Quick little buggers!

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The best fly-swatting method is two hands coming in from either side centered slightly in front of and above the fly. If the setup can be managed before the fly suspects anything, kill rates can approach 100%.

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Keeper of the Jabberwock

Ick! I've got one of these yellow electric tennis-racket things. Trap them against the window and zap! A surprising number will still stagger away for a while after a good jolt.

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Cum catapultae proscribeantur tum soli proscripti catapultas habeant.

I shoot them with a rubber band from the end of number 1 finger right hand.
Point finger ,release band stretched by left hand.
OK up to 30 centimeters.

Another trick that works (sometimes) is to rest your hand or swatter a little ways away for a few seconds; the idea is that the fly "gets used" to it, so that when you bring it down it's caught off guard.

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"Call me old-fashioned, but I think fire is magic. And it scares me a lot."

--The State

If they are within arm's reach, I have most success trapping them with a simple glass.... (avoids a mess too...)

I get flies by slowly moving my hand from behind it to within 2-3 inches of the fly, then quickly grab the air about 4-6 inches in front of where it's sitting as that's where it's likely to be by the time my hand closes. I get quite a lot that way.

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‘To those who regard “crime fiction” as some sacred icon which must follow a rigid formula, I will always be the man who writes 18-syllable haiku.’Trying to make sense of computers, The Error Log.

I've had good success in sliding a hand up near them, then "flipping" them. I don't really how to describe it. Tucking the middle finger against the thumb, then trying to extend it against the pressure of the thumb. When the time is right, the thumb is lowered and the finger springs out. It's usually easy to get in range, and it will generally only stun the fly, so it's good to have a follow up plan.

Other methods I've used to some success include dart guns and bullwhips.

There used to be some dart guns that used compressed air to shoot a bright orange, soft, rubber dart with a suction cup. The dart was all one piece. The guns are still around but they have been modified to reduce the velocity of the darts. In the original versions, they were accurate enough to hit a fly at about 10 feet, and strong enough to kill it.

On a trip to Mexico, I bought a 4 foot whip. Well, 3 feet, with a 1 foot lash. Out of probably 100+ attempts, I've hit three flies that were resting on a surface. One surface was the bathroom mirror. It was as close to perfect as possible, with the "pop" of the whip happening at the moment of contact. There are bits of fly embedded into the surface of the glass. I can't get them out.

I also got one with a dish towel (after about 40 tries), but ended up having to finish it off on the ground.

Oh and I also got one with a jumping spider. I moved the spider into position and herded it toward the fly, so I figure I get the "assist" on that one.

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I'm not evil.
An evil person would do the things I think up.

That's the one I use for wasps, being heavier they get more of the energy/momentum than flies, so they tend to just die.

My follow up plan for stunned flies is the cats, who seems to like the taste of flies and will come immediately to investigate anything buzzing or moving around on the floor.

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‘To those who regard “crime fiction” as some sacred icon which must follow a rigid formula, I will always be the man who writes 18-syllable haiku.’Trying to make sense of computers, The Error Log.

oh dear...

One of our primary means of flycatching is our 1 year old black labrador. Whenever he spots one in his range he'll slooowly creep up to it.. holding perfectly still.. and snatch him. Often succeeds too. And he's sooo proud when we praise him for it. The dog we had before that would ambush. Wait until fly comes in range and SNAP!

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"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge" -- Charles Darwin
"Your right to hold an opinion is not being contested. Your expectation that it be taken seriously is." -- Jason Thompson
Meet the OOONG TOE.

I do something similar. Slowly bring your hand toward the fly up to the point you see it tense up. Wait until the fly relaxes and does something else, like grooming or taking a step. Wham! The preoccupation with another task seems to add just a wee bit to their reaction time.

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Brett
Peters Creek, Alaska
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Professional automotive glass "tinters" use Simple Green in conjunction with a 3M white scuff-pad (they're color-coded for fineness; white won't scratch the glass) to remove the stubborn residue from previously applied tint-films. Might be worth a try.

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My dogs do the 'snap' as a fly goes by. It gives a poor kill rate.

I've found about an 80% kill rate, by positioning the fly swatter directly over a fly. Wait until I am focused. Then, pop with wrist action, the fly swatter down. Works with rolled up newspaper, when I can't find the flyswatter, too.

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Salty
"...with God, all things are possible..." Even evolution

I hear ya. They don't seem to react to a slow moving object, and the finger flip is faster than they are.

Somewhere I have the link to an old scientific study on flies, in which the Scientist found that several nerves from the fly eye go directly to the wing muscles.

He actually dissected many flies, and stated that the direct nerve connection explained the amazing speed that a fly can show in escaping danger. The little fly brain isn't even involved in the escape mechanism.

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smile, and the Universe smiles with you

Ah, it is actually an old book, To Know a Fly, by Vincent Gaston Dethier. 1963.

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smile, and the Universe smiles with you

Hey that's about my..
Oh wait.

Nevermind.

Wrong book.

These ones don't seem to have that ability.


Seven at one blow is easy.

I don't understand why y'all bother; they're much too hard to field dress and you get such little meat.

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board!

...easier than armadillos, tho!

Fun housefly facts:

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And the risk of contracting leprosy from eating them is also smaller.

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‘To those who regard “crime fiction” as some sacred icon which must follow a rigid formula, I will always be the man who writes 18-syllable haiku.’Trying to make sense of computers, The Error Log.

Wow, hadn't heard that one before---thanks for the tip:

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