Aaaand, now I want to know where to get one. Because those baggies full of water do not look nice...

You see plastic bags filled with water in parts of the Middle East, too, but as far as I've ever been able tell it completely doesn't work. At all.

I second @AMANDASG's comment!

this is also a good use for those random chandelier crystals you were going to do something with someday.

Does it scare wasps?

wonder if you could make one of those containers out of an old light bulb

How is it that me flailing both arms around does nothing but a bag of water is suppose to make them "nervous"? I would definitely try this with a bag of water first before actually buying something.

I don't know about this glass orb, but the plastic baggies do actually work. My aunt and I saw it at a friend's BBQ and thought it was the most ridiculous folk myth thing ever, but we both noticed that there really weren't any flies around. So we set up an experiment-- we didn't use the baggies at my cousin's high school grad party, but we did use the baggies at my college graduation party, both outside. There were millions of flies at my cousin's party (gross), and only 3 or 4 at mine. It doesn't clear 100% of flies, but I'd genuinely estimate at least 80%. I don't know of anything that works as well.

I wonder if it works to deter mosquitos?

You know, places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels sell glass containers that look like light bulbs and clear glass ball ornaments that you could fill with water and hang outside. The top of the ornament would have to be sealed with some sort of glue before hanging, since it would get a bit heavy and you would have to find a way to attach a hanger to the light bulb jar, but for about $3 - $5 might be worth a try to keep flies away.

Lived in Florida for a loooonnng time & yes! The baggies of water DO work. Trust me, when it comes to insects Florida has more than its share! (and they grow really big!!) Every outdoor patio eatery, roadside ice cream stand, taco truck, etc you go to will have baggies of water hanging around & after a little while of dining/drinking al fresco you will notice a lack of flies. Why this works I don't know. Does it? Absolutely!

Amanda................ http://www.josedelao.com/Jose_de_la_O/welcome.html

My mother has a ziplock bag with water and a few pennies inside it hanging outside her patio door. Works for her, she never has flies come in the house...not sure why the pennies work, but try it if the plain old bag of water thing isn't working. My mother says they think it's eyes watching them... ;)

@helanother
Leave some dead wasps on the table near where you are eating. It does work.
Ok, maybe is not soo great have dead wasps on the table and some could object to the fact that some of them had to be killed to get the dead bodies, but I find it better than get bitten ore use insecticides.

this works.. I've been doing it for years with a ziplock bag. it's one of those, "why didn't I think of that moments."

I used to live in Portugal and they, too, would hang bags of water in their door frames. I thought they were crazy but not it seems I'll be joining their ranks as I try this next time I'm easting outside. Good post!

Growing up in Alaska we would fill Ziploc baggies half full of water hanging above the door to keep bugs out of the house in the summer. It works. I would love to try a more tasteful approach to the Ziplocs... :)

I wonder if this will work for fruit flies....

My husband and I get terrible fruit flies in our beach condo every summer; I"m so trying this!!!

These could work possibly, hang them with jute cord or other twine through the mounting hole. http://www.cb2.com/vases/accessories/wall-mounted-teardrop-vase/f2906

The Mythbusters debunked this years ago. A bag of water does nothing to divert flies.

Wonder if using 1 or 2 litre water bottles strung decoratively would work?

i'm going to try this. it's nice weather and i want to have the doors open for a cross breeze but the twenty flies that instantly come in and buzz around deter me.

Ever since I filled pop bottles with water and strategically hid them round the garden, not a single neighbourhood cat has pooped in there. I can happily plant edibles and do my weeding without worrying about random poop.

How traditional is a plastic bag?

at 158 bucks a pop...ill take the damn plastic baggies!!!!

http://aplusrstore.com/product.php?id=938

I agree with the colloquial wisdom that this does not work. I haven't seen the Mythbusters, but I think I would trust them.

I don't want to make flies nervous. I want to make them dead.

I've seen this before and will try on my balcony.

I don't believe it for a second.

We didn't have to wait to create urban areas to create myths...

And here I thought it was a recycled light bulb dipped in a reflective paint. I'm thinking that would be a heck of a lot cheaper. But I still love love love the idea! Thanks!

Thanks Yancy, so much more affordable than this one for $158.

I think I'll try an empty Method handsoap container.

LOL @ Sadie Glass! :)

So, this might come from being pretty new to the Vegas desert sun, but, wouldn't a big orb of water pose a bit of a fire hazard? I'm worried about the "magnifying glass" and ant effect. Has anyone heard of problems with this?

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/flies.asp - efficacy is undetermined according to snopes.

I've seen this before but the price was waaaayyyy out of reach for me. So I did a quick google search for round-bottom flask, bought one for about 10 bucks and used some nice twine to hang it up. Looks nice and works great!

I need a gnat solution - they love to get in my eyes, ears, and nose when I'm gardening.

My mom gets rid of fruit flies by pouring a little apple cider vinegar into a tall cup and resting a funnel in the top of the cup that covers all but a small part of the opening. Fruit flies are especially attracted to the vinegar and usually can't get out of the bottle, so they drown.

Ditto on Mythbusters. Plus Snopes refers to a study indicating that the water bags attrached more flies that doing nothing.

Interesting, I'd bet if not this then there is probably some visual way to deter certain bugs. Some things that do work: the FDA recently approved a plant-based spray (I think it's citronella) as a bug deterrent, reportedly just as effective as DEET. The other insect control method is bugs and birds that eat bugs (swifts, swallows etc). You want these critters around your home. So don't use pesticides (they kill the birds but the bugs just build up a tolerance to them) and grow some shrubs for birds.

Or, you could try a screened porch!

My grandmother is Mexican and her house was/is surrounded by waterbags, jugs of "holy water" plus a plethora of phony Mexican folk tales. The end result was her house looked like crap and since we lived in south Texas (a heaven for bugs and giant mosquitos) she also had fly shit everywhere. Just saying....doesn't work.

Well, if you like that, I've got a rock that keeps tigers away that I could sell you.

It's nice if you think that this works and happen to notice fewer flies, but please don't waste your money on buying an expensive bobble to preform this function. Some discussion on the myth you might enjoy: http://science.howstuffworks.com/zoology/insects-arachnids/water-bags-repel-flies2.htm, http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/flies.asp

Screens and netting, as far as the eyes can see. This has worked, in my experience - especially for black flies. Visit Northern Maine during black fly season...you'll be fashioning a netted suit faster than you can make fun of the locals for wearing one.

I live in a jungle, on an island, and we have plenty of insects, especially flies. I do not know how the baggie with water works, never tried that. But I do know that a baggie with water and some transparent marbles (or copper pennies) works. Why? The eye of a fly has some 8,000 fractures (only the dragonfly has more, something like 16,000) and the fractured light from the marbles hurts them. Of course, there are the odd drug-induced or wacko flies, but that is minimal. Fruit flies, vinegar works, and works well. Mosquitoes? Got a problem there. I found that if I take B complex every day, I only get a bite about once every 3 months. Don't ask me why.

Will a light bulb and resin work?