Congratulations on purchasing our renowned EnviroSafe Fly Trap! You probably know that our trap is Australian made and “The One That Works”, but how do you get the most out of your trap?
Setting up the trap
When you get the trap home, take out the information leaflet and have a read. We have heard of people who miss this step, and don’t realise that they need to add water. They then wonder why the trap is not catching flies. Adding water is a pretty important step!
Pour the contents of the bait sachet into the trap and add the luke-warm water – a third to a half of the trap volume is sufficient. The ideal temperature is between 20 – 30°C, which will feel a little cool to the touch. You don’t need to use a thermometer, but just make sure it is not really cold, or too warm to the touch.
Give the mixture a swirl, or a stir, to make sure all of the bait powder becomes suspended in the liquid. Now it is time head outside to find the perfect spot for your trap.
Placement
When you are deciding where to place your trap, consider these issues:
Do you have dogs or small children who might want to play with your trap?
Although the bait itself is composed of non-toxic, food grade ingredients, when flies enter the trap, they will bring all sorts of bacteria with them and you won’t want your children or pets playing with that. Dogs do find the trap contents very attractive, so you do want to make sure you hang the trap securely out of reach.
Are the weather conditions really hot and/or windy?
In really hot or windy conditions, flies will tend to find shade and shelter, so it is best to place the trap under a tree or in another sheltered location on your property. This will also reduce the amount of evaporation from the trap and make it less likely to dry out. If the trap dries out, it cannot be made to work again by adding water. In that situation, you need to clean out the trap, wash it and re-set it with a new bait.
Where are the areas that flies may be coming from?
Identify those areas on or around your property where the flies may breed or go to feed. Flies are attracted to smelly or rotting organic material. These substances are usually found in outside rubbish bins, dog yards, poultry pens and compost heaps or bins. If you are in a rural area, you can also hang the traps around animal shelter sheds, manure heaps, watering points and fences.
Where are my outdoor entertaining areas?
One thing is for certain – you don’t want to hang your trap anywhere near or upwind of your outdoor entertaining area. The smell from the trap that attracts the flies is, shall we say, not very attractive to us as humans! It is best to place you traps well away from anywhere that people may use frequently.
In summary, hang your trap outdoors, away from your outside eating areas, in a sheltered location close to possible fly breeding or feeding sites, and out of reach of children and pets. It’s that simple! Happy trapping!
