Vinegar fly trap

[Diane]

Im going to have a go at making a vinegar fly trap.
I have a 10 litre plastic bin.
I will add a couple of inches of water in the bottom to stop the ants from swarming over the waste fruit etc.
Inside the plastic bin with be a empty 1 kg yoghurt container, this is where the citrus skin, left over tomato etc will go.
There will be a hole in the lid of the 10 litre container which I will cover with some bird wire.

Hopefully when the birds land on the bin it will scare the flies out through the wire at the top into the waiting beaks of the insect eaters. ;)

Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas welcomed.

[finchbreeder]

I made a simple one and have it hanging in my aviary. (note to self - pull finger out and make another)
Take one empty plastic juice bottle with carry handle, place any off fruit that will go through the top into it (stone fruit and grapes have proved best). Stab 3 or 4 small holes for flies to enter through about 5 - 10 cms down from the lid and hang from the roof of the aviary. The birds will help themselves to the flies as they go in and out to lay their maggots. It does not look beatiful but it works. And as it is hanging from the roof have not had ant problems.
LML

[Diane]

I had planned on making the hole in the top about 2 or 3 inches across, will this be enough for the flies to go in and out or will I still need more holes further down or smaller hole/holes altogether?

[finchbreeder]

I made my holes with an icepick so thats how big they are.
A bag needle would work as well.
You don't want the birds to be able to get in, cause that could cause deaths.
LML

[Diane]

My first idea was a 2 or 3 inch hole covered with bird wire, flies can get in and out and birds cant get in at all.
Would this work?

[fincher]

ive got a about a 8inch pot plantthen put fruit in it then got some inch by half inch bird wire put it over the top nd dug it into the ground a little and then some greace around the top to stop ants getten in and work a treat very easy to do

[GregH]

Well I had a bit of spare time and thought I'd show my solution which was to dig a hole in the floor of the aviary and place one of 3 three nested containers in it. Into that I placed a second one and covered the top in 12mm bird wire and each day I place the family's fruit peeling onto it. The following day I empty the peelings into the container below and place more peelings on the wire top. When the container below is full I just take it out an replace it with the empty one and I empty wash and bleach the used one.

I find pineapple works the best at attracting the flies and it lasts 2-3days before it goes moldy. Water-melon rind is good too as are bananas but they have to be changed daily.

[JohnP]

Diane how did you go with your invention? Did it work?

[Diane]

I did try it but the ants kept getting into everything Even with weights in the bottom of the yoghurt container it kept sliding around in the bucket and ending up touching the wall where the ants would then invade.
So I did give up for a while, but now with spraying the aviary with Coopex, I dont see as many ants.
I have been able to get mini mealworms so Im trying them in a small container which sits in a larger container full of water. Working so far. Water gets fairly yukky once the meal flakes get dropped in but it stops the ants. When I tried before with meal worms they were either too big or the ants were just walking away with them.