In the summer, fall, and late spring, most people report seeing a lot of flies flying near their homes. They may not realize why, but that is when most people throw parties indoors and out.
And what would attract flies to their homes?
People tend to have a lot of sweet drinks at their gatherings, such as juices, wines, sugar water, beer, ripe fruits, sodas, and so on. While not all fly species are attracted to the sweet things, fruit flies are. In this article, let’s see if flies are attracted to sugar water and why are they attracted to sugar?
Are House Flies Attracted To Sugar Water?
Houseflies aren’t drawn to sugar water at all. We’ve already hinted at the existence of many fly species by discussing fruit flies. Fruit flies are not the same as houseflies.
The housefly is larger, with bright red eyes and a gray body with stripes on its face. The fruit fly has dark red eyes and black rings around its body.
Houseflies prefer rotting meals and garbage to sweet things when it comes to food. They are mainly found in filthy environments and carry disease germs. House flies mostly spread diseases like E.coli, salmonella, and food poisoning.
Houseflies are unlikely to be attracted to a bowl of sugar water unless you keep it near something that smells rotten.
Will A Bowl Of Sugar Water Attract Flies?
Yes, sugar water attracts a lot of flies. Anything sweet and sugary will attract flies like a magnet. Honey, syrup, old fruit, and sugar water attract flies. If you put sugar water in a bowl, the flies flock to it.
Sugar water contains sugar, which flies need for energy. Water has already dissolved the sugar, so flies can quickly ingest it.
Sugar water is simply water mixed with table sugar. Most people seem to prefer sugar above other sweetened beverages. Sugar water includes sucrose solely, whereas the others comprise a variety of additional ingredients such as starch, fructose, and other sugars.
However, before you hurry to make that glass of sugar water, you should know that it will attract insects such as flies. Sugary compounds, such as sugar water attract fruit flies in large numbers.
Sugar is necessary for the reproduction and nutrition of many fly species.
Why are Flies Attracted To Sugar?
Sugar attracts flies like a magnet, and they will rush to taste the sweet, sticky substance. It’s helpful to understand why flies are attracted to sugar, and here are some of the reasons:
1. Source of energy: Sugar attracts flies because they require a calorie source to provide them with enough energy to fly.
It takes a lot of energy to fly around hunting for food. Sugar is the edible equivalent of the energy required by flies. When given the option of choosing between protein and sugar for an energy boost, flies will easily choose sugar.
2. Light weight for carrying: Sugar is lightweight, making it easy to transport for flies. Flies easily take it to their hiding spots. Fruit flies love fermenting sugars contained in beverages. To avoid the irritating flies lingering over you, rapidly wipe any spilled sweet drinks around you.
It will be difficult to avoid a flies invasion by leaving fruits like bananas on your tables, kitchen counters, and other open areas.
Are Flies Attracted To Honey?
Honey is a sweet food and flies like sweet things. Honey will appeal to them because of its sweetness, yet, honey is quite sticky. Due to the stickiness of honey, it becomes a death trap for the flies. If a fly clings to honey, it will become immobile and finally die.
Honey has a lovely aroma, but it isn’t strong enough to attract flies on its own. You should include a soap dish when using honey to attract flies.
The combination proves to be more effective. Fruit flies are more attracted to the smell of fermentation than a sweet scent.
Are Flies Attracted To Vinegar?
The smell of apple cider vinegar attracts flies, especially fruit flies. Flies like this particular smell because the vinegar smells like apples, attracting fruit flies in droves. The Apple Cider Vinegar has an overripe fruit aroma.
Because white vinegar has a harsh odor and is not pleasing to taste, it does not have the same effect on the flies. You can still use white vinegar if you don’t have apple cider vinegar.
Because of the fly’s attraction to vinegar, most people use it to get rid of flies in their homes. Follow the steps below to make a basic apple cider vinegar trap:
- Pour apple cider vinegar and a few drops of soap dish into a wide-open container (the soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar).
- Cover the jar’s opening with cellophane and secure it with a rubber band.
- With a toothpick, poke a few holes in the cellophane that are large enough to accommodate the flies.
Vinegar is the final product of the fermentation process, and flies are drawn to it by its acetic odor.
Does Sugar Water Kill Flies?
Sugar water will not kill flies, but it will attract them. Sugar water will work as bait if your goal is to kill flies. Fruit flies are attracted to fermented and sweet foods. Juice, wine, beer, cider, sugar water, and vinegar are all sugary.
It’s simple to bait flies with sugar water, and here’s a simple trap you can set for them.
- Choose a shallow bowl or dish.
- Fill it with vinegar and a little sugar water to act as bait.
- Fill the bowl with fruit-scented dish soap. Because of the soap, the flies will sink and drown in the mixture.
- Cover the bowl with cellophane wrap to ensure that all flies that come to inspect the mixture don’t escape. Poke large holes in the cellophane wrap to allow the flies to enter the jar.
Any form of fly trap that you use should have enough liquid to drown the flies. As a result, the ingredients in the given mixture are in liquid form.
Does Sugar Water Attract Roaches?
Sugar is one of the foods that roaches are particularly fond of. They adore sugar and can smell it from miles away. If you keep your sugar, fruits, and sweeteners containers open, you may have a cockroach infestation in your home.
Fruits are a natural supply of sugar, which is why they’re so appealing to roaches. Most people use sugar traps to get rid of cockroaches in their homes.
You’ll need sugar water as bait to make a fly trap. Here’s a quick and easy way to make sugar water.
- Place a pot on the stovetop over medium heat with two and a half cups of water.
- Slowly pour four cups of sugar into the pot while stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Continue to mix until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Pour the sugar water into bottles for storing after it has cooled. Wipe the exterior of the bottles with a clean cloth to ensure that there are no spills that can attract insects.
- Keep your bottles somewhere cold and dry. You’ll be pouring the sugar water when your wasp traps become low.
What Insects are Attracted To Sugar?
You’ve surely noticed that if you leave your sugar dish uncovered, a swarm of insects will quickly gather around it. It is because most insects use sugar as a source of energy. Some insects will chew through the sugar packaging to get to the sugar.
Let’s have a look at some of the insects that are attracted to sugar:
- Weevils: Sugar mites, sometimes known as weevils, enjoy sugar, cereals, rice, and noodles. They can do a lot of damage. It is classified as a beetle and has a pear-shaped body.
- Indianmeal Moth: The moth loves hiding in stored foodstuffs, especially sugar. Their bodies are ovular, and their wings are gray with a rusty brown bronze tint at the tips.
- Saw-toothed grain beetles: The beetle’s flat body allows it to fit into any tiny place readily. They have wings but can’t fly and are attracted to light. They favor sweet foods, particularly sugar.
- Ants: Ants are little insects with a thin connection between their thorax and abdomen. They have a strong preference for sugar because it is their primary source of energy.
- Wasps: Sweet, sugary beverages and foods attract wasps. They come in various hues and can grow up to one and a half inches long. Their bright and dark colors alternate to form bands over their abdomen.
What Smells Repels Flies?
While some scents attract flies, such as sugar water, garbage, rotten foods, and overripe fruits, others repel them. There are a variety of smells that flies dislike, and if you can use them well, they will keep flies away from your home.
Here are a few examples:
- Peppermint oil: Peppermint is a widespread, practical, and natural way to keep flies away from your house. The smell might last for up to 6 days after being applied. You can use Pest Control Peppermint or ground peppermint leaves inside your home. Plant the peppermint plant outside your house.
- Rosemary: Rosemary will not only keep mosquitoes away but also keep flies at bay. You can plant it or obtain it as an essential oil. It’s powerful and assertive, and flies can detect it from miles away.
- Lavender: Lavender will make your home smell wonderful while also repelling flies. Planting lavender plants all over your house is the simplest and most common method. The lavender plant will benefit high-traffic areas such as patios, decks, swimming pools, and other outdoor areas.
- Basil: Basil, both as a plant and as an essential oil, will naturally and effectively repel flies. Most gardeners use basil to protect flies from sensitive plants like fruit trees and vegetable plants. Place a small basil plant on your table or near the windows, grind some leaves, or spray the affected regions with it.
Conclusion
Sugar water attracts flies, although it serves more as bait than anything else. Leaving sugars or sweet liquids out in the open can lead to severe fly infestation.
If this occurs, we have provided you with several options for eradicating flies from your home.