apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

this is almost as ridiculous as last week's post about Basil warding off skeeters.

Sorry to totally ignore the point of your post, but what kind of wood is that in the picture with the "Fly Shooter"? It's awesome!

Swatting a fly is just gross. I can't do it.

I really like the idea of the electric fly swatter. Does anyone have one? Does it work well?

Quite sure this is the provider of that wood http://www.kireiusa.com/

If you've got a big enough issue with flies that you have to drop money on fly swatters...then maybe you should take a look at the environment your living in. Flies aren't nesting in your crib cause its hot out. They lay eggs and mate when you don't take your nasty trash out or you don't clean up around your dogs. I live in the hottest and most humid places in the country and I've never seen a fly in my house much less a skeeter. Put a fan at your door....all this other junk is just stupid.

Generally flies breed in unsanitary conditions; however, some regions are more prone to flies than other areas. Some communities, near farms and ranches, have more flies attracted to them than others. There are other ways to repel flies. I'm sure that most who may "drop money on fly swatters" already keep there trash in closes bins out of the way and clean up after their pets and screen their homes well. There is nothing wrong with taking extra precaution to kill disease carrying flies.

*keep their (sorry for the grammar error.)

Sorry - An electric tennis racket is not an "Efficient fly swatter"...

...it's a crappy and wasteful "Made Somewhere Else" gimmick that gets hauled out for a frat party or two, then stashed in a closet and forgotten when the batteries die.

I have an aunt who lives VERY far out in the country near Cobleskill, NY and she owns an electric fly swatter (perhaps not from this exact company). My uncle bought it for her after hearing about how crazy their summer bug problem can be and currently is. I went to visit them in the beginning of August and was able to witness the insane population of insects (spiders, mosquitos, flys, gnats, ants, etc.) appear and die a quick death with said electric fly swatter. She keeps a tidy house but nature keeps several bug-infested acres behind it. My aunt finds it quite useful and uses it all the time.
I no longer stay up at night worrying she will be carried away or eaten in her sleep. (this testimonial was unpaid)

I grew up in the hot sweaty a$$ country....on a farm. we had issues with gnats and skeeters but never flies. Considering most of the folks that post here are from major metro areas and live in apartments I'm not sure why you would have a fly problem. I mean I've never seen the need for a fly swatter unless its September in Florida on the beach. Those biting flies down there are mating around that time and you are screwed.

So you don't have a fly problem, good for you! Many of us live in very populous, urban areas, and a flies are not necessarily indicative of keeping our personal spaces dirty. I've noticed quite a few of them in the last week as the heat has surged. Without AC, my windows are constantly open. As they are screened, but not impenetrably sealed, the wiliest of flies do make it around the seams. And guess what? It's absolutely because of the heat. At night, when it is cooler outside than in, they cling to the screens trying to get back out.

So for those that are experiencing these issues, there are a few common sense type things you can do to combat it. Make sure your trash can is emptied frequently and kept tightly closed at all times. Also, be sure the can itself isn't funky underneath the bag. Wash it out and sprinkle some Borax down there before you replace the bag. Needless to say, if you have a cat box, be religious about scooping it.

Also, orange oil, clove and mint DO act as repellents. I've had great success with this stuff outside, but repellents will do little to help you once they are inside.

I HATE flypaper, I really do, it's gross. But that said, I've recently made my own flypaper strips to catch the stragglers hanging out in my house. It's a very easy DIY that I resorted to after being unable to find the commercial product. This is working really well, but it is, of course, unsightly and disgusting. Lesser of two evils for me really.

~J

The electric fly swatter is the one of the coolest thing I have ever owned. I can not speak to version posted in this article, cause it only takes 2 AA batteries, the one brandish in my house takes 2 D batteries! It will zap mosquitos, flys, wasps, bees, and spiders. Basically anything that you can swipe out the air or on a wall. Win you zap something you know it cause it sounds just like a real bug zapper. It has so much power it actually fries the bugs if they get caught in the racket, while holding down the button. It will shock you if you touch it, only a small zap, enough to smart your finger for a few minutes. Have no idea where I got it from , it was a stocking stuffer for Xmas, but its Yellow and black in coloring.

that electric fly swatter (which i use moreso for mosquitos than flies) is rad. it almost makes you wish you had more of the little ba$tard$ swarming around.