How to Make Your Own Fly Paper
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/how-to-make-fly-paper-1389064-01-cf6f11f645254603b236fb6b9a2446f6.jpg)
The Spruce / Jorge Gamboa
Flies can be a real nuisance. With all the gross things that they come into contact with, you don’t want them in your home and around your family. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend money on products to get rid of them.
Just follow these simple steps to make your own flypaper. It works just as well as store-bought varieties, and since it’s so cheap to make, you’ll be able to switch it out more frequently. Because while it’s satisfying to see all those flies stuck to the flypaper, it sure doesn’t do anything for your decor.
You'll need just a few common household items to make your homemade flypaper.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/how-to-make-fly-paper-1389064-03-5de0f73d18a14678a7448751f1a4c6dc.jpg)
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Scissors
- A saucepan
- Cookie sheets and drying racks
- Tongs
- A large spoon for stirring
Materials
- A brown paper bag
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
-
Cut Paper Bag
Cut a brown paper bag into strips.
-
Mix and Heat Ingredients
Combine equal parts corn syrup, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Heat, constantly stirring until the sugar dissolves.
-
Submerge Strips in Mixture
Remove the pan from the heat, submerge the strips in the sugar-water mixture, and allow them to sit long enough to become saturated.
-
Let Strips Dry
Remove the strips with tongs—careful, they'll be hot—and place them on drying racks overtop cookie sheets.
Allow the strips to drip dry until they’re completely dry to the touch. It shouldn’t take long. Then, hang your flypaper wherever flies are a problem. It’s super sticky stuff, so be sure to hang your homemade strips out of the way of people and pets.
One-fourth cup of corn syrup, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of water make for a lot of flypaper, so don't use more than those amounts in your initial batch (unless you plan to hang the strips in an area dense with flies, such as in a barn or horse stall). The paper strips will be hot after you heat them, so resist the temptation to just pluck them out of the pan—use the tongs.
More Ways to Catch Flies
If you don't want to mess around with sticky flypaper, you can also make a fly trap in just a few minutes. And, there are plenty of other inexpensive ways to get rid of flies. If you're battling a swarm of fruit flies in your kitchen or bathroom—they can thrive and bring disease and bacteria to even the cleanest environments—get rid of them quickly with a simple, homemade trap.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dead-flies-on-the-adhesive-flypaper--dof-546769540-3033f8a965244a60b97fb2927bc7e48e-5cd1233685db4743990d0abf5ec25347.jpg)