Living in a bug-infested house is a nightmare. But, that doesn’t mean you should expose yourself and your family to toxic fly traps.
Most insecticides are loaded with harmful chemicals that can affect you, your family, your pets, and even your plants. In short, insecticides can be a hazard to any living body in your home.
In this article, we’ll help you identify toxic fly traps to avoid using at home. We’ll also suggest some of the best toxin-free alternatives to help rid your home of flies, moths, and other insects.
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3 Toxic Fly Traps You Should Avoid Using Indoors
Fighting a fly problem in your home may require you to use different tools, including fly traps, bug traps, and insecticides. But, is it safe to use them?
Toxic Fly Traps
- Sticky fly traps: this fly trap indoor is made of super thick glue and waterproof paper. No chemicals or poisons, no smoke, no chemical odor, no...
- Effective fly ribbon: 28.3 inches (Spread out size), 20 pack fly strips for kitchen, large and cheap, long lasting.
- Fly strips: hang the sticky fly strips outdoor and indoor where there are many flies, the sticky glue will stick them and keep the fly from escaping....
Fly traps are designed to attract and catch flies by using odor bait, which can sometimes be made of ingredients that are not just toxic to flies but also to you.
To help ensure yourself and loved ones’ safety, avoid using toxic fly traps that have heavy chemicals and instead go for non-toxic options.
Toxic Insecticides
Insecticides are chemicals that help control and get rid of pests. You can use them in homes, offices, and gardens.
That being said, they’re considered to be toxic to humans and plants as well. So, if you have a bug problem at home, we recommend you opt for non-toxic alternatives, which we’ll talk about below.
Toxic Bug Traps
Bug traps operate similarly to fly traps, with the difference that the bait is meant to attract all kinds of bugs, not just flies.
Again, the bait can be highly toxic to humans, so always try to go for less-toxic options for your safety.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Fly Trap
When buying a fly trap, it’s a good idea to ask yourself some questions like: is it toxic? Where will I use the flytrap? How long do I plan on using it for?
Toxicity Levels
You need to know what chemicals the insecticide or bug trap includes to determine its toxicity. Companies are required by law to include all the components on the label. They’re also required to disclose if the ingredients are toxic.
The toxicity level is determined by the active ingredient used in the fly trap. Organophosphates are some of the most toxic types of chemicals that you can find in an insecticide. These include a lot of elements, such as chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, and phosmet.
Carbamates are also considered to be dangerously toxic. Insecticides that have them include components such as carbofuran and oxamyl.
You may also find options that have pyrethroids or pyrethrin as the main active ingredient. Both of these are derived from flowers and are considered to be relatively less toxic. Yet, they may trigger an allergic reaction in some people. Additionally, they may be harmful or lethal to some animals, including birds and fish.
To prevent insecticide poisoning, you should avoid any toxic fly traps with the words “danger” or “warning” on them, as they indicate high toxicity. Toxic-free marked traps are usually a safer option.
Area of Effectiveness, Lifespan, & Capacity
These three factors will help you determine which fly trap will be the most effective for your fly situation.
Most fly traps should have this information clearly stated on the product. This will help you know how long you can use the flytrap without needing to clean it, change it, or dispose of it.
You’ll also be able to decide where to place the fly traps and how many you’ll need to use, which will help you map a more effective trap strategy.
Additionally, the trap’s capacity is essential in case you have an area that’s more prone to attract flies than the others. In this instance, it’ll be a good idea to place extra traps.
Odor Intensity
Odor can be an indication of high chemical presence. It can also just be the smell of a natural ingredient. In all cases, sensitivity to smells may cause some olfactory irritation. If you’re susceptible to this, we recommend you opt for odorless fly traps to avoid discomfort.
Top Non-Toxic Alternatives to Fly Traps
You don’t have to concede to sharing your home with bugs to avoid insecticide poisoning. You can choose one of our recommended less toxic alternatives instead.
Trappify Window Fly Traps – Best for Indoor Use
- VALUE SET: Available in 4, 8 and 12 packs to of fruit fly traps for indoors. Designed to attract house flies, mosquito, knat, gnats, along with many...
- EASY TO USE: Just simply open the wrap of our fly catcher, fold panels into place, remove the protective paper from the glue strip, and lastly apply...
- LONG LASTING: Our bug indoor trap with a double strength adhesive secures a reliable and lasting application with every use and utilizes sticky glue...
These fly trap window stickers from Trappify are perfect for indoor use, as they’re meant to be installed on one of the most attractive surfaces to flies: windows!
The sticker is designed to use UV dye to attract the flies, which then stick to the glue. It’s both non-toxic and pesticide-free. Moreover, it comes in a pack of four, sized 0.75 x 4 x 9 inches each.
One of the advantages of this option is that you can easily place it out of children and pet reach.
Also, it’s easy to install and doesn’t leave any sticky residue when removed. We recommend changing it every three months, as the glue loses its effectiveness over time.
The downside of this one is that it becomes visually unappealing after trapping a few flies, which means you need to change it more frequently if you have a severe fly problem.
Flies Be Gone Fly Trap – Best for Outdoor Use
- GET RID OF PESKY FLIES EFFECTIVELY: Rid your home and environment of flies. Whether you’re worried about flies, even pesticide-resistant flies, our...
- SAFE AND NON TOXIC: Our disposable fly trap uses Formula FC2 - a food-based, handmade bait that is proven to attract flies. Our tried and tested fly...
- UNIQUE AND EFFECTIVE: Our Flies Be Gone Traps are one-of-a-kind. Unique trap doors are cleverly placed to facilitate entry while barring exit. The...
Flies Be Gone is the bug trap for you if you’re looking to place fly traps in your garden area. This is also an ideal option for travel, as it’s disposable and doesn’t take up much space; the bag is only 10 inches tall with an 8-inch diameter.
It comes with straightforward and simple instructions for preparing the non-toxic bait. It can stay effective up to 8 weeks, has a range of up to 100 yards and can catch up to 20,000 flies.
You should note that some customers have complained about this fly trap’s effectiveness compared to earlier versions. The latest one has been reported to be somehow less effective.
Toxic Fly Traps – Safety Precautions
Insecticide poisoning can occur if the toxin is ingested, inhaled, or if it just came in contact with bare skin. To help protect yourself and your loved ones, we recommend following those rules when using any type of insecticide in your home.
Read the Label
The label should include all the information you need to know about that specific bug trap. This includes the active ingredients and toxicity levels.
Furthermore, good fly traps should have clear instructions on mixing the ingredients and using the trap. You need to follow these instructions to make sure all the ratios are correct to ensure both effectiveness and safety.
You should also make sure to cover any exposed skin, wear a mask, and follow any other safety precautions required in the instructions.
Buy from Trusted Brands and Sources
Many newfangled brands claim to be non-toxic or chemical-free but have no real basis for their claim. You’ll find that most of those have labels missing important information, such as the percentage of each ingredient used and its scientific name.
The best way to avoid being reeled-in by these suspicious brands is to buy from trusted sources and well-known brands.
Store Safely
You should always store any insecticides, even non-toxic ones, in places where children or pets can’t easily reach them. Granted, it’ll sometimes be difficult to do so, especially when you lay them out as traps.
However, you can try to achieve this by placing them in hard-to-reach spots or hanging them. We also recommend you keep them away from any live plants as not to affect them.
- CATCH PESKY BUGS: Trap mosquitoes, gnats, flies, horse fly, housefly, nat, lantern fly, knat, and many other irritating flying insect with this...
- PROTECT YOUR HOUSE: Hanging hook lets you place the trap anywhere near common bug infested areas in your home to lure, and catch all pests. Try...
- THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Perfect for porches, garage, patios, gardens, stable, lawn, chicken coop, and any popular hotbeds for flying insects to keep them...
Wrap Up – Toxic Fly Traps to Avoid Using at Home
The health risks of toxin exposure from insecticides can be damaging to your health and sometimes even lethal. That’s why it’s better to opt for toxic-free alternatives. Granted, these may take longer to be effective, but their benefits far outweigh their cons.
When using any insecticide, don’t forget to read the label and carefully follow the safety procedures. By doing so, you’re likely to have a fly-free and toxin-free home that’s safe for you and your family, including the flora and fauna members!
For a complete selection of all of our non-toxic pest control products, CLICK HERE!
