A sticky ceiling trap costing just 44p each proved the most effective way to get rid of kitchen flies, beating a fly curtain and an electric racket in a hands-on test. The trap filled with flies within two days, while the curtain proved useless and the racket caught only one slow fly.
Why Flies Are Worse in Summer
Flies are more active during the summer months due to warmer temperatures, higher humidity, breeding cycles, and increased food availability, according to Aptive Pest Control. Summer heat creates ideal breeding conditions in organic waste, garbage, and decomposing matter where flies lay eggs. Warm, moist conditions accelerate egg hatching and larval development, reducing generation time from weeks to days in some species. This rapid reproduction means small fly populations can explode into major infestations within short periods during peak summer weather.
Three Methods Tested
Fed up with flies and toxic sprays, three methods were tested in a kitchen: a fly-door curtain, an electric racket, and a sticky ceiling trap.
Fly Curtain: Pointless
A fly curtain hangs in a doorway to keep insects out while allowing people to pass and air to circulate. It costs as little as £10 at Argos or £10.99 at Amazon. However, it is useless unless hung on every window and door, which is pricey and unattractive. With kids at home, they often open the curtain and forget to close it, letting pests in.
Electric Racket: Hard to Use
An electric fly racket kills flies on contact using an electrified mesh. The JML Pest Reject Racket costs £10 at Dunelm or Argos. The major problem is that flies have faster vision than humans, making swatting them much harder. Humans see about 60 flashes per second while flies see about 250 — a full four times faster. In the test, only one slow fly was caught, and the flash and sound of electrocution were off-putting.
Ceiling Sticky Trap: The Winner
A ceiling sticky trap is a hanging adhesive trap that catches flies when they land on or brush against its sticky surface. It may be slow, but it is the most effective. Simply hang a few strips on the ceiling, and the trap does all the work. In just two days, the strips were full of pests. The downside is that it looks unattractive and is gross to see flies build up on it. However, it is the best option for something simple that works in the background without spraying chemicals. A packet of 16 cost £6.99 on Amazon, approximately 44p each.
