Can I make a horse fly trap at home? Yes, you absolutely can make an effective horse fly trap using simple materials you likely already have. Making a homemade equine fly trap is a great, budget-friendly way to help with natural horse fly control around your barn or pasture.
Dealing with biting flies like horse flies, deer flies, and stable flies is a constant struggle for horse owners. These pests don’t just annoy your animals; they can spread disease and cause painful, irritating bites that lead to swishing, stomping, and stress. While commercial sprays and wipes offer temporary relief, setting up traps provides a long-term defense. This guide will walk you through creating some of the best traps for biting flies on horses, focusing on the popular and highly effective fly bag trap.
Why Build Your Own Horse Fly Trap?
Commercial traps can be costly, especially if you need several to cover a large area. Building your own allows you to customize the size and placement. Plus, knowing exactly what goes into your trap gives you better control over the bait. Many owners prefer DIY horse fly repellent solutions that minimize chemical exposure for their animals and the environment.
Benefits of Homemade Traps
- Cost-Effective: Uses cheap, readily available materials.
- Customizable: You control the size and shape.
- Environmentally Friendly: You choose safe, natural bait options.
- Effective: Certain designs mimic natural targets for these pests.
Fathoming the Enemy: How Horse Flies Hunt
To build a good trap, you need to know what attracts horse flies. Horse flies are drawn to a few key things: movement, heat, and carbon dioxide (CO2). They are sight hunters. They look for large, dark, moving shapes—which is why they often target horses.
Key Attractants for Biting Flies
- Visual Cues: Dark colors and round shapes mimic potential hosts.
- Heat and Moisture: They seek warm, moist areas.
- CO2: This is the breath gas that signals a living animal is near.
The best traps use these cues to lure the flies in, but make it impossible for them to escape. This is the core principle behind building a horse fly catcher.
Method 1: Constructing a Fly Bag Trap (The Simple Water Trap)
This method is one of the easiest ways to start reducing biting flies around horses. It uses the visual cue of a dark sphere combined with a water bath to drown the captured insects. This is often called constructing a fly bag trap.
Materials Needed
- A Dark Balloon or Plastic Ball: A large, dark gray or black weather balloon works best. If unavailable, a dark, inflatable beach ball works too.
- A Bucket or Large Container: Needs to be deep enough to submerge the bottom half of the ball.
- Soap or Detergent: Dish soap is perfect.
- Water: Warm water helps, but room temperature is fine.
- Bait (Optional but Recommended): See the section below on attracting ingredients for horse fly traps.
Step-by-Step Construction Guide
Step 1: Preparing the Visual Lure
Inflate your dark balloon or ball until it is firm and quite large—at least 10 to 12 inches across. The size mimics the rump of a large animal.
Step 2: Setting Up the Water Bath
Fill your bucket about halfway with water. Add a generous squirt of dish soap (about one tablespoon).
Why Soap? Soap breaks the surface tension of the water. Flies cannot land on water with soap; they sink immediately.
Step 3: Positioning the Lure
Carefully suspend the dark ball over the bucket so that the bottom third of the ball sits just in or slightly above the soapy water. You can use string tied around the neck of the balloon or rig a simple stand around the bucket. The goal is for the fly to hit the ball, slide down, and fall into the water.
Step 4: Adding the Attractant (Optional)
If you are using a liquid bait (like fermented mash), you can place a small, open container of the bait near the ball or even lightly smear some on the bottom of the ball where it meets the water. This enhances the lure.
Step 5: Placement
Place the trap where flies congregate but away from where your horses rest comfortably. A spot near the manure pile or the gate entrance is often ideal.
Enhancing the Bag Trap with Bait
While the visual lure is powerful, adding scent makes the trap irresistible. These are the primary attracting ingredients for horse fly traps:
| Bait Ingredient | Why It Works | Preparation Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fermented Bran/Mash | Mimics rotting organic matter and fermentation smells. | Mix wheat bran, molasses, and water. Let it sit outside in a covered container for 5-7 days until strong smelling. |
| Ammonia/Urine | Replicates mammal waste scents. | Use diluted old pet urine or add a small capful of household ammonia to the water. Use sparingly. |
| Yeast Solution | Yeast produces CO2, a primary fly attractant. | Mix warm water, a tablespoon of sugar, and a packet of active dry yeast. Let it bubble before using. |
Tip: Place the bait source in a small, open jar near the base of the trap, not directly on the ball, unless you are using a solid attractant that won’t wash away.
Method 2: The Plastic Bottle Trap (A Great DIY Alternative)
If you don’t have a large balloon, a standard 2-liter plastic soda bottle makes an excellent, self-contained trap. This is a classic example of building a horse fly catcher.
Materials Needed
- One large (2-liter) plastic soda bottle.
- Utility knife or strong scissors.
- Wire or string for hanging.
- Bait solution (as listed above).
Construction Steps
- Cut the Bottle: Cut the bottle in half, just above where the label usually ends. You will use the top (funnel) piece and the bottom piece.
- Create the Funnel: Remove the cap from the top section. Invert the top section (the part with the neck) and fit it upside down into the bottom section, like a funnel sitting in a cup. The narrow opening should point downward.
- Secure the Pieces: Tape or punch holes and wire the two halves together so they don’t separate.
- Add Bait: Pour your chosen attractant solution (like the yeast or fermented mash) into the bottom reservoir. Make sure the liquid level is below the neck of the funnel.
- Hang It Up: Puncture two small holes near the top rim and thread wire through to hang the trap securely.
Flies enter through the wide opening at the top, follow the scent down the funnel, and get trapped in the liquid below. They struggle to find the narrow exit point and eventually drown.
Method 3: Sticky Traps and DIY Repellent Blends
While physical traps capture flies after they arrive, sometimes you need an effective horse fly barrier around immediate areas. This involves sticky surfaces or strong-smelling repellents.
Creating DIY Sticky Strips
You can adapt commercial fly tape concepts for a DIY horse fly repellent strategy.
- Base Material: Use heavy brown paper, plastic sheeting, or old vinyl banners. Cut them into long strips (about 6 inches wide).
- The Adhesive Mix: This is the tricky part, as commercial adhesives are very sticky. A workable, though less permanent, alternative can be made from:
- Corn Syrup (lots of it)
- Honey
- A few drops of strong essential oils (like citronella or peppermint, which many flies dislike)
- Mix until very thick and tacky.
- Application: Paint or spread the adhesive mixture thickly onto your base material strips.
- Placement: Hang these strips near doorways, windows, or gateways where flies pass through frequently.
Note on Safety: Ensure these sticky traps are hung high enough that your horse cannot rub against them and get covered in the adhesive.
Natural Repellent Sprays
For immediate, personal protection, a strong DIY horse fly repellent spray can help keep flies off temporarily. This is not a trap, but part of comprehensive control.
| Ingredient | Purpose | Ratio (Approximate) |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) | Strong scent flies avoid. | 2 parts |
| Water | Dilution. | 2 parts |
| Witch Hazel | Carrier and skin soother. | 1 part |
| Essential Oils (Geranium, Cedarwood, Citronella) | Strong masking scents. | 20-30 drops total |
Mix these ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use, as the oils will separate. Spray lightly on the horse’s body (avoiding eyes and mucous membranes). This offers short-term relief.
Strategic Placement: Making Your Traps an Effective Horse Fly Barrier
The success of any trap hinges on where you put it. You are trying to intercept flies before they find your horse. This is crucial for maximizing the impact of your homemade equine fly trap.
Where to Place Traps
- Perimeter Control: Place traps around the edges of pastures, near gates, and along fences. This catches flies traveling between resting areas and feeding areas.
- Near Waste: Horse flies love manure and decaying organic matter. Place one trap near the compost pile or manure storage area. This targets breeding grounds.
- Away From Resting Zones: Never place traps right next to your horse’s favorite shaded spot or water trough. You want to lure the flies away from where the horses relax.
- Height Matters: For the ball traps, suspend them so the bottom is about 3 to 5 feet off the ground. This is the general flight level for many biting flies.
Types of Horse Fly Traps and Their Uses
Different types of horse fly traps target different stages or behaviors of the flies.
| Trap Type | Primary Target | Best Use Scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Ball/Water Trap | Adult biting flies (Horse flies, Deer flies) | Open pastures, high fly pressure areas. |
| Bottle Trap | General nuisance flies (with CO2 bait) | Smaller enclosures, near barn doors. |
| Sticky Strips | Flies entering structures or moving through narrow paths. | Barn entryways, grooming areas. |
| CO2 Generators (Commercial) | Highly aggressive horse flies. | Areas where extreme control is needed (DIY version uses yeast). |
Maintenance and Monitoring Your Catchers
A trap is only effective if it is maintained. Neglecting your trap means it stops working, and worse, it can start smelling rotten, potentially attracting more undesirable insects.
Regular Maintenance Checklist
- Empty Weekly (or Bi-Weekly): Pour out the dead flies and the old soapy water. Rinse the container thoroughly.
- Refresh the Bait: If using liquid attractants, replace them every 7 to 10 days, or sooner if the smell fades significantly.
- Check the Lure: Ensure the dark ball or plastic lure is clean and intact. If it gets covered in dirt, wipe it down so it retains its dark, heat-absorbing color.
- Monitor Catches: Keep track of what you catch. If you catch mostly house flies but few horse flies, you might need to adjust your bait or move the trap closer to where the horse flies are landing (but not too close to the horse!).
This regular attention ensures you maintain an effective horse fly barrier around your property.
Advanced Techniques: Simulating a Host
Some of the best traps for biting flies on horses involve techniques that closely mimic a real animal. While this requires slightly more effort, the results can be very rewarding for natural horse fly control.
The Plastic Bag Over a Ball Technique
This technique enhances the visual appeal of the dark ball trap:
- Take a very large, black trash bag or a heavy black plastic sheet.
- Drape it loosely over a large beach ball or inflated tire, allowing the plastic to hang down unevenly.
- Secure the top loosely.
When wind moves the plastic, it simulates the movement and shape of a large animal breathing and shifting. Flies are highly responsive to this movement, making them more likely to investigate and become trapped in the water reservoir underneath.
Incorporating Heat (Use Caution)
Horse flies are drawn to heat. While you cannot safely replicate body heat perfectly in a DIY horse fly repellent trap, you can maximize solar absorption:
- Use a slightly glossy black surface for the lure if possible.
- Place the trap in a sunny area, ensuring the water reservoir remains full. A warmer water bath can sometimes increase the rate of attraction for certain fly species.
Safety First When Dealing with Flies and Horses
When implementing any method, including DIY horse fly repellent sprays or traps, safety for your horse is paramount.
Trap Safety Precautions
- Placement Height: Ensure no part of the trap or hanging mechanism can snag or injure your horse if they move suddenly near it.
- Bait Security: If using strong baits like ammonia or strong fermentation, ensure the container is sealed well enough that the horse cannot knock it over and ingest concentrated substances.
- Essential Oils: If using essential oils in sprays or near traps, research them first. Some oils are toxic to horses if ingested or applied heavily to the skin. Stick to well-known, safe choices like citronella or peppermint.
FAQs About DIY Horse Fly Traps
Are homemade horse fly traps really effective?
Yes, especially the dark sphere/water traps. Horse flies are strongly attracted to the visual cue of a large, dark, round object combined with the disruption of surface tension caused by the soap in the water. They are a proven, low-cost way to manage local populations.
How long does it take for a DIY trap to start working?
Results vary based on weather, fly population density, and bait strength. You might see a few catches within 24 hours, but a significant reduction in flies usually takes about one week of consistent use and monitoring.
Can I use regular fly spray instead of soap in the water trap?
It is not recommended. Many commercial fly sprays contain chemicals that are not meant to sit in stagnant water or evaporate into the air in large quantities around livestock areas. Simple dish soap is biodegradable and effective at breaking water tension.
Where is the best place to hang a trap if I only have a small paddock?
In a small area, place the trap as far as possible from your horse’s primary resting spots (like the run-in shed or feeding station). Focus on the sunniest, driest area of the paddock, as this is where flies often congregate first before moving toward a host.
What is the main difference between a house fly trap and a horse fly trap?
Horse flies are visual hunters attracted to dark objects and heat, whereas house flies are often more attracted to general decay and feces odors. Bottle traps baited with sugar water work for house flies, but horse fly traps rely heavily on a large, dark visual target.