this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2024
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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'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.
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.
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 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.