🐛 What This Trap Catches (And Why It Works So Well)
This simple homemade bug trap catches flies, mosquitos, yellow jackets, wasps, and gnats using just 3 kitchen ingredients. It works better than expensive store-bought traps because it uses multiple attractants that bugs can't resist - the sweet sugar, tangy vinegar, and rotting banana peels create an irresistible combination that lures insects in but prevents them from escaping.
Why choose this over store-bought traps?
- Costs under $2 vs $10-15 for commercial traps
- Chemical-free and safe around kids and pets
- Works for weeks with one setup
- Catches 100+ bugs per trap (seriously!)
- Uses items you already have in your kitchen
🌳 The Amish Discovery
I first saw these years ago when I was visiting the Amish of Adams County, Indiana. It was an odd sight: 2-liter green soda bottles dangling from trees. This is a photo I snapped of one way back then. The soda bottles were almost always green and I have a few theories as to why. But, first, what were these dangling items hanging on the lowest branches of fruit trees?
I asked my Amish friends about these during a visit to the farm and they explained to me that they were "bug traps." "Once inside, they're done for," she said matter-of-factly.
It takes a few days for the bugs to begin to show up but, wow, once they do these things really do work. These things turn into the Hotel California for flies, mosquitos, and yellow jackets - they check in but they never leave.
🐜 The Amish and Bugs
Since the Amish generally live without air-conditioning and with open windows and doors, they have had to learn to coexist with bugs. Most Amish homes I have been in have strips of flypaper hanging down from the ceiling, a strip or two in each room and they usually catch the insects. But it is a constant battle because once one fly meets its doom, more come inside to replace them.
You tend to find the homemade traps outside more, if you hung one in your house, the smell of banana peel and vinegar would be strong. The Amish are avid picnickers and no one wants a pest at a picnic.
🧪 How the Science Works
This trap uses a proven three-pronged approach that commercial pest control companies charge big money for:
Sugar - Provides the sweet scent that draws insects from long distances Vinegar - Creates fermentation smell that bugs associate with rotting fruit (their favorite) Banana peels - Release natural esters and compounds that act like bug pheromones
The narrow bottle opening acts as a one-way funnel - bugs can get in easily but can't figure out how to escape. It's the same principle used in professional wasp traps that cost $15+ at the store.
🏠 Types of Homemade Bug Traps the Amish Use
There are many different types of homemade outdoor bug traps that the Amish use, but some of the most common include:
- Sugar and vinegar traps: These traps use the scent of sugar and vinegar to attract insects, and the combination of the two liquids creates a sticky substance that traps the insects.
- Banana peel traps: Banana peels are a natural insect attractant, and when they are placed in a bottle with water, they can attract and trap a variety of insects.
The Amish use homemade bug traps because they are a natural and effective way to control insect pests. They are also a relatively inexpensive way to control pests, and they can be made from materials that are readily available. The trap "recipe" below combines the banana peel and vinegar methods, so its a double whammy!
📜 Tips For Maximum Success
- Hang the traps on the lower branches of some trees in your yard, preferably a decent distance from any eating or gathering area
- Use green 2-liter soda bottles to better blend in with the environment
- Fill bottle halfway with water - don't overfill or bugs can escape
- Some place a funnel in the top of the bottle to better collect bugs, but the trap works fine without the funnel
- Replace every 2-3 weeks or when completely full of bugs
- Make multiple traps for larger yards - space them 20-30 feet apart
- Best placement: Near garbage cans, compost piles, or areas where you've seen bug activity
🙋 FAQ About Amish Bug Traps
Why use green bottles? I doubt there is any magical about the green color, more that if you used a clear bottle, there would be the unsightly tableau of dead bugs very visible. The green blends in better with the trees and you can't see inside as well.
Apple cider vs white vinegar? Either vinegar will work, but apple cider does the best job of attracting bugs.
How long before it starts working? You'll see the first bugs within 24-48 hours, but peak effectiveness happens after about a week when the mixture starts fermenting.
Is it safe around pets and kids? Yes! All ingredients are food-safe. Just hang high enough that curious pets can't reach.
🖨️ Full "Recipe"
Homemade Amish Bug Trap
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 2-3 weeks
Catches: 100+ bugs per trap
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar works best)
- 1 or 2 banana peels
- Water
- 1 green 2-liter soda bottle
- String for hanging
Instructions
- Pour sugar and vinegar into the bottle and stuff in banana peels
- Fill bottle halfway with water
- Discard bottle cap
- Use string to hang from a low tree branch
- Bugs should start arriving within days, when the trap is full of bugs, empty and start over!
Notes
- Pro tip: Keep the bottle cap! You'll want to cap this thing when it's full and make it go far, far away from your nose (thanks to reader Warren for this wisdom)
- Warning: This attracts wasps and yellow jackets too, especially when those banana peels go "nuclear"
- Disposal: When full, cap the bottle and throw the whole thing away - don't try to empty and reuse
Comments
Wendy I've made similar traps for my kitchen when fruit flies have been a problem. You simply put some old fruit or peels in a jar, cover it with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in it. (Then take it outside when it's time to dispose of your "catch".)
Mona G. Here is one I use, put about ½ inch. of apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dish detergent , mix together pour into a shallow container....I take a small yogurt container, cut it down to about 1 inch and put the vinegar mixture in it, the fruit flies will go to the vinegar mixture, and they can't get out....then you just throw it all away.....no more fruit flies......
Lynn Anys Did Elizabeth use cider or white vinegar?? I have seen these things around for several years, but never made one. I need one now, with such a warm winter here in N.Carolina the flys and bees are just crazy around here !
Larry Apple cider vinegar is what you need to use.
Warren This is a tried and true recipe. We have used it on the farm for decades. But keep the cap..you'll want to cap this thing when it's full and make it go far, far away from your nose. This thing attracts wasps and yellow jackets too..especially when those banana peels go nuclear.
Kevin Good advice about the cap, Warren, thanks!!
Krystal Duckworth As crazy as it sounds a plastic zipper bag full of water and a penny dropped inside keeps the bugs off my rural porch in the woods! No way I believed this one but proof is in the pudding! No CLUE how it works but give it a shot! Has anyone ever heard of this???
KD RED RIVER COUNTY TEXAS
Kevin Williams Wow, never heard that, so simple, I wonder how it works?
Lynn Bag with A penny The best explanation is simple light refraction going through the bag of water that confuses the housefly. If you will remember your biology from days in school, a housefly has large complex eyes made up of thousands of simple eyes that don't move or focus.Jul
Kevin Williams Interesting. Makes sense...I'll try it!
Lynn I did that years ago to keep flies off front door in Pa.It has to confuse the eyes on flies with all the glare etc. It works.
Judith Gawor Need solutions to kill ants in the kitchen!!! Please - thank you!
Kevin Williams Sprinkling cinnamon around trouble spots usually wards off ants!
🖨️Full "Recipe"
Homemade Amish Bug Trap
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 or 2 banana peels
- water
Instructions
- Pour sugar and vinegar into thebottle and stuff in banana peels.
- Fill bottle half way with water
- Discard bottle cap,
- Use string to hang from a low tree branch.
- Bugs should start arriving within days, when the trap is full of bugs, empty and start over!
Wendy
I've made similar traps for my kitchen when fruit flies have been a problem. You simply put some old fruit or peels in a jar, cover it with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in it. (Then take it outside when it's time to dispose of your "catch".)
Mona G.
Here is one I use, put about 1/2 inch. of apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dish detergent , mix together pour into a shallow container....I take a small yogurt container, cut it down to about 1 inch and put the vinegar mixture in it, the fruit flies will go to the vinegar mixture, and they can't get out....then you just throw it all away.....no more fruit flies......
Lynn Anys
Did Elizabeth use cider or white vinegar?? I have seen these things around for several years, but never made one. I need one now, with such a warm winter here in N.Carolina the flys and bees are just crazy around here !
Larry
Apple cider vinegar is what you need to use.
Warren
This is a tried and true recipe. We have used it on the farm for decades. But keep the cap..you'll want to cap this thing when it's full and make it go far, far away from your nose. This thing attracts wasps and yellow jackets too..especially when those banana peels go nuclear.
Kevin
Good advice about the cap, Warren, thanks!!
Krystal Duckworth
As crazy as it sounds a plastic zipper bag full of water and a penny dropped inside keeps the bugs off my rural porch in the woods! No way I believed this one but proof is in the pudding! No CLUE how it works but give it a shot! Has anyone ever heard of this???
KD
RED RIVER COUNTY TEXAS
Kevin Williams
Wow, never heard that, so simple, I wonder how it works?
Lynn
Bag with A penny
The best explanation is simple light refraction going through the bag of water that confuses the housefly. If you will remember your biology from days in school, a housefly has large complex eyes made up of thousands of simple eyes that don't move or focus.Jul
Kevin Williams
Interesting. Makes sense...I'll try it!
Lynn
I did that years ago to keep flies off front door in Pa.It has to confuse the eyes on flies with all the glare etc. It works.
Judith Gawor
Need solutions to kill ants in the kitchen!!! Please - thank you!
Kevin Williams
Sprinkling cinnamon around trouble spots usually wards off ants!