Insect brownian motion
July 24, 2007 9:19 PM Subscribe
Why do these flies zig zag around the middle of my room in the afternoons if I leave the window open, and how do I get rid of them?
Because you don't have a flyscreen on your window.
posted by flabdablet at 9:42 PM on July 24, 2007
posted by flabdablet at 9:42 PM on July 24, 2007
It's a mating behavior.
posted by nenequesadilla at 9:49 PM on July 24, 2007
posted by nenequesadilla at 9:49 PM on July 24, 2007
I use windex or something similar to get rid of bugs once they're in the house. A spray bottle of water works too, but I don't usually have one handy.
You just spray a cloud around the bugs, they drop and you squish them.
posted by chudmonkey at 9:55 PM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]
You just spray a cloud around the bugs, they drop and you squish them.
posted by chudmonkey at 9:55 PM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]
A super soaker, if there's no electrical appliances in the room. Fly swatters are great, too. I will someday build a flyswatter cannon to eradicate the dive bombing little bastards, but till then I just spray, swat and curse.
posted by IronLizard at 10:04 PM on July 24, 2007
posted by IronLizard at 10:04 PM on July 24, 2007
Oh, wanted to add that the premier flying insect removal device is a small hand-held vacuum(dust buster etc.), just make sure to let it run for a second or two after capture to prevent them from being able to crawl back out. We used to have a moth problem.
posted by nenequesadilla at 10:27 PM on July 24, 2007
posted by nenequesadilla at 10:27 PM on July 24, 2007
Buy a screen. The only way to get rid of flies is to hunt them down, and spray, swat or crush them. You could put some raw meat right next to a bug zapper, but that's kind of gross.
I do remember hearing about a guy who set up a crippled friend with a small black powder pistol loaded with cornmeal to shoot flies that came into his porch. I always thought that was cool. I hate the buggers.
It is as mentioned a mating behavior. The suckers are amazingly agile, but I still want them all dead.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:13 AM on July 25, 2007
I do remember hearing about a guy who set up a crippled friend with a small black powder pistol loaded with cornmeal to shoot flies that came into his porch. I always thought that was cool. I hate the buggers.
It is as mentioned a mating behavior. The suckers are amazingly agile, but I still want them all dead.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:13 AM on July 25, 2007
Response by poster: yeah but a screen blocks the breeze. I don't have A/C
posted by randomstriker at 12:24 AM on July 25, 2007
posted by randomstriker at 12:24 AM on July 25, 2007
Drosophila, perhaps? Leave nothing organic around for a week or two, they'll go away.
posted by sourwookie at 1:22 AM on July 25, 2007
posted by sourwookie at 1:22 AM on July 25, 2007
I don't care about flies, but I drive wasps out of my room by pointing a standing floor fan at them.
posted by grouse at 3:15 AM on July 25, 2007
posted by grouse at 3:15 AM on July 25, 2007
We have two of these bug zapper rackets and they work very well, though flies are so fast it takes some time to get good at it.
Check outside your window for sources of food or water (including animal feces) that might be drawing them near.
A screen should only minimally reduce your breeze; if necessary, put in a screen and put a box fan in front of the window.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:14 AM on July 25, 2007
Check outside your window for sources of food or water (including animal feces) that might be drawing them near.
A screen should only minimally reduce your breeze; if necessary, put in a screen and put a box fan in front of the window.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:14 AM on July 25, 2007
They are almost unbearably gross, but those cheap fly strips at the hardware store work remarkably well.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:07 AM on July 25, 2007
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:07 AM on July 25, 2007
I used to have the same problem, so I appreciate how aggravating it can be. But a person can have fun with flies by learning how to herd them. Just brandish a T-shirt in each hand, stretch your arms out and wave them like a maniac. The flies will want no part of this, and an intrepid individual can bunch them doggies up and herd them out the window.
Large rooms require more sophisticated tactics, and high ceilings might demand a little leaping. Also, if you’re not shy, it doesn’t hurt to yell something... like maybe “Hoy fly arriba hoy!!”
Fly herding is great for a couple of hours of relief, but what you really need to do is bring in the cool night air and shut your windows when its hot outside. If you have two windows (and no crackheads) you can run a couple of cheap window fans at night, and have one push hot air out while the other one pulls cool air in.
posted by Huplescat at 2:57 PM on July 25, 2007
Large rooms require more sophisticated tactics, and high ceilings might demand a little leaping. Also, if you’re not shy, it doesn’t hurt to yell something... like maybe “Hoy fly arriba hoy!!”
Fly herding is great for a couple of hours of relief, but what you really need to do is bring in the cool night air and shut your windows when its hot outside. If you have two windows (and no crackheads) you can run a couple of cheap window fans at night, and have one push hot air out while the other one pulls cool air in.
posted by Huplescat at 2:57 PM on July 25, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by parmanparman at 9:37 PM on July 24, 2007