How to catch houseflies?
How to catch houseflies?
The weather has finally warmed up here and now there plenty of super annoying houseflies. They're way to fast to swat and have an annoying habit of landing on you.
I've tried Google's suggestion of water/vinegar and a bit of dish soap in a bottle, but they don't seem to go for it at all.
I'm up for trying anything, please make suggestions!
Edit: Thank you to all for your suggestions. So far I've tried the idea of spraying them with surface cleaner which appears to work well
I've discovered that I'm good at herding flies.
I start by turning off lights sources including the TV, and closing all the doors and curtains except for one open window which is now the brightest, and therefore most attractive destination for the fly.
Then I just stand so that the fly is between me and the window. I wave my arms out sideways, kind of like semaphore, and it discourages the fly from flying towards my body and my hands, and can only avoid me by flying in the direction of the window.
It doesn't work at night since turning the lights off means I can't see the fly, and with the light on, it just flies to the light, lol.
They also don't like wind, so if there is a breeze outside, I make a stronger breeze inside by swinging a towel like a helicopter blade, and it makes the entire room very undesirable for the fly.
When I was a kid I would just wait until the fly was bouncing itself against the window, and just catch it in my hand, then throw it out and open window.
It also helps if you keep your house free of stale or rotting food smells.
This skill has dramatically reduced the number of flies I've killed by swatting.
I love this, but also found it hilarious - especially the towel as a helicopter blade trick and your description of it being "very undesirable for the fly." I'm picturing your partner or housemate sighing and being like, "there they go again, herding flies." I can definitely see it working though.
Thank you for providing a non lethal alternative method. I'm uncomfortable with how much death humans gleefully visit upon the insect kingdom when they don't have to.
Yeah. They clearly have little lives and experiences, however different from ours. What few experiments there are seem to indicate that at least some don't experience pain, which is great news, but even that's not completely conclusive just due to being under-researched, and due to it being a ridiculously diverse subphylum.
I use an electric fly swat and I fed the ones I kill to the ants
I came to this to post the same method with turning off lights so they go toward my patio door, then I just crack the door and shoo them out. Glad to see someone else using this very fast method, generally it only takes a few minutes for the fly to decide it doesn't want to be in the dark.
I've never thought of blocking out windows. I usually just wait for them to be stuck on a particular one, and catch them there.
A transparent cup works very well because they can't really see it coming. Then it's just a matter of slowly working a piece of cardstock or similar under, and taking a trip outside.
You'll catch some flies (and various other insects) with fly paper. The good thing is that it doesn't smell.
Never heard of houseflies going for vinegar, AFAIK that's for fruit flies (and even that is rather tricky IME).
It's apple cider vinegar that works, regular vinegar doesn't really work well.
Osage oranges also are great for fruit flies.
I set by the compost bin a little glass half full of apple cider vinegar with a couple drops of dish soap, covered in cling film with numerous large holes punched through. Takes care of all of the fruit flies.
I have a BUG-A-SALT that attached a laser sight on. It can take out a fly from a few feet away. And it makes it fun.
Seems kinda messy to be shooting salt all over your living space, though.
Well, you can lick it right up after and get your extra post-workout sodium and protein.
At least its salt, quite inert, not sugar
It's really just a small pinch of salt that comes out
fellow bug-a-salt owner here. can confirm this works great and makes it fun.
now tell me amore bout this laser sight?
Here you go https://a.co/d/51vzubP
Maybe I can't shoot for shit, but the laser is a must for me. YMMV, but I aim a little ahead of the bastards from about 6-8". I nail about 9 of 10 if I'm careful.
After watching their promotional video with a French Swedish Chef blasting flies on sweets while doing a dance I'm sold.
I wonder how that fares against cockroaches...
Not great against hard shelled insects in general. It doesn't phase Junebugs unless you catch them right and they lose some legs but that feels cruel even for stinkbugs.
They have a high power one for those bastards.
Glass cups work unfailingly for me. As far as I know they don't see very well, so once, I tried slowly lowering one over them, and have been doing it since. Nothing else needed, just wait for it to land near you on a hard and even surface. They so far have not noticed it until the cup was fully down. After catching one, I slide a thin paper/something under the cup, and take the whole thing outside to release it.
Yeah this is my method as well. Glass cup, very slowly descending from directly above them and they don't seem to detect it.
Hmm. I'll have to try going slow. To date I've gone fast just because I figured they'd notice at some point.
Junk mail finds a rare purpose in those moments, especially for big bugs where the thickness is desirable rather than an annoyance.
Get a used spray bottle, one that you can adjust the spray to be narrow or wide angled by screwing unscrewing the cap. Set it to wide angled. Fill the bottle with some water and cleaning solution. Something you wouldn't mind being sprayed about. Surface cleaner is a good bet because you probably already have that around the house to clean with.
Creep up on a fly with this diluted concoction and let rip. It might try and fly away but the wide angled spray plus the slight stickiness of the solution will hamper it's efforts. Watch as it falls to the floor and writhes about in agony as it desperately tries to breathe (flies breathe through their skin which is now clogged with cleaning solution). It's wings will be useless now too as they'll be weighed down by the solution.
Finally with some tissues mop up and squash the little shit. For the first several flies leave them where you let them die as a warning to other flies in the area. After a couple of days you can clean up the bodies.
You're welcome 🤗.
Agreed, though I've found that usually dousing a fly in water (via spray bottle) is enough to surprise them & get them to drop. Once they've fallen it takes them a bit to dry themselves & get airborne again, that's usually enough time to swat it and finish the job.
That works well if you just have one or a few flies - if you've got a ton of them fly paper is going to work much better.
Oh yeah fair point. Depends how sadistic you want to get mwahahaha! 😈
But also after swatting the fly it's nice to give the area a quick clean anyway.
Don't know about that specific one, but my family has been using this type of "zapping racket" for decades. The ones we got are very effective and have been working that whole time.
These things are garbage.
No. You may be using them wrong. You don't swipe like a tennis racket. It creates a cushion of air that pushes the fly away, you need to go slower, but not too slow. Once you get the knack you're swear by them.
Though they're much better for mosquitos than houseflies.
I find it useful when the fly won't land, I can usually swat it in midair. It's also my backup weapon when I go to spray hornets nests.
I have one that takes d cell batteries and works great. Have used others that barely function, though
Toy salt shotgun. Start hunting.
Edit: just saw another comment recommended the one i used to have. Bug-a-salt. It was the only thing that worked when we had something like 200 flies in a tiny 3-bed apt.
I have a Bug A Salt Home and Garden edition and I love it. I'm in a dry climate though, so the salt doesn't clump up. Mileage may vary if you're in a humid place.
We got one of those electric fly swatters, but the thing is too heavy to swing fast enough to pop flies like you'd want. So on a hunch, I checked YouTube for a trick to make them more effective.
Basically take a styrofoam plate with a little food on it and tape it to the fly swatter, and zip tie the switch down and set it wherever the flies are at their worst. For bait, I just put a smear of ketchup and ranch dressing on a paper towel.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=tDZb2l2A888
We managed to kill over 30 flies in about 2 days. Heads up though, they're not designed to be left continuously powered on, the batteries will end up dead and leaking after a couple days.
I had to toss the batteries and open up the swatter handle to clean out the battery juice off of the terminals so it won't rot out.
But hey, aside from the inconvenience with the batteries, the trick just freaking works 👍
I've tried Google's suggestion of water/vinegar and a bit of dish soap in a bottle, but they don't seem to go for it at all.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I always thought this method was only geared for fruit flies, not houseflys.
Flypaper strips can be effective depending on the severity and location of the issue and are fairly cheap. It won't be 100% effective, but it might help. Just be very careful about where you place it if you have any pets or children.
I roast em with a blow torch
Fly paper strips are the way to go
True. It just looks nasty.
Vacuum cleaner with a wand or a powerful portable vac. You just get the nozzle near the fly and they get sucked in.
My cats take care of most of them.
If you want to swat them, you need to move your hand slowly at first. They seem to not notice or care if you move slowly and don't cast a shadow over them as that will frighten them. I use these same techniques for macrophotography, and it works, but you have to be patient.
I could also recommend getting good at snaping towels. Once you get good at it and you can judge distances, you can hit flies mid-flight.
Or if you just want to buy something and have 50ish bucks to spend you can get this
Play wildly upbeat frantic fly punk music and when they're all worn out from shaking their little fly asses - nab 'em.
I've been using these for mossies for years, I know it's not the friendliest of routes but they are not exactly friends either.
Fly strips work. They work even better after catching a few flies (I guess misery loves company!). They're cheap too.
The vinegar thing is for fruit flies or gnats - it doesn't really work on typical house flies.
Or... you could use a fly gun. ..... : D
Warning about those hanging fly traps. I used them and somehow the glue got aerosolized and spread to every surface of my apartment. I never no idea how this happened but everything I own was covered in brown sticky dots. It was a mother fucker to clean.
I open a window and they fly to it. Then I shut them out.
Has to be more vinegar supposedly but ick.. smells horribly.
I just go the old fashion way, newspaper whack.
I bought a couple of these for around the house. https://a.co/d/5vjsVs3 Works very well but mostly at night.
Also to make sure you regularly do the dishes, take out trash and clean up any food sources for the flies. After using the above and doing the above, mine went from insanity to maybe 1 or 2 around the house in about a week or two.
I slap them mid air when they are slower and with a towel when they fly more erratic and quick.
Satisfying and I get to feed my fly trapIf you want to catch then when they land you can slowly approach them with both hands like you're gonna clap. They will try to avoid one hand and fly to the other hand and you can catch it.
Fan works. Bubble maker like the one on weddings can discourage fly and mosquitoes.
I use rubber band like on a rubber band pistols to shoot them when they land.
Let the friendly lizard and spiders stay around the house. They will help you get rid of them.
Not sure what kind of beasts you have but some apple cider vinegar and dish soap works like a charm for me. Definitely need to find the source though. Usually it’s some old fruit that got left out somewhere.
The apple cider vinegar gets fruit flies but the house flies just aren't interested.
Move your lightly cupped, relaxed hand behind the fly. Then suddenly accelerate and grab the fly that got startled into flying into your hand by the movement.
A clear plastic cup and a paper card large enough to cover the opening.. Wait for the fly to land on a window, and approach slowly with the cup while distracting them with your other hand. When close, cover the fly by pressing the cup on the window and slip the card underneath the opening. It helps if the fly has tired itself out first. Works well for all manner of bugs.
Get a dish towel wet and use that to swat at the fly. The weight of the water and the extra length of the towel let's you get it going faster than the fly can react.
