Fly Bait Recipes That Actually Work in New Zealand
The best NZ-tested fly bait recipes using everyday pantry ingredients — for house flies, blowflies and fruit flies.
The secret to a great fly trap? The bait.
A reusable trap is only as good as what's inside. The good news: the best fly baits are free, using ingredients already in your pantry. Here are the NZ-tested recipes we use.
For house flies & blowflies
Recipe 1 — Fish sauce lure
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup warm water
Mix and pour into the GotchaPest Reusable Fly Trap. This is our #1 outdoor bait — huge catches.
Recipe 2 — Rotting fruit & protein
- Half a banana, mashed
- 1 piece of rotting meat or fish offcut
- Splash of water
Great for blowflies around farms and bins.
For fruit flies
Recipe 3 — Apple cider vinegar trap
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 drops dish soap
For the Indoor Reusable Fruit Fly Trap. The soap breaks surface tension so flies sink.
Tips that make bait work harder
- Refresh bait every 7–10 days.
- Keep the trap in shade — heat cooks bait fast.
- More bait doesn't mean more flies — a cup is plenty.
Want a custom recipe?
Ask Buzzy 🐝, our AI Trap Buddy, for a bait recipe matched to your pest and situation.
Not sure which pest you're dealing with?
Snap a photo and — our NZ-made AI pest assistant will identify it from our verified species database and recommend the right trap. Free, honest, and grounded in real Kiwi catch data.
GotchaPest Team
NZ-made pest control, designed in Aotearoa for Kiwi conditions. Our traps are UV-tough, reusable and bee-safe — paired with the world's first AI Trap Buddy and the GotchaPest community pest tracker. Available at Mitre 10, Kings Plant Barn and right here online.
Recommended traps for this guide
NZ-made, UV-tough and built to last. Available at Mitre 10, Kings Plant Barn and right here.
Screw-On Bottle Trap — NZ-made, reusable fly control for homes, cafés, farms and food prep areas.
NZ-made, chemical-free indoor fruit fly catcher using everyday household bait.
Trap smarter with GotchaPest
UV-tough, NZ-made traps paired with the app and Buzzy — the first ever AI Trap Buddy.