The Best Fly Traps and Fruit Fly Traps

Nothing is worse than a fly. You’re in the kitchen and you can hear the buzz. Before you know it, you feel those tiny feet land on your arm. When you swat at it, the fly immediately flies away. Two seconds later, it’s back. It can become quite the vicious cycle. 

Thankfully, instead of chasing flies around and swatting like a mad person, there are options available to trap flies and leave you to focus on the more important things in life. Whether looking to catch flies inside, outside, or both, this list has got you covered with the best fly traps and best fruit fly traps available on the market. 

What Makes the Best Fly Trap?

You might be wondering – what in the world makes the best fly trap? Not all fly traps are created equal, and depending on your fly situation one that might work great for you might not be the best solution for your neighbor. As they say, “different strokes for different folks.”

Here are of the qualities that make the best fly trap:

• Brightly Colored – Fly traps are usually brightly colored because conventional wisdom says that flies and fruit flies are drawn to highly pigmented objects. The bright yellows and oranges mimic the foods that fruit flies love so it does make sense.

• Can Catch Multiple Types of Insects – The best fly traps aren’t just fly traps. No one wants mosquitoes either. The best fly traps can catch multiple types of bugs leaving your house insect free. 

• Indoor/Outdoor Use – You never know when you’re going to throw a barbecue and you might need to get rid of some flies in the backyard. Some of the best fruit fly traps are great for both use inside and outside depending on your need. 

• Affordable – No one wants to spend an arm and a leg on fruit fly traps. That’s why our top picks are relatively cheap. 

Top 8 Best Fly Traps and Fruit Fly Traps

1. Garsum Sticky Fly Trap – Best Fruit Fly Trap

This fly trap is a great option for either inside or outside. The other benefit is that it is not just for the pesky fruit flies – it will also function as a gnat and mosquito trap.

The bright color and shape of this trap makes it appealing to the flies. You just peel off the coating and stick it in a flower bed. And that’s it! Your job is done. Now you can relax, knowing that this fly trap is doing all the work for you.

Don’t have a plant bed to stick this trap in? No worries! You can also hang it from above and it will still work to attract the fruit flies and mosquitoes. The worst part about this fly trap is that the flies stick to the outside. So, if you’re squeamish about dead bugs, the removal might be a little tricky. 

Overall, this is the best fruit fly trap on the market. The fact that it also catches mosquitoes and gnats is an added bonus.

2. KATCHY Non-Toxic Fly and Mosquito Trap – Best Mosquito Trap

This fruit fly trap looks like a space-aged tool. Its sleek design will have your guests wondering what it is. It’s a safe fly trap that catches not only fruit flies, but gnats and mosquitoes.

The UV light attracts bugs to fly over towards this machine and then the fan pulls them in. The fruit flies then stick to the bottom of the glue pad. 

This fancy machine does come with some downsides though. While it comes with three of the glue pads, they still have to be purchased separately when you need to refill it. Also, if you’re experiencing an infestation of regular house flies, they’re too big to fit in this particular trap.

This fly trap is best suited towards smaller bugs such as fruit flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. It’s also nice because it looks good wherever you place it and you don’t have to see all the bugs it has trapped.

3. Venus Fly Trap – Carnivorous Plant – Best Natural Fly Trap

Looking for something a little more organic that’s also fun for kids? The Venus Fly Trap is a great choice. Not only does it look like something out of a sci-fi movie, it also catches the flies swarming around your house.

Larger Venus Fly Traps like this one are more suited for catching larger flies, while smaller Venus Fly Traps are suitable for smaller bugs like fruit flies and mosquitoes. If you have a problem with both fruit flies and house flies, get both!

Venus Fly Traps do require more work than other traps since it’s a living plant that needs water and care. However, even if you don’t have a green thumb, they’re fairly easy to take care of. This plant arrives with instructions so you can provide the best care for this plant.

The best part of a Venus Fly Trap? It’s fun to watch them catch flies and devour them!

Looking for another carnivorous plant? Check out the Asian Pitcher Plant which traps flies in its hanging cups. This exotic and easy to grow plant also looks great when hung.

4. Catchmaster Clear Window Bug & Fly Trap – Best Fly Trap

Just apply this trap directly to your window and watch the flies stick right on it. This is also great for the car when a fly is buzzing around and driving you crazy.

It’s incredibly easy to use and catches a wide variety of flies – not just fruit flies, but mosquitoes, regular flies, and gnats. Being on the window puts this fly trap out of sight. And when its full, you can just peel it off your window.

There can be some residual glue left to your window after removal, so it does require some cleaning afterwards. However, some soap and water or some Goo Gone should do the trick.

It’s also best to leave the curtains open when you’re using this product so they don’t get stuck. Also, light will help to attract more flies as they try to get outside. Sometimes you’ll even get the occasional spider!

Although this catches flies, fruit flies and gnats, it’s overall the best fly trap on our list.

5. Farnam Home and Garden Fly Trap

Have a serious fly problem and looking to pull out the big guns? Look no further! This fly trap holds up to 2 quarts of flies. That is a lot of flies.

It is also reusable in case your fly problem cannot be contained with just 2 quarts. It is only for outdoor use only, but with it’s large size, you’ll be able to keep it outside for quite a while to enjoy the summer cook-outs and family time.

If you’re using it for landscape or your garden, be sure to buy multiple jars to cover a larger area. This device can be hung, placed on a table or even set on the ground.

It’s an especially great fly trap for dog pens, farms and chicken coops. 

6. TERRO Fruit Fly Trap

With its bright red color, this fruit fly trap looks more like a kitchen decoration than a death trap for pesky fruit flies. These small traps are perfect to place around the kitchen to trap fruit flies.

The flies are attracted to the bright color. It’s suggested to place next to the source so this can be placed directly next to your fruit bowl. These traps last for about 30 days and come with refillable bait.

Due to the small size, this trap will only work on fruit flies. However, if that is your only problem, this is definitely the best option to get rid of fruit flies. It is reusable as well. Just dump out the flies and refill with the provided bait and you’ll be set for months to come.

Another plus is that when the solution runs out you can just create your own. Just follow the instructions below for creating the fruit fly trap filling solution. Then, use the solution in these traps.

7. ZAP IT! Rechargeable Mosquito, Fly Killer and Bug Zapper Racket

Want a fly catcher that’s a little more interactive? Or, dare I say, fun? You get both with this tennis racket shaped electric fly swatter. And you get two-for-one!

It works wonders for regular house flies and mosquitoes. And, unlike most fly swapper rackets, it even works great on fruit flies! Practice your aim and swing away with this fly swatter. 

This bug zapper is incredibly simple to clean since it only has one layer of the netting. The netting is also designed so no bugs will get trapped in between like with other fly swatters.

And, there’s even an LED light attached if you have to use this fly swatter at night. It’s USB rechargeable too, so no need to constantly replace batteries.

Between the ease of cleaning and the fun of swatting, who would have though having a fly problem could actually be a bit of fun?

8. Victor Fly Magnet Reusable Fly Trap 

These fly traps are easy to hang, making them great for outdoor use. Since they are reusable, all you have to do is throw out the flies and add more bait when you are done.

Unfortunately, they are not recommended for indoor use (and are a bit smelly) and thus, would not be a great idea to get rid of fruit flies. But, they would make a great trap for any outdoor barbecue and can be positioned away from your guests so they won’t notice any dead flies. 

This trap is incredibly simple to use. You just open it up, add some water, hang it up, and move on with your life. You might even forget that it’s there! 

How to Pick the Best Fly Trap

You’ve read through this entire list, but still aren’t sure which one to pick. Here are some questions to ask yourself before making a selection. 

• Ease: How simple is this to set up and to use? You don’t want to be spending hours on end setting up and catching flies. You have things to do and places to be! Most fly traps are simply a set it and forget it kind of situation. Be mindful of the set up. Are you going to have to hang this up? Do you have somewhere to hang it up or are you going to have to get out the hammer and nails? Thinking about where this trap needs to be will help you determine how easy it will be to set up.

• Length of Use: How long are you going to be able to use this trap? Depending on your fly problem, it might not matter how long these traps say they’re good for and you’ll need to restart. Typically, fly traps do lose their effectiveness as time wears on. Are you going to have to constantly refill bait? 

• Cost: Fruit flies are a simple problem and you don’t want to need a second mortgage to fix it. Be mindful of not only the upfront cost, but how much bait refills might cost you later on. It might be cheap now, but is it going to be cheap in a few months after you buy multiple refill packs of bait?

You are now fully equipped to stop fruit flies and house flies in their tracks. Still can’t make a decision? Try the DIY fruit fly trap below.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Fruit Fly Trap 

Why wait for the delivery of a fly trap when you have an immediate fly problem happening? The benefits of a DIY fly trap is it is safe, non-toxic and you don’t have to worry about ordering refills.

Here’s how to make your very own Do-It-Yourself Fruit Fly Trap!

What You Need: 

Directions:

Step 1 – Add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to the container. 

Step 2 – Add a small amount of dish soap to the apple cider vinegar and mix well. 

Step 3 – Roll up the paper into a cone-shaped funnel. Make sure that it fits in your container before taping it together. 

Step 4 – Place the cone in the jar, tape it in place and you’re all done!

The apple cider vinegar attracts the fruit flies and the soap makes it hard for them to leave. Be sure to throw this out once it fills up with fruit flies because as time goes on it will lose its effectiveness. 

Another great way to eliminate flies, gnats and mosquitoes is with humming birds. Buy a good hummingbird feeder and attract hummingbirds to kill flies and gnats naturally.