Flypaper

Flypaper is a fly-killing device made of paper coated with an extremely sticky or poisonous substance that traps flies and other flying insects when they land upon it.

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Description

  Various formulas exist for the coating of the flypaper; An ideal coating should be extremely sticky, non-toxic, attractive to the insects to be trapped, and not very volatile (so that it doesn't dry out too quickly). A common home formula for the coating contains white sugar, maple syrup, and brown sugar. It is also usually coated with arsenic to make the flies die.^{[citation needed]}

Effectiveness

Flypaper is as effective as many other methods involving insecticides or high-technology traps (such as bug zappers).^{[citation needed]} However, a twisted strip of flypaper hanging from the ceiling is considered by many to be aesthetically less acceptable than some other methods, and so flypaper is not as commonly used as it once was. Some formulas for flypaper also have a slight but potentially disagreeable odor. Handling and disposing of flypaper can be awkward because it is so sticky.

See also

• Insecticide
• Pest control