spectrum of UV light rather attractive and appealing.” Most traps have “some sort of glue board built into the light. So when [the flies] go to investigate the light, they get stuck on the trap.”

Section 5 of 5:

Preventing Flies from Getting Inside

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1
Find and remove the flies’ food source. Carrillo says “if you get rid of the food source, a fly problem will fix itself within a couple of weeks.” Because most flies are “attracted to rotting or decaying organic matter,” he recommends “containing the garbage” better, “clean[ing] out the room that [the garbage can] is in,” and “pressure wash[ing] or steam clean[ing] the actual garbage containers themselves.”
- Bloom agrees and says to “dispose of trash properly” by “keep[ing] it bagged or in a closed can.”
- Bloom also says to keep your home clean. For instance, wipe up spills and rinse out “unwashed juice, soda, or beer bottles” before recycling them.
- Check for other potential food sources in and around your home. Pest management expert Luke Lewis says “flies will breed in pet droppings” and “rodent carcasses” as well. So, make sure these sources are cleaned up, too.
2
Seal up gaps and cracks around your home with caulk . Lewis says small pests, like flies, “often get in your home through unnoticed cracks and crevices.” So, make sure “your home is sealed with no openings” by using caulk to close gaps around your doors, windows, pipes, and foundation.
- Bloom also recommends “inspecting for windows with missing or damaged screening,” as well as doors, and fixing or replacing the screens. He also says to keep your doors and windows closed.
3
Clean fruit and vegetables after bringing them home. Carrillo says there’s a good chance “the fruit that you're bringing in… probably has fruit fly eggs on it already.” He recommends that whenever you bring in produce, scrub it “under running water with some sort of brush to help destroy and dislodge any of the eggs that are on there.”
- Alternatively, Carrillo says it’s a good idea to “keep [produce] in airtight containers or in deep refrigeration.”
- Bloom also suggests putting away or disposing of old, ripe fruit, as they are particularly attractive to fruit flies.

How Do You Catch Fruit Flies?

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Flies can live up to 30 days if they have a water and food source. ^{[15]
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Research source} They can survive up to 15 days without any food or water. If catching a fly is difficult, simply waiting for it to die can be an option.

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Getting the fly into a small, closed area, like a restroom, can help make catching it easier.

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Warnings

Flies can carry bacteria and diseases. Make sure to wash your hands after handling them and sanitize any surfaces they landed on. ^{[16]
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4 Simple Ways to Capture Flies

The Best Ways to Catch Flies

Steps

Using Traps to Catch Flies

Catching Flies with Your Hands

Using a Cup to Catch Flies

Luring Flies Back Outside

Preventing Flies from Getting Inside

How Do You Catch Fruit Flies?

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Video

Tips

Warnings

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