🏚 Home Tip #10: Stop Flies at Your Garbage Cans with This Easy Hack!

Eliminating Flies Around Your Outdoor Garbage Cans with Fly Bags

Flies swarming your garbage cans can turn taking out the trash into an annoying, germ-filled battle. One popular solution? Baited fly bags. These little traps are designed to lure flies in and keep them away from your outdoor spaces. But are they worth it? Let’s break down the pros and cons and show you how to set them up for the best results.

The Pros & Cons

😊 Pros

• Effective at Trapping Flies: Fly bags are incredibly efficient at catching flies. Once they’re in, they’re not getting out, which keeps your garbage area a lot less buggy.

• Easy to Use: No complicated setup or special tools required. Just hang, add water, and let the bag do the work. It’s that simple.

• Budget-Friendly Solution: These traps are inexpensive and available at most hardware or home improvement stores, making them a cost-effective way to deal with flies.

• Chemical-Free Option: Most fly bags use bait that’s non-toxic, making them a safer alternative to chemical sprays or harsh insecticides.

😡 Cons

• They Smell Terrible: The bait inside these bags attracts flies because it stinks—badly. You’ll want to keep them far enough away from seating areas or places you regularly walk by.

• Not the Prettiest Sight: A bag full of dead flies isn’t exactly the look you’re going for. You’ll need to tolerate the unsightly view or find a discreet spot to hang them.

• Can Attract More Flies Initially: Because these traps are so effective, they may actually draw more flies to the area before they get caught, especially in the first few days.

• Need Regular Maintenance: These bags don’t last forever. You’ll need to replace them once they’re full or the bait loses its effectiveness, adding a bit of maintenance to your outdoor chores.

🏡 How to Use Fly Bags

You’ll need:

• Baited fly bags (available at most home improvement stores)

• Water

• Zip ties, wire or string

• A spot near your garbage cans, but away from high-traffic areas

Steps:

1. Choose Your Spot: Find a spot near your garbage cans but away from doors, windows, or seating areas. These bags are best placed 10-15 feet (or more) away from where you hang out.

2. Activate the Bag: Follow the instructions on the fly bag. Typically, you’ll just need to add water to the bait inside the bag.

3. Hang It Up: Use the zip ties, wire or string to hook the bag on something like a branch, or fence post to hang the bag. Make sure it’s secure so it doesn’t fall off.

4. Replace When Full: Once the bag is full of flies or loses its effectiveness, seal it up in a zip lock bag, toss it in the trash, and hang a new one.

Check out this short YouTube video for a step-by-step guide on setting up your fly bag!

🛠 When to call a Pro

If fly bags don’t seem to be doing the trick and the fly problem persists, it might be time to call in pest control. A professional can assess the situation, suggest more robust solutions, and ensure there aren’t any bigger problems (like a hidden food source) attracting flies to your garbage area.

Fly bags are a great first line of defense against those annoying garbage can flies. With the right placement and a little maintenance, they can keep your trash area much more pleasant—and keep you from waving flies away every time you take out the garbage!

The Handy Homeowner

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