Here’s my fly trap made from a storage jar. Using a standard ‘Le Parfait’ style storage jar and a 3d printed lid I have replicated a fly trap design I had seen on Amazon.

Supplies

1 or 1 1/2 liter storage jar.
3d Printed parts (see below).
M8 x 60 nut and bolt (or coach bolt).
Bait (preferably something smelly).
Piece of wire if it is to be hung up.

Step 1: Printing the Jar Lid

The design was modeled using Tinkercad and is printed in two parts. The files can be downloaded from Thingiverse HERE.

I printed in Green PLA, for no other reason than I like green and PLA is easy to print with. Using Cura as the slicing software and the standard settings for generic PLA. On my CR10-s 3d printer total print time for both parts was about five and a half hours.

The Lid needs to be printed with support.

Step 2: Assembling the Parts

Taking the M8 x 60 nut and bolt assemble the 3d printed parts as per the photos.

If the fly trap is to be suspended then drill a 3 to 4 mm hole through the threaded end of the bolt after assembly.

Dismantle the glass lid from the storage jar and replace with the 3d printed one, I use the original rubber seal so that the odour attracts the flies to the the entrance holes and not the outside of the jar.

Step 3: Adding the Bait to the Fly Trap

Because of the smell and hygiene issues I would only use these outside to catch the flies before they get to the house.

Open the jar and add a few bits of meat or fish, the smellier the better.

Add water to fill the jar to around a third full, replace the lid and hang or stand.

Step 4: Extra Fly Bait

A bit gross, but the addition of a small amount of chicken poo or similar on the stem under the cover seems to add to the attraction.

Step 5: The Results

The first one of these fly traps I hung in the tree in our courtyard.

I used some leftover cooked chicken as bait.

The flytrap took a couple of weeks to get going and really start filling up. I think the fact that I used cooked chicken as bait meant it took longer to start to smell (also the weather wasn't very warm).

After 3 weeks it looks like this! And is filling up by the day.

Visit my website for more details:

myprojectcorner.com/