The 5 Best Fly Traps Reviewed: Do They Actually Work?
Share
Every summer, the fly trap aisle fills up with options that all promise the same thing. Catch more flies, keep your space cleaner, take back your backyard. Some of them actually deliver. Others are mostly packaging.
We looked at the five most common types of fly traps — how they work, where they work, and where they fall apart. No sponsored rankings. Just a straight look at what does what.
What Makes a Fly Trap Actually Work?
Before getting into specific products, it helps to understand what flies are attracted to in the first place. House flies navigate using smell and visual contrast. They're drawn to fermenting organic material, ammonia compounds (from manure and decomposing matter), carbon dioxide, and warmth. Any trap that doesn't meaningfully exploit at least one of those signals is going to underperform.
The other variable is placement. The best trap in the wrong location catches almost nothing.
1. Water-Activated Bait Traps (Disposable)
How they work: You add water to a pre-loaded bait packet inside a sealed bag or container. The bait ferments and releases an odor that's irresistible to flies. They enter through a small opening and can't find their way back out. When the trap fills up — or after 30 days — you throw the whole thing away.
What they're good at: Catching large numbers of outdoor flies fast. During peak season, a well-placed bait trap can capture thousands of flies per week. They require no electricity, no refills beyond water, and no technical setup.
Limitations: The smell. These traps work by smelling like exactly what flies want — which is not what you want near your porch or picnic table. Placement matters a lot. Hang them 20–30 feet from gathering areas, not next to the door.
Best for: Farms, barns, outdoor kitchens, patios with heavy fly pressure, trash areas.
The FlyShark Trap falls into this category. It uses a water-activated attractant, catches flies without any chemicals or electricity, and is fully disposable when full. For heavy outdoor use, it's one of the most effective tools available.
Bottom line: If outdoor fly volume is your problem, this type of trap is your best option. Nothing else catches flies at the same scale for the same cost.
2. Electric UV Light Traps (Bug Zappers)
How they work: A UV light attracts flying insects to an electrified grid, which kills them on contact. Some models also include a sticky glue board as a backup.
What they're good at: Killing moths, beetles, and other phototropic insects that are strongly attracted to light. The satisfying zap sound is a feature, not a bug, for some people.
Limitations: House flies are not strongly attracted to UV light. Multiple studies — including research published by the University of Florida Extension — have found that electric zappers disproportionately kill non-target insects, including predatory species. For actual fly control, they're significantly less effective than their reputation suggests.
Indoor models with glue boards are somewhat more useful in enclosed spaces, where flies have fewer options and end up near the light by default.
Best for: Enclosed spaces with occasional fly intrusion. Not for serious outdoor fly pressure.
Bottom line: Better for moths than flies. If you're buying specifically for house flies, this isn't your best option.
3. Sticky Ribbons and Fly Paper
How they work: An adhesive strip coated with a mild attractant hangs in a space. Flies land on it and get stuck.
What they're good at: Being cheap, passive, and reasonably effective in enclosed spaces with moderate fly pressure — garages, storage sheds, barns with limited ventilation. Easy to monitor: when the strip fills up, you know what you're dealing with.
Limitations: Aesthetics, for one. A strip covered in dead flies is not dining room décor. They also lose effectiveness in dusty environments (the adhesive gets coated) and have limited range — they only capture flies that happen to land on them, not flies across the room.
Best for: Barns, garages, sheds, utility spaces.
Bottom line: Good supplemental tool. Not a standalone solution for serious fly problems.
4. Fly Bait Stations (Granular or Liquid)
How they work: A chemical attractant (usually methomyl or other insecticides) is combined with a bait that flies eat. The fly dies after ingesting it.
What they're good at: Fast knockdown of large fly populations. Commercial operations sometimes use these when fly pressure is extreme.
Limitations: These are pesticides, which means label compliance is mandatory — and misuse is a real risk around food, water sources, children, and pets. They're also not suitable for organic operations or anywhere near food-producing animals. Flies can develop resistance to the active ingredients over repeated exposure.
Best for: Severe infestations where chemical use is acceptable and carefully managed.
Bottom line: Effective, but comes with real handling requirements and isn't right for every situation.
5. Fly Fans (Air Curtains)
How they work: A high-velocity air stream across a door opening creates a barrier that physically prevents flies from entering. Common in commercial food service.
What they're good at: Keeping flies out of a specific entry point. They don't catch or kill anything — they just block. For restaurant kitchens, food prep areas, and commercial spaces with high door traffic, they're genuinely effective.
Limitations: They only work at the specific opening where they're installed, they're loud, and they're expensive (commercial units start around $200–400). For outdoor use or wide-open spaces, they do nothing.
Best for: Commercial kitchens, food service back entrances, loading docks.
Bottom line: Right tool for a very specific job. Not relevant for most residential or farm use.
So, Which Fly Trap Should You Buy?
It depends almost entirely on where you're using it and how bad your fly problem is.
Heavy outdoor fly pressure (farms, barns, patios, trash areas): Water-activated bait trap. It's not close.
Enclosed spaces with moderate pressure (garages, sheds, barns): Sticky traps as a baseline, with a bait trap outside if volume is high.
Indoor spaces (homes, offices): UV glue board traps for occasional intruders. Keep entries sealed and deal with source issues first.
Commercial food service: Air curtains at entry points, combined with outdoor bait traps to reduce perimeter pressure.
The best fly control usually involves more than one method. But if you're going to pick one product for outdoor fly pressure specifically, a quality bait trap is going to outperform everything else on this list.
The FlyShark Fly Trap is a chemical-free, water-activated bait trap built for serious outdoor fly pressure. No electricity. No chemicals. Just water and placement. Shop FlyShark →