How your Fantail Fly Trap works
Ready to go in 4 easy steps.
1Cut it open
Cut the packaging open at the top along the dashed line with scissors.
2Pull out the funnel
Pull the yellow funnel up and out. That's where the flies will crawl in later.
3Attractant in, then water
There's a small loose silver foil sachet in the packaging. That's the attractant. It's unprinted and looks like packing material, so please don't throw it away. Cut it open and tip the granules into the trap; it won't dissolve on its own. Then fill with lukewarm water up to the fill line, which activates the attractant. The short instructions are also on the back of the packaging.
4Done, now hang it up
Done. Now just hang it outdoors in the sun, a little away from animals and seating areas. After 1 to 3 days it's catching at full speed.
Why isn't it catching yet? The most common mistakes
The attractant is in a small, silver, unprinted foil sachet that sits loose in the packaging. It looks like packing material, so it often ends up in the bin. The sachet has to be cut open and tipped in; it doesn't dissolve in the water.
Lukewarm is right. Boiling water damages the attractant, and ice-cold water takes much longer to get going.
The attractant only develops in warmth, so the trap belongs in the sun.
1.2 to 1.5 m off the ground is ideal. Too high, and the flies can't smell the bait any more.
The first flies usually arrive within 24 hours, with full effect after 1 to 3 days. The first flies do the work: once a handful are in the water, the trap fills up much faster.
Hang it with some distance, ideally where the flies come from (manure, the corner of the shed).
Always up to the fill line, never let it dry out. And yes, the smell is part of it. That's exactly what draws the flies in.
Questions? We're real people and we help fast: support@tryfantail.com