However, be aware that fruit flies are often confused with drain flies, as they are both small flies that can be attracted to kitchen areas. Traps designed for fruit flies may not be effective against drain flies.

Vacuuming - keep carpets, rugs and floors clean and vacuum up dead insects, before applying DIY residual insecticides or know down sprays on adult flies. Whether it’s a colony of fruit flies in the kitchen or a house fly that won’t stop buzzing around the trash can, a fly invasion is a huge annoyance. And once they’re inside, it often seems impossible to get rid of them.Dr. Thomas says this type of trap is her recommendation for a typical pest control situation. She says, “for indoor control of flies, I recommend a light trap. These plug-in light traps will capture a variety of species and can be plugged in near the source of infestation.” Light traps such as the DynaTrap Flylight Indoor Insect Trap are a more modern fly trap that use UV light to attract insects. These traps are typically used indoors and use a glue card or container to trap the flies. Light traps have the advantage of being pet and kid safe, odorless, and mess-free, though they require electricity to work.

Due to the bait’s strong smell, you’ll need to hang the trap at least 20 feet away from any living spaces. If you have a porch or other outdoor living space, you’ll want to hang the trap away from these areas as the trap will attract any insects within smelling distance. Dr. Thomas cautions that, “Liquid fly containers have an attractant that can draw in more flies. They have been known to attract hundreds of flies that may otherwise not have been an issue.” However, Dr. Thomas says these traps work very well and are great to use if you need to kill a lot of flies—you’ll just want to be sure they’re placed outdoors and far away from the areas you’re trying to keep fly-free. Putting traps outside not only helps with outdoor infestations, but can also help with your indoor fly problem as flies are often attracted into the area from items left outdoors. Dr. Thomas says house flies are attracted to “nearby garbage or garbage receptacles, decaying plants, lawn clippings, straw, mulch, and other organic items in the open.” While there is a protective grille and low voltage, Dr. Thomas says she advises families with small children to, “avoid electrical traps that zap insects. These can hurt little fingers if something is injected into the wiring unit.” Because of this, you’ll also want to keep zappers away from pets.

Compared to others on our list, this fly trap has a slightly more complex setup, and you’ll need to supply your own string or wire for hanging. Follow the directions on the bag to expose the trap entrance, then add water to activate the bait and hang the trap outside. Lured by the scent, flies enter the trap through the cap and drown in the water. The Victor Fly Magnet M380 is the best fly trap that is reusable and suitable for outdoor use. This is a large trap at 32 ounces, and it’s capable of catching up to 20,000 flies. The kit includes three reusable traps, bait refills, and chains for easy hanging outdoors. The trap's lid has four holes for catching multiple flies at once. The container is made of a durable, hard plastic with a clear reservoir to monitor the fly level inside.

Acute Illnesses Associated With Insecticides Used to Control Bed Bugs. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol 60, no. 37, 2011, pp. 1269-1274. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The type of trap you need will vary depending on your situation. The kind of species you want to target is one of the most important questions to ask, as not all traps will work for every kind of insect. Though most traps on this list are suitable for all flying insects, for infestations of fruit flies you’ll likely want a trap specifically designed for this species, like the Terro Fruit Fly Trap. The Rescue! Disposable Fly Trap is a disposable hanging fly trap that uses bait to attract flying insects and is our recommendation for the best fly trap for outside your home. Traps are designed for inside, outside, or both. For example, zap traps typically can’t be used outside because precipitation and electricity don’t mix. On the other hand, container traps typically have a hook to hang on a post. Choose a trap that works wherever you’re seeing a large number of flies. Safety