Flies are a major problem when humidity strikes and summer is in full swing. Some fly attractants have harmful chemicals, especially dangerous when around small children and pets, and some are just sticky messes that most of us wouldn't mess with if we didn't have to. There are cost-free alternatives, and safer ones too, to attract and trap flies. Does this Spark an idea?
Drowning
Find a liquid you can't seem to keep the flies away from, whether they're surrounding your soda or your sugary juice concoction. Lay the attractant on its side with a puddle of the drink still inside, and the flies will rush to it just as they did when you were enjoying it--but in this case, they crawl inside and drown in the liquid.
Organic Insecticide
Choose an organic insecticide from your local farm supply store. Make sure it is nontoxic for pets and people--it will say this on the label. Take a plastic beverage bottle and pour the insecticide in the bottle, twirling the bottle to coat the sides. Let it dry. Once it is dry, hang the bottle upside down. The flies will fly in because the insecticide will have a pleasing scent for the flies, and the insecticide will do its trick.
Biomass
A cheap and effective way to attract flies is to leave rotting food or juices inside upside-down bottles and containers. Flies can fly up into them, but not down out of them, and they perish inside the low-oxygen containers.
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