Fly Killer

[Jim]

How do you kill flies in the kitchen?

I've tried those stick-on Vapona sunflower things for the windows and I don't reckon they are effective.

Anyone got any tips?

Jim

[Ash]

Try

[Howard Neil]

I am reminded of a scam that was run in Canada several decades ago:-

Advert place in newspaper for a fly killer that was guaranteed to work every time.

Purchasers received two blocks of wood marked "A" and "B". The instructions read "Place fly on block A and strike sharply with block B". :-)

I understand that the seller became rich.

[Bob Minchin]

The ultra violet attract and high voltage kill types are effective and satisfying to the macabre types amongst us. I have used the more industrial types in the past but now there are domestic versions for a tenner or so on ebay but I've not tried these.

Bob

[DIY]

"Jim" asked:

I bought a plastic fly swatter from Netto's for £1 several years ago and it never fails.

[Andrew Gabriel]

You might try to avoid attracting them there in the first place.

I have a number of carnivorous plants (insect eating). Rarely see any flies, unless I look into the plants, where you can see the trapped ones.

[Jim]

Brilliant. I'm going to go and buy some carnivorous plants.

It's at times like this I think, 'why didn't I think of that'.

Thanks.

Jim

[Ash]

Just remember to stop using fly spray in the house ... if you spray a fly and it manages to limp off and land on your plant later it'll kill the plant.

Ash

[Ash]

Another tip for looking after the plant(s) is to not use water straight from the tap as the water is too 'rich' for the plants .. they like nice boggy stagnant water. Collect some rain water and leave it outside to 'go off' (some dead leaves in the water help) and use this water to water the plant(s)

Ash

[Barb]

I have an ancient plastic swatter, too, and it works great. The main thing is, I think, that it has a mesh-type spatula head, so the swish doesn't actually push the insect away when you swing at it, whereas a folded newspaper, etc. does. Very effective.

Barb

[Andrew Gabriel]

Fly spray comes from carnivorous plants. Some might not like it, but I have sprayed it on a couple I bought, which turned out to be infested from the seller with whitefly and red spider respectively, and they didn't mind. It did stop one working properly for a while though, as the flys which landed on it died too quickly, and it relies on them wriggling around to digest them, although they still got trapped, but not eaten.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Hard water and chlorination treatments present in tap water will kill most of the carnivorous plants. Rain water is preferred (doesn't need to stand around). Can also use a brita filter jug or condensate from a refigerent/compressor based dehumidifier occasionally, but try to use rain water mostly.

Carnivorous plants expect to be growing in poor soil where most/all of the nutrients have been washed away by excessive water (which is why they obtain their nutrients from insects instead). Some actually cannot obtain nutrients from the soil (no nitrogen fixing capability). Mine all seem to love being satuarated with water (unlike most house plants), so I stand their pots in containers filled to about halfway up the side of the pot with rain water. Never use any fertiliser.

Some of the pitcher type (funnels to collect insects) do require their pitchers to collect some rainwater, so I put these outdoors occasionally during heavy rain (you could try pouring in rainwater, but make sure it's clean). Other types of pitchers have protective covers over them to prevent rain water entry, as they secrete all the fluid required into the pitchers and don't want it diluted. In addition to the water, the plant adds wetting agents and sometimes toxins to aid drowning the insects, as well as digestive enzymes and acids necessary to release the nutrients. These may not be suitable for use where children might play with them, although watching flys get attracted, feed on the sugar secretions laced with narcotics or other toxins (depending on the plant), lose their footing on the waxy surface (designed to clog up their feet) and eventually fall in can be quite interesting for them.

The other type I have are Sundews, which work literally like flypapers. The leaves are covered in hairs, each one with a globule of glue on the end which the insect gets stuck to when it lands on the plant, so place it somewhere where an insect is likely to go (light window). When the plant detects an insect struggling, for a large insect, it will wrap the leaf around it, pressing the leaf surface against the insect, from which it secretes digestive enzymes. For tiny insects, the hairs bend over and press the insect against the leaf body for a few days, and the leaf is still receptive to trapping more insects.

When I first got them, I didn't see any flys around and I was worried they might not be getting any nutrients indoors, so I put them outside sometimes (flying-ant day is ideal, and also stood them on a wheelie bin which had been in the sun for a couple of weeks and was attracting flys). However, I then realised that they were actually catching some insects indoors, whch is why I wasn't seeing insects indoors! I still put them out for a good feed occasionally, as I doubt they get enough indoors alone.

BTW, the most popular type, Venus fly traps, I found to be completely useless.

[Ash]

[Ash]

Excellent guide Andrew ... you don't happen to know where I can get one of those nice little plants in the film 'The Little Shop of Horrors' do you? My wife loves plants :o)

Ash

[Ron O'Brien]

I remember that hot year of '76 I had a flat in West London and a neighbour who had a compost heap which was just a fence panal away from my kitchen door! The flies loved it, and would often have a day trip into my kitchen. I was defeated in battle with these present day spitfires and their repeated attacks on my kitchen, I tried pots of French Marigolds inside and outside the kitchen door - modest effect, but flowers short lived, I hung those wonderful sticky strips so I could watch the enemy squirm in a slow death and my kitchen had an almost permenant smell of RAID spray that put me off entering the room more than it did the fly.

One sweltering day I was walking past Mr Patel's food hall emporium when the answer hit me! The shop had a curtain of beads that covered the door - flies avoided it (well, there were no flies in the shop!) but it let in valuable fresh air. I later managed to track down someone who sold a version that was simply red, white and blue coloured plastic strips about half-an-inch wide in a row that would fit acroos the door opening. Brilliant, and it worked, I got very few flies after that, those that I did get I would energetically swat, thereby being a forerunner of the modern crazy of in-home exercise.

Ron

[Ash]

Oh ... you're missing out on a cult movie then ... originally made in 1960 and then remade in 1986 as a rock musical about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood ... didn't see any flies in the movie too !

[ARWadsworth]

These are better

Adam

[Ash]

And for the really big Blue Bottles....

[Bikini Whacks]

Jeez, what an imprint that would leave on someone's arse.

[Bikini Whacks]

.

LOL