How to kill a fly without a flyswatter

In three easy steps

1.) Position your hands a few inches above the fly as if you were about to clap.
2.) Clap.
3.) Wash hands.

Comments

  1. That’s… not an ordinary housefly is it?
    It looks like one of those metallic green ones which used to strike mortal fear into me as a 20-year old. I discovered Beer soon after. I swatted flies by the dozen (where I grew up, there wasn’t much to do) but there was something about these; they were like Fly 2.0: bigger, better, more annoying.
    You’re a brave man, Mister Glass. A brave man.

  2. this really works. or at least it did on my first try yesterday at the dining room table. i was impressed as these things have been damn hard to get for me without a fly swatter. i followed the instructions exactly as written too, including the hand-washing part. 🙂

  3. Actually, Nikhil, it’s a big fly. I’d call it a horsefly. Caught while camping, and preserved to bring you this message.
    And Sean, I’m glad it worked for ya. Results may vary.

  6. Also works for catching flies. Just cup your hands. Harder to do with one hand. Apparently this works because flies cannot take-off at an angle, they have to fly straight up first, then take off, and by then, they’re either dead or caught.

  7. It’s not a horsefly. They look like less fatal wasps.
    This neat little trick does not work well with wasps.

  8. Remember to wash your hands, shoe or any other flying insect beating device *!!*
    Especially if attempting this (and are lucky) with a wasp, as when damaged (or dead), they give off a pheromone scent which will penetrate back to the nest, alerting the rest of the workers to attack you.
    Please note: Petrol will not mask this scent

  10. what if you wrap your hands in disposable stuff like grocery bags first? that will save the ickiness.

  11. what if you wrap your hands in disposable stuff like grocery bags first? that will save the ickiness.

  12. Something else, is if they wont stay down on the ground, if you swat at them and you hit them into something hard, they will become stunned for about 10-15 seconds.

  13. I once caught a fly with one hand during my spanish class, I threw it against a desk to temporarily shock it and wounded it’s wings so it couldn’t fly, then I kept it for my pet and put it on my shoulder like a parrot. ^_^

  15. I’ve been doing this for a few years (killing them, not creating pirate-pet-flies), and it really impresses people the first time they see it. I usually follow the killing up with a cry of “ninja!”

  16. Here’s a trick for removal of wasps or bees. I discovered it one day whan a wasp was lazing on an ornate curved door handle – pretty hard to swat it successfully. Besides, as a BHL (Bleeding Heart Liberal) I don’t like to kill things – even insects.
    Mix honey or maple syrup with a tiny bit of water. Put a drop near the edge of the flat part of a long handled spatula (the longer the better). If the wasp / bee is running out of steam and hungry, they will walk onto the spatula to get the food. While they drink, walk carefully to the nearest exit. Put the spatula down outside and wait; the wasp will fly away on its own.

  17. For killing wasps and other stinging insects:
    Instead of swatting with a newspaper, then dodging as it dive-bombs you, spray it with hairspray.
    As the hairspray dries, it freeze up their wings so they can’t fly. Then you can swat it.

  18. ANOTHER SOLUTION:
    Get a powerful, lightweight shopvac with a long hose and simply suck the flies off the walls and in to the vacuum. This works great for many fruit-flies and adult flies.
    I usually sneak up on them slowly and when I’m a foot away, I strike the wand right at them, and if they fly away, I follow them, often sucking them in in mid-air.

  19. a spectacular way to render harmless all kinds of insects:
    – get a deodorant of any kind that has the flame sign on
    [it means it contains flammable ingredient, usually alcohol]
    – get a lighter
    – point deodorant at insect within 2 feet
    – light the lighter in the middle of the distance
    – spray!
    the insect could survive the napalm attack
    but it would definitely not be able to fly or crawl anymore >:D
    warning: the victim should be no near flammable materials!
    the glass is the best place to do it!

  20. B4 you catch the fly…prepare small paper banner…add thread and superglue…attach to fly you catch and turn loose in class (this got me in trouble many years ago)

  21. I used this technique when I was a kid back in India. We didnt have fly swatters at that time.
    One difference is that you need to keep your hand above, and a little in front of the head of the housefly. The reason this works effectively is that houseflys can only take off straight ahead. They cannot take off backwards. So, when they see danger, they take off into your waiting hands and get squashed!
    Also, this works only on houseflys. Also, you dont need any special technique to kill other flys. They are too slow. Houseflys are extremely fast, and hence this technique.

  24. We use a different method. It works very well on flies and also on bees and wasps…
    Get a small, clean spray bottle. Fill it with water and a few drops of dish soap (Daw, Palmolive, not dishwasher soap but the kind you use in the sink). Gently swirl to mix. Spray the insect.
    The soap disrupts its breathing apparatus. It will drop to the floor, ready to slap, squash, or pick up with a bit of tissue and flush.
    (We’re willing to do trap and release on mce but not bees and flies)

  25. I like snapping the with elastics. It takes some practice, but once you get good at it, it is totally lethal. In fact, the flies explode when hit. They taste better too.

  26. I use a window cleaner bottle that hooks up to a garden hose for large nests of wasps. Use dishwashing liquid that suds up well and causes suffocation – some window cleaners aren’t sudzy.

  28. Horrid, folks! I do Nature work — open a coning, connect with the Deva of Insects and whatever particular insect’s Deva we need and ask what it needs — then use flower essences to be given to it/them by Pan. Works every time. No muss, no fuss — check out cocreative science on http://www.perelandra-ltd.com

  29. All the comments from guys were helpful and/or gross and amusing! No wonder I LOVE the opposite gender.

  30. Another method, we refer to as the Final Solution, and only terribly effective if you have an open flame gas stove. Turn off all the lights in the house (you do this at night when large flies are keeping you from sleeping or enjoying yourself) and light the gas flame – or candle if that is the best you can do. The fly will instantly incinerate itself on the gas flame, a bit iffier with the candle but sometime works.

  31. Been doing that for a good 50 years now. It is so automatic that sometimes I don’t even realize that I’m doing it. I often nail them in the center of the palm and the sonic boom kills them without any contact. I’ve always called it “giving a fly the clap.”. I do tend to do bad puns.
    The automatic reaction of the fly is to go up and to the rear when it senses an odd airflow and motion. What is really nice is that you can do this over food and never get any on your hands and the fly doesn’t drop to the food aferwords.

  32. To deal with roaches, put some isoproyl alcohol in a sprayer, and give it a spray. No need to light it afterwards. The roach will die within a minute.
    It has the added effect of sterilizing the roach, making it cleaner (theoretically) to handle.

  33. I`ve been using this technique for years. It is solid proof “that the hand is quicker than the fly”.

  35. Flies in Australia must be a little backward to your flies in the northern hemisphere. I’ve been doing this for years, but I have always positioned my hands above and slightly behind the fly. It always flew diagonally backwards and into the middle of my hands. Strikerate, 99 out of 100.

  37. Flies actually jump up into the air a couple three inches before they start to fly. It’s automatic and instinctual, they have no choice. Hence getting a little above them for the clap. When I was a little boy, we used to pull their wings off just so we could watch them jump. Hilarious. We called them Herbies. BTW, they are not like cats and don’t land on their feet.

  38. The way I catch unwanted flies in my house is with a wet dishcloth in my hand. The fly is not killed. Then I release it outside and it flies away. And put the wet dishcloth in the laundry.

  39. Save money on crickets. – Catch flies with one hand. Flies can not see directly above their heads. Slowly approach from above to approx. one inch, then quickly grasp fly by the wings, then crease the wing with thumbnail. The crease prevents the fly from flying away when placing in your kids pet lizard cage. Save money – no more buying meal bugs or crickets from the pet store.
    P.S. Lizards won’t eat dead flies or dead crickets.

  40. I saw an interesting way to catch flies also! Don’t you get mad when they are all over the ceiling? I saw this done and it works great.
    Take a clear glass of water about 2/3 full and a little dish soap. Put something over the top and shake it up a little so that it makes bubbles. Then take the uncovered glass and and cover the fly on the ceiling (lightly touch the top of glass to the ceiling)and it drops/flies into the solution immediately. Unfortunately it only works for flies on the ceiling. Someone tall enough can basically kill one after the other using that method.

  41. Prepare to shoot a rubber band.Aim with your eye.Shoot.Clean wall.Almost always works.

  42. Chase the mosquito all around the room until sufficiently close, position palms strategically with the mosquito in between and follow steps 2 & 3 in ‘How to kill a fly…”

  43. Preventive measure: at a local deep freeze / cold storage business they have hung plastic bags containing water & a penny at all outside access areas to keep flys away. It seems to work… no flys.

  45. Just as I was about to write this post a mosquito flew across my monitor and I gave him the clap of death. A good omen I would say…
    Anyhoo, my recomendation for catching that annoying mosquito that keeps biting you all night long in bed:
    1) lay the bait -expose a part of your ripe, juicy flesh for the mosquito, and cover the rest of your body with sheets, blankets or whatever.
    Yes I know this may be hot and inconvenient but it may better than being bitten all night long. You decide.
    2) Prepare to crush the bastard -make sure your exposed bit of flesh is positioned within easy striking distance of your hand which is grasping a pillow (you can use just your hand, but a pillow increases your chances of a first strike kill).
    3) Wait for the piercing jab of the mosquito’s blood-sucking probiscus into your tender, exposed bit of flesh… It is perfectly normal and okay to feel shivers of secret, sneaky happiness at the anticipation of revenge upon this winged little vampiric bastard.
    4) Strike at the exposed flesh and stinging pain with all your fury and might with pillow. Wait a few minutes. If no further bites occur…
    5) smile contentedly and resume snoring soundly.
    This technique works most times the first try, but sometimes takes a second go -depends on how sneaky and evil you are the first time. The more the better.

  46. if you see a spider or something like that DON’T spray it with a flame!!
    Buy a can of air in spray (medium compressed), turn the can upside down, spray spider or fly (to do this with fly, the fly mustn’t can fly)[sorry for my english]. I mean it have to be groounded.
    Then pick up and throw the ice-insect on table.
    You have just made…
    Insect Puzzle 😀

  47. For wasps and bees, this one is quite effective… You take a plastic coca-cola bottle, and make sure there’s about an inch of cola left in the bottle… then you cut off the top of the bottle (about two inches from the top). you unscrew the top bit you cut off, and place it back on the rest of the bottle, but now with the top end hanging down…
    this is what will happen: bees and wasps love sugar, so the get attracted by it, they walk around on the top bit you cut off and hung upside down, and want to go where the real stuff is, through the litle hole, and into the bottle… and they won’t get back out (because the hole is quite smalle and the “sides” of the bottle don’t guide them back out, because you turned it upside down)

  48. did you know that head nits can live on digestive biscuits in a jam jar for 3 weeks?

  49. didn’t pulling wings off of flys used to be a sign of degenerate behaviour, and wasn’t it usually taken to be a sure sign that the perp would progress to torturing progressively-higher life forms, such as kittens, puppies, children and Democrats? I did once see instructions for making a tiny airplane out of wooden matches glued together in a cross-formation, with a small bit for a rear stabilizer; the engine power was provided by 4-6 houseflies caught, then super-glued onto the top cross-bar by their feet. Apparently they can generate enough lift, in concert, to actually move the damned thing. And now that i know how to actually CATCH them alive . . . . .Howard Hughes will have nothing on me! Spruce Goose? How about the “Pine Fly”?

  50. I’ve been trying this new technique for killing bees/wasps/hornets of mine out for the past few days…and it works every time I’ve tried it.
    Get a flyswatter, corner the bee on a flat surface. Whack it real hard, then run and go grab some windex and spray it. I personally think the windex help kills it (because every time you beat them, you have to whack them a few billion times before they die), but I’m not sure. Maybe I have a strong arm? Oh well. I’m a sadist, so I might as well throw a cleaning chemical in there.
    P.S. Great way for killing flies, I’ll have to try it out sometime.

  51. I just use windex on houseflies. A few quick sprays first makes them unable to fly, and then they die a few minutes after. Highly satisfactory.

  52. watz the problem with fiy swatters??? well, if you have a pond or fish tank with medium to large goidfish feed the stupid fly to them!!! you people would look on here to see how to CATCH a fly !!! Duh retards use a fly swatter( no offense). its not like flies have ~feelings~. and if you wanna know why im on here its cause its 5:30-6:00 in the morning and theres a mouse running across my floor!!! im gonna use cheese!!! LOL
    later like neva`

  55. Thanks for the tips it really helped i had a horsefly in my house and so i read this i killed it and cleaned what i killed it with just like yall said thanks again

  56. Hola. I’m not to concerned with the well-being of insects, so YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, this may get violent.
    Anyway, I have issues with insects…mainly because they bite me, sting me, suck my blood, and live in my closet without permit. The technique I have to share is relatively easy, and similar to what has been said on here. Pretty much, get any sort of open container (Coffee can, etc), add any sugary substances you have at hand like soda or syrup. You can mix things too 😉 for a custom genocidal weapon. Feel happy.
    Next add a squirt of dish soap, stir, and let sit out wherever your nusaince lives. This works primarily for bees and wasps, although I suppose you could attempt it on another sort of insect.
    In any case, the wasp will be attracted to the sugar in your mixture, but when it crawls in, its wings will stick to your dishsoap, and it will slowly starve/drown.
    This is proven effective-as my friends and I went on a determined genocidal spree to get rid of the hornets in one’s yard. Of course, we were catching them and stuffing them INTO the mixture…Can you guess how many met their dooms? 100+. That’s right, it was a bloody INFESTATION. I’ve also done this by just letting the container sit out…I just feel more accomplished by assisting in their deaths;) Im a vengeful sort, and I don’t appreciate stings…….. O.O

  57. Axe deodorant might work…
    I used it on a spider once and it went into a ball position and fell behind a t.v..
    So I am not sure if it survived, can anyone confirm?

  58. Never actually tryed deoderant, but that stuff smells strong enough that something as small as a spider probably has no hope.

  59. Actually if you use a TON of soap (dish) on your cournter tops and tables the flys hate that. I mean a heave sudsy cleaning once per day then a dry cloth to get the exces and the flys will not land there or any thereabouts. worked for me for years.

  61. I was just wondering if it is ethical to (once caught but not quite dead) leave them suffering or best to put it out of its misery. I apply the how long has it bugged me for, like, all night or just 5 mins. What y’all think 🙂

  62. to catch a fly… or hornet or wasp easily get a clear plastic bag, wait ’til it is crawling on a window, come up behind it with open plastic bag, placing the open edges around it, snap edges closed and carry outside and release. Can also be done with a clear plasic glass… place over insect on window, slip playing card underneath, take outside and release!!

  63. I dont have a problem with flies at all because my grandma when I was little would put ziplock bags full of water over the OUTSIDE of the doorway on top and you have to have a light on..either next to it outside or one on inside and flies get all crazy and cant pass under it because of the light…doesn’t work for bees though

  64. Thank you, thank you, thank you! First time in my life I got one back on a damned (& now dead)housefly.

  65. One of these little bastards is flying around me right now. I am just waiting for my chance!

  66. I’ve used the clapping technic for years. really works. I used to pull the wings off; just bored I guess. Now, I like to catch them throw them down to stun them. Then take them to the toilet and flush them. I tell myself that it’s humane. Take a look at the dog doo in your yard. THEY LOVE THAT STUFF.

  68. There’s a pair of huge wasps in my living room, and I have a phobia. I also have a choice of wespons:
    Frying Pan (for Tom and Jerry fun!)
    Air Freshner
    Deodorant
    Furniture Polish
    Which would work best?

  69. If you get bored of the clapping trick, you can try flicking them. Won’t actually kill them (normally) but is very satisfying. Creep up on fly on flattish surface. Put hand in flicking position, turn it on its side, flick fly, then enjoy as the fly ricochets off furniture. One variation is to try to flick it into fly paper. This takes some practice…

  71. I’ve been using the vacuum with a long hose attached to it to get rid of the flies. It works but it gets tricky if they are in between the window panes. It’s also hard to vacuum if the flies are all over the curtain.
    I’ve just tried spraying windex and it slowly makes the flies weak and evenrually will drop dead. Then I vacuum.
    I’ve tried dishsoap and sugar solution and left it on the window sill and dozens of them just dive in.
    But water in a bottle spray mixed with a few drops of dishwashing soap is a cheaper alternative. Spray them on the window. You’re also cleaning your windows at the same time.
    BTW, I can never swat a fly with my bare hands though. It is just gross.

  72. Fill a jar half-way with water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar (malt, wine or cider… not distilled) and a squirt of dish soap. Cover and shake. You’ve just made a Fruit Fly trap.
    Cover and shake occasionally to re-foam the top.

  73. If only I’d known this! All those years of using a shotgun – cost me a fortune in furniture!!

  74. tried your 3 easy steps. didn’t work. when i about to clap, it flown away. this fly has been around for a few days now. very annoying. maybe i should try using my perfume and give it a good spray!
    btw, i love ur site. very neat! 🙂

  75. “For killing wasps and other stinging insects:
    Instead of swatting with a newspaper, then dodging as it dive-bombs you, spray it with hairspray.
    As the hairspray dries, it freeze up their wings so they can’t fly. Then you can swat it.”
    …It’s easier if you hold a lighter in front of the hairspray can.
    We had a hornet’s nest underground next to our house siding when I was a kid. I would swat the side of the house with newspaper, which would make them send out a wasp to investigate. A little poof of flame would take em’ out one by one. Eventually they send most of the hive all at once, which is hilarious to watch – they all have to come out of the same small opening at once, and meet their flaming death quickly.
    I’m sure they didn’t suffer… much.

  76. ok,well my question is for this tecnique from mr glass, do you actually smack the fly with your hands when you clap, or is it just the sound of your hands clapping that shocks them?? yes, this might work when you are at a restaurant and dont have anything else to swat it with, but at home… they made the fly swatter for a reason. lol. there are people out there who CAN live with fly’s, i personally hate flies!! for some reason i cannot have them buzzing near me. i start itching all over, and get little red dots all over. weird huh. anyways, i do like reading everyones ideas. especially the whole using soap and water for bees and wasps. wouldn’t want my toddler, or me getting stung. for those who haven’t read how to catch a mouse from the same writer, here’s the link. http://glass.typepad.com/journal/2005/09/how_to_catch_a_.html

  78. To trap Fly at night, turn all the light off but one at night. Fly attracted to light. it will fly to that lighted room by itself. The smaller the room the better. I prefer bathroom, so the fly can be dispose by blousing it down the toilet
    I kill it using rubber band. It need precision but that my hutting sport.

  80. Stawberry Glade will also work on most creepy-crawlers. House centipeds react specatularly to this – first they launch a few legs – then they do the breakdance of death. Now, not only are you bug free, the house smells great!

  81. You also have those electrified-tennis-racket-thingies. Very humane and very fun. Although bigger flies usually only get stunned, so you have to shock them a few times until they start smoking (of course you can also get the smaller flies to smoke, but I tend to kill of bigger flies).
    Jochem

  82. Very interesting ways to kill flies. I’ve got a can spray just about everywhere for quick efficient killing. Will definetly try the clap technique.
    Also must add, that if you really hate flies, get a Praying Mantis as a pet. Catch live flies and put in jar with Praying Mantis, watch as they catch the fly and start eating it alive! Really fun to watch!

  83. Fly swat methods that works !!!
    By using an industrial yet inexpensive water spray bottle [you’ll find it at “home depot”] you can kill a fly or at least bend their wings by shooting up thin jet stream about three feet apart but strong enough to put the bug on a state of chock before you pick it up with a tissue or paper.
    ————————————————-
    I also use a small dab of shaving cream on a long end of a stick [either a chinese stick or staright branch ] then carefully approach the fly right on above their head [they can’t see up their heads] then quickly dab it the fly will stick to the foam then sling it in to either kitchen sink on runing water or toilet and watch the fly drown.

  84. During twilight, open your doors. The flies are attracted to the hue at twilight and go outside. Twilight resembles the effect of a black-light. Its the time just before the sun sets.

  85. I used to kill flies just like that. But the cost of the handsoap and chapping from continuous washing caused to to devise another method: Cut a rubberband at one end. Sneak up behind the fly and stretch the band as far as possible. Take aim and let one end go! No more fly and no need to get your hands wet! DISCLAIMER: Not for the faint of heart, as some blood(or whatever that stuff is that flows through a fly) may appear where the fly once sat. DO NOT attempt without adult supervision. While aiming, always wear safety goggles and keep rubberband a safe distance away from eye: failure to do so may result in serious injury or blindness.

  86. Nice…been doing the “Hand Clap” for years, (worked great in Africa during those long deployments) I try not to kill the flys anymore, but this is no “catch and release” program, they go into the fish tank where the Chiclids get them, more like “catch and fillet”

  87. Windex works like bug spray on a housefly. A few spritzes and they fall to the ground. A few more and they die, and you can easily pick them up with a napkin or tissue.
    Also great is turning a can of compressed air upside down so it shoots frost. This is great for hard-to-catch centipedes. Mind, they do unfreeze and start running again, so dispose of them quickly.

  88. I used window cleaner in a spray bottle, one direct hit and its ready for a slow painful death 🙂

  89. any strong nerf guns with suction bit work great to, just position gun a bit above fly and boom

  90. I find throwing knives work well on a variety of insects (yes, even hornets and yellowjackets!)
    If you have drywalls it’s good to keep some spackel on hand during warm wet summers. ^_^

  91. I let the kids use their flyshooters. They have fun chasing the flys around and I get a bug-free house. Works every time, sort of.

  92. I was once cracking nuts for my mom with a small anvil and mini-hammer. A fly landed on the anvil and I tried to whack it with the hammer. I completely missed. Much to my suprise, the ‘DING!’ was loud enough to completely kill it dead. Not a mark on it, but it’s brains must have been completely SNAFU’d. Laughed my ass off. 🙂

  93. Killing a fly – this one never fails.
    Most microwaves have a light inside, that turns on when you open the door. That’s what you need.
    Wait until it’s dark outside. Turn off all the lights in the house (very important). Open the microwave door, so that the light comes on. Wait until the fly enters the microwave (doesn’t take more than a few seconds – it comes to the light). Close the door, turn it on, wait for the “snap” sound.
    Remove the cooked fly.

  94. I dont like the idea of squashed flies all over my hands, so I use TWO rolled up newspapers/magazines (preferable from the recycling bin) and approach the insect from behind. Then holding the weapons about 6″ apart, strike from both sides simultaneously at an angle of about 45 degrees. Works well and is also good for bugs that fight back (Wasp and Hornets)
    Never kill a bee, they make honey!

  95. My brother-in-law has a variation. Instead of clapping his hands, he scoops one hand a few inches above the fly and catches it. Then he throws the fly against the ground. Avoids the gooey mess on your hand – but probably should still wash them!

  97. Yesterday I used regular Windex and that worked okay. Not all of the flies died right away. I found some of the Foaming Windex and that works great. It kills them almost immediately!! Then I just vac. them up!!! There are way to many to catch with my hands.

  98. here is one i invented for catching spiders or any other crawlers that have made it up to the cielings/walls
    take a small plastic water bottle
    cut off the top, where the neck just starts to get thin (where the cylindrical shape ends)
    turn the part you just cut off upside down and jam it back into the bottle — creating a funnel
    get some soap (bar or liguid) and coat the funnel part with it
    make sure there is bit of water in the battle
    Now the annoying thing about spiders is once you catch them in a container they can easily crawl out or once your trying to dump them out they use their web to stay inside. With this device you just knock the spider into the funnel area, the soapy coating forces him to slide down the neck and into the bottle. Because of the design he will always drop right in the middle of the bottle and cannot cling to any walls. Because of the water in the bottom he is unable to make his way to any of the bottle’s walls to climb out.
    Now you just take out the funnel piece and dump out the spider @ a location of your choosing with the water. Since he is still floating he will be unable to use his web to prevent this.
    Enjoy 😛

  99. oh ya; just to add for the hopelessly retarded… you are supposed to remove the bottle cap from the bottle and throw it out.

  100. put your thumb and forefinger in the pinch position, concentrate for half an hour, watch the fly, sooner or later it will gain your trust and just then … strike.. catching it between your thumb and forefinger… then..GET A LIFE ………..

  102. Furniture polish…. in spray cans kills wasps, bees and flies in seconds.
    I tried it by accident years ago and found it is more effective then using commercial wasp sprays…
    the last time I used a wasp spray it took about 5-8mins for the damn thing to die.
    with the polish, as soon as it makes contact.. its pretty much dead.
    it also stop them from flying about after u spray them, bcus the polish is thick and wet and sticks their wings to themselves.. or the floor, window etc etc.
    I have no idea why it works so well, the polish must contain something really deadly to flying insects (posibly the silicon content I dont know).
    but next time u have a wasp in your room.. try it… make sure u get close and give it a good coating untill its all sticky and cant move.
    Remeber, ive only tied this with AREOSOl polishes, others may not work as well… or not atall!

  103. I am in tears!!! You can’t buy entertainment like this… keep ’em coming.
    PS about a tablespoon of dishsoap in a standard spray bottle topped with water will wipe out about any insect. They can’t breath.

  104. i dont know if any of you guys have problems with crickets… but if you spray them with WD40, watch… its quite funny. they chirp a few more times, and take one last suicidal leap. Dead by the time the hit the ground.

  105. I’ve used the clap trick for decades with good results. Another trick is to take a piece of clear Scotch tape about 5 inches long held between two hands. Bring it down slowly to a fly sitting on a horizontal surface. I guess they can’t see it coming. After making contact, rub gently and they will be permanently taped where they sat. This can be used to keep from going nuts while on guard duty at night in the Army. If you launch a rubber band hooked over the end of a pencil, that works good too. You might discover that a fly can fly without it’s head attached. I killed 945 flies one day while pulling KP in Germany. I think I need help.

  106. after a stinky dump, don’t flush to lure your fly into the bathroom. after it’s in there, don a gas mask, enter the bathroom, shut the door, and flush. your fly is trapped and now you don’t have to chase it around the house. now you can practice your aim with a big fat rubber band and fast flushing technique. you may want to use an OSHA approved gas mask depending on what you had for dinner the night before. not the recommended technique for families with small children and the elderly, or those with sensitive noses.

  107. Flies are great for developing that super fast reflex flick you need to play baminton competitively. Wasps are too slow but good practise in devoloping a strong tennis smash.

  108. you know what else works well? a dog. I had a Shepherd-Labrador cross, and man, he loved eating flies. Crunched them up like crazy! He even ate wasps and bees. I think it was a sport for him. Like skeet shooting maybe…

  111. 1.Plug up your sink. 2.Fill with soap and water. 3.Put a floating…something on the water. 4.Put a banana slice on the something 5.Wait 20 minutes 6.Dunk the banana in the water. 7.Drain the sink. 8.Wash it thouroughly

  113. used this technique when I was a kid back in India. We didnt have fly swatters at that time.
    One difference is that you need to keep your hand above, and a little in front of the head of the housefly. The reason this works effectively is that houseflys can only take off straight ahead. They cannot take off backwards. So, when they see danger, they take off into your waiting hands and get squashed!
    Also, this works only on houseflys. Also, you dont need any special technique to kill other flys. They are too slow. Houseflys are extremely fast, and hence this technique.
    doubledo@freemail.hu

  114. Take a spray bottle fill it with water and soap or whatever you have in your cabinet (EVEN TABASCO SAUCE) and their you have a fly death spray!

  115. If they’re on a flat surface, just throw some honey on them.
    (It’s really cool to do this, because if you leave the honey out for a week or two, you’ll have a fly in amber.;-))

  116. Rat Glue on flies:
    Buy a can of rat glue. Poke a small stick inside, preferably a bamboo skewer. Roll up the glue to cover 3/4 of the stick.
    Then just poke the unglued end into a cork and let the glued part be exposed.
    The glue is smelly, it attracts flies. They come and lands on glue and gets stuck. More flies come after seeing a fly already “enjoying” itself on the glue, they get stuck too.
    The hilarious part is when the flies try to fly off…they cud manage even a few inches away from the stick but the glue is stretched to a strand..and the fly can only hover..
    End their misery by poking them in tethered flight with the lighted end of a cig.
    Now is tat sick or what?

  117. This is a good method, but my personal favourite is the rolled up newspaper or magasinze method=).

  118. This is the best way to get rid of FLIES, especially when you are CAMPING. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION, as these little buggers are POISINOUS. The use of rubber kitchen gloves works the best.
    STEP 1. With gloves on, pick one large mushroom. STEP 2. Crush mushroom and put it into a quart jar with about a pint of milk. STEP 3. Place this under your camper where clidren cannot reach. When you are ready to break camp, simply throw the lid on the jar and toss it in the garbage…
    This is a trick I learned while taking a NORTHERN MICHIGAN FALL MUSHROOM CLASS, my instructor was the daughter of MORT NEFF the founder of MICHIGAN OUTDOORS. (http://www.outdoor-michigan.com/Mailbag/09-13-2006MortNeff.htm).

  119. After being annoyed by a fly all night, I found this page, a three-line article with a picture, which is still getting comments after being posted for 3 years. As I’m admiring the awesome killing techniques above, that damn fly is gone…

  120. After being annoyed by a fly all night, I found this page, a three-line article with a picture, which is still getting comments after being posted for 3 years. As I’m admiring the awesome killing techniques above, that damn fly is gone…

  121. Wow I have been rolling with laughter reading these while this gosh darn fly is buzzing around me. Thanks for all the tips that fly is SOOOOOOOOO dead!

  122. dammmit!!! I have a total of 17 flies flying around right now!! I slapped one of them (It was gross) but I haven’t had the shear joy of spraying them with acohol or some other thing that lights on fire well and watching the stupid bastards burn!!! Help!!

  123. I just tried windex on a fly and it worked! No more trying to towel-snap them! No more buzzing around my head!!! Thank you all you crazy people with nothing else to do!!!

  125. Heres a good one
    get a plastic syringe (not a needle!) put a peice of playdough on the end where liquid squirts out then as hard as u can until the pushy part at the back comes out and the fly will explode it just like send a human to the moon withput a spaceship! its very entertaining! 🙂

  126. My friend lives in a house in the deep fly-infested countryside of East Sussex (i actually think it’s the act of spreading manure on fields that attracts them, yum). Anyway, he used these specially bought ‘fly bags’ which he hung around the garden. They contain this chemical solution flies just cannot get enough of and they will crawl down the funnel into this gloopy stuff where they find (somewhat belatedly) that there’s no return and they beome tired, heavy and eventually fall into this stuff and drown. Each bag catches more than 500 flies and when it’s full there’s a great sense of morbid satisfaction.

  127. One of life’s mysteries; we all know flies like poos. Well i decided to try an experiment; I ate a few flies and as expected a couple of days later out came a poo. But why is it when i ate a poo a FLY didn’t come out the other end?

  129. Fly trouble… please help.
    Everytime I try this method, the lamp in my living room turns on/off… please help. I think the fly is posessed by some kind of demon. Ahhhhhhggggg…

  130. I got a major fly infestation in my home. right now I am searching for ma Windex. do you think 409 cleaner and or some dust off would kill those flying pests

  131. If you want to be ‘true’ to the sport then you must add a sportsmanlike skill. Catching them with the single handed swoop and throwing them at the floor can work really well and even a kid can do it after a little practice. (personally I always like gasoline in a squirt gun for wasps, no need to lite it).
    But for flys I take kitchen matches and imbed about a third of a sewing needle in the end. On the other end I put a nice spitball (toilet tissue works well for this) sized just a little smaller than the straw I intend to use as my blowgun.
    Just need to watch peripherially in the background for pets, brothers, sisters etc, etc.
    But the final convulsions can be really entertaining and are usually performed exactly where you pin them.
    This will work for wasps also but depending on your actual skill could be quite dangerous.
    gene

  132. Airsoft gun works well. Fly vanishes, usually without even a skidmark. Doesn’t leave dents in the walls, but it does ricochet and pop wife in butt.
    CO2 fire extinguishers freeze flies. They’ll fall to the ground completely motionless. Then you can imprison them in a jar and have all sorts of fun, such as-
    1. Put the jar in the freezer for suspended animation. You can bring them back to life by breathing on them to warm them up, or use a blowdryer if you’re not comfortable having your mouth that close to a fly.
    2. Fill sink with water. Submerge jar and twist it open just a tad. This will drown the fly. Wait until it stops moving, then drain the water out of the jar. Cover the fly with a mound of salt. Watch the salt wick the water out of the fly, then bring it back to life.
    3. Superglue dental floss to the butt of the fly. Tie other end on your finger. You now have a mini fly-kite, with no wind needed! (this actually works better with junebugs and moths.)
    4. Freeze in water, break ice. This will shatter the fly. Allow ice to melt and try to superglue fly back together correctly.
    5. Find a spider web. Throw fly in web. Watch the show.
    6. Construct larger wings for your new fly pet. Make them out of paper, draw rockets and machine guns, then glue to fly wings. Conquer small third world countries with new destructo-fly air force. Works best with step 1. Post videos of maiden flight on youtube.
    7. Follow step 1, take jar out of freezer right before going to fancy restaurant. Get cheap or free food.
    8. Convince paint store employee to place your jar in the paint shaker machine. (try saving up a bunch of flies for this one)
    9. Seal fly in 12″ subwoofer box. Play techno music.
    10. Observe effects of alcohol on fly. Use eyedropper for administration.
    Enjoy.

  134. all you people that say why not just use a fly swatter. the fly isn’t going to what for u to find it is it and even if its beside u most the time the fly will come when its not. they call it sods law
    an other way to catch fly don’t dust for a wile so u get spiders and spiders webs and they will do it for you if u don’t like spiders wait till they have built the webs then catch them with a glass and a bit o paper /card coz their slightly easer to catch than a fly but then the webs will slowly fill up

  135. Ok the ways listed may work but the one I learned was to put one hand directly above the fly and with your other move it slowly toward the fly. Then smack it with the hand over the fly. I believe the reason this works is the fly focuses on the hand moving toward it it and misses the fast hand from above. try it.

  136. a better way without the mess is flicking them with your middle finger (released from the thumb)… slowly (without change of air/wind pressure), you can move in pretty close without having to scare them away…. one hard flick does the trick.

  138. Ha.. I can’t touch flies. I live in a house with my 3 younger siblings and I have like 7 flies in my bathroom but I don’t know why?? What the heck?? Now HOW do I get rid of THAT. I counted and I’ve killed about 13 flies. and 1 or 2 always pops out again. Man this really sucks.
    Oh and hands don’t work. I’m like upsessed with clean hands and I HATE bugs soo…

  139. I always find that spraying them with deoderant seems to do the trick. The spray coats their body and they suffocate.
    Not before doing a rather spectacular breakdance though. You get the satisfaction of killing that annoying fly and a floor show!

  140. After reviewing all of these messages – FUNNY and HYSTERICAL as they may be (I laughed through a bunch of them myself), I have a HUGE fly problem. About a week a ago I saw 4 average size flies and killed them with a newspaper and didn’t think of them anymore. But here’s the clincher…
    …yesterday evening (after work) I found approximately 8 flies [they looked like horse flies] (one of which my cat found on the ceiling and hopped on the dining room table, of which he is not allowed to be on). I killed them again with a newspaper and ignored it again. Morning came…
    …around 7am while trying to feed my cat, I swear there had to be 15 flies – again with the newspaper. I went back to bed because I was up late doing some other things and woke up again at 12pm… I found 30 flies!! Yes the newspaper again (this is one tired paper that should be retired).
    I couldn’t take it anymore! I cleaned my entire apartment and read some interesting information on the Internet in between cleanings. One of them was the soap and water spray bottle. I’m trying it. In the mean time, as I was vaccuming, I found a bunch of larva along the dashboards of my apartment. I used the hose of the vaccum and rubbed REALLY hard along the surfaces. Afterwards, I sprayed again with the soap and water. All I could do is hope. Well, I had to leave the house for a few hours and guess what…
    …I found 2 or 3 flies. I NEED HELP!!
    How do you get rid of the eggs??? I think we are forgetting where they start from. How can we remove all sources from egg to adult (nasty) fly?
    Your suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. Again HELP!

  142. Well, I broke down and used Raid (for flies). So far, it’s working. I will continue to use it for the next 2 weeks to eliminate all sources. Thanks for trying.

  144. For years I have been using a small butterfly net from the dollar store. Everyone makes fun of me because I position myself and aim a few inches above where it landed. I catch them with 80% accuracy, stick the open net part on my belly, grasp ahold the opening with the fly at the bottom of the net, and take it outside. This may seem over the top, and it’s not that I care about the fly. I just hate cleaning up fly guts. This way everyone wins. Yes, I know, they could fly right back in, but seeing as I don’t tag them, I will never know.

  145. Here are some fun methods to kill flies:
    1) Turn all the lights off in the Fly area, except one. Place this light behind a fan. You may want to point the fan away from yourself while you’re doing this 😛
    Note: The really big flies seem to be able to battle against the suction from the fan.
    2) When the fly lands, sure you could clap it to death. Or you could take a lighter, increase the flame size (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/908878/lighter_flame_hack_increase_the_size_of_your_lighter_flame/) AND WATCH IT BURN.
    I’m currently chasing after this one fly of mine with a lighter. Right now my house’s safety is taking the back seat.

  146. I usually wait until the fly flies onto the folds of a curtain, wait for a bit, and clap the fly to its death. After which I, of course, take apart its wings and laugh at its inability to escape.

  148. You could make a small bomb.
    1. Get a balloon
    2. Put olive oil in it (or white vinegar)
    3. Fill it with mousse
    4. Voila!
    This is only really a stun bomb.

  151. YOU GUYS ARE ALL STUPID IDIOITS CAUSE IF KILL A FLY IN 12 YEARS YOU WILL GET THE WORSET OF ALL BAD LUCK NOW NEVER RIGHT TO THIS SIGHT AGAIN STUPID IDIOTS

  153. Some people have suggested methods that kill bees and wasps and this is a bad idea. Bees do a lot of good work in our gardens for free.

  155. Put a few mothballs in a clean vacuum sweeper bag , and put it in your sweeper. Using the hose attachment, with the crevise tool , turn sweeper on. and slowly approach fly from about 6 inches above him . When he takes off, move tool towards him from.the rear. With a little practice, you’ll be able to approach them in flight and suck them in easily! Throw bag out immediately I put it in a plastic bag, tie.it up tightly and.the mothballs do their work

  157. I have an electrified ‘tennis racket’ mostly for mosquitoes, but I do catch the odd fly with it. Wonderful sound, that zap!

  158. I just used some febreeze to kill 3 flies. Well it doesn’t kill them. But it soaks their wings and they cannot fly. swatted them with a flip flop and my house smells great.

  159. Rustoleum, believe it or not. They seem to be really attracted to the bright orange and red colors, but the pigment they use to make Kelly Green is absolutely toxic to them. It must be heavier than the others, because a good 2 or 3 second burst of Kelly Green from 6 inches away or less, and they go off to join the dead carcass in the sky.
    Safety tips:
    1. Be sure to put the kids in a closet or lock them in the garage while you go on your bug hunt.
    2. Sometimes the flies like to gather on the ceiling, particularly in the morning hours. Be sure to wear something to cover your hair, like a shower cap. And don’t forget eye protection.
    3. You can get the flies to gather in one room if you put a dead cat in the middle of the kitchen for two or three days. This tip will save you hours of hunting in every room in your house.
    4. Let the kids participate. Kids love to help. Send them out to find the dead cat.
    5. Using a lighter to ignite the paint as it exits the can nozzle is completely unnecessary, contrary to the recommendations on This Old House. The paint not only kills most of them, but survivors are much easier to see, so you can give them a second dose if necessary.
    Or, if you’re all out of Kelly Green Rustoleum, you could just use Windex. Windex really does work. It’s toxic to flies and kills them in about 30 seconds. It doesn’t stain, doesn’t leave streaks on windows, it’s 100% effective, and best of all, it’s antiseptic.

  160. Rustoleum?
    No. I don’t want to paint the inside
    of my house with a spraycan!
    Any pump type cleaning fluid like Simple
    Green, Lysol, Formula 409, Windex, Fantastic etc.
    is toxic to flies. Doesn’t have to be concentrated,
    could even be diluted. Something else: I lost a
    fly swatter and figured out how to kill flies with
    a big old towel. [If you try to swat them, they’ll fly
    from the towel shadow and to the light.] Hold the towel
    open in front of you and hold it parallel to the window.
    the fly is resting on.
    Move towards the fly with the towel. It boxes them in
    with no direction to fly.
    They won’t move in that situation.
    Then tap back of the towel, and kill the fly on
    the front. Works really well.

  162. I swatted a fly and it came back to life a couple of times. It seemed to be playing a game with me. I had never seen a fly come back to life like that. So I got out the heavy garnier hair spray in the green bottle (had a sample size around) and sprayed the little guy good. He made a strange buzzy sound, another new thing to me, and was finally at my mercy (the hair spray does not kill, just temporarily slows the fly down). So I swatted it and the d##### thing exploded all over the place. I am so grossed out now that I am googling “fly guts” and came upon this wonderful community.

  163. I just spent an hour going after this huge, disgusting, fat, slow fly. I killed it, but I swear I can still hear the disgusting buzzing.
    Long story short, neighbours have a cat and because my apartment is just above their own, my apartment is swarming with flies. 7 or 8 each time I get back from the office. Normally I start going like a helicopter ninja with two towels until they fly outside and then close the windows. But tonight, it was different. Besides the normal sized flies, there was this humongous, disgusting fat one, you know the ones, those disgusting ones that are a little slower, bigger and make more noise when flying. The ones you can squish easily but you avoid to because they are so big they leave a huge mess.
    So first I started with hairspray. It slowed it down but didn’t kill it. Started to go after it with a news paper, but it would hide into unreachable places. I must have mazed it with hairspray about 6 times, damn thing wouldn’t die. Then, it made the mistake of hiding inside of those vase like lamps. I got some clear window cleaner and drowned it in it. Thought it was dead but after a few minutes it started buzzing again an managed to get out. Finally I just reached for the window cleaner once more, sprayed it, waited for it to remain still and then squished it on the floor. So fucking disgusting.

  164. i remember one time my neighbers cat died under our house and there were millons of flies everywhere.That was perfect practice for me.I eventually got pro at it

  165. WINDEX is the easiest way. 2-3 shots right on the fly and he’s dead. no miss, no flying, no splash.
    I put plastic bags in EVERY HOLE of my apartement to prevent the flies to get in. Laundry, sink, windows, light, bath, everything is close shut and flies manage to get in.
    I also put like 5 sticky rubber things that fly get stuck on it. It work great but its a little disgusting to see like 30 flies still alive on that thing…

  168. Cling wrap.
    Ill corner them into the bathroom and shut the door, then wait for them to land somewhere. Then bubble the plastic wrap around where they are (they dont move because they cant see a shadow) and tap the wall so that they fly onto the wrap. Then just close the plastic up behind them, seal it up and throw it out. No mess, no fuss, dont have to look at a dead bug.

  169. Foaming Scubbing Bubbles works great, 2/3 sprays and they write until they die ^-^ it’s perfect for socio/psychopaths who like to watch creatures suffer :3

  170. I killed hornets using sticky poison material and the hornets were attracted to to it and they died a slow and painful death. I killed them all to save the bee hive next to my house. Apparently they never saw me as a threat but an ally. So I get free honey everyday and those hornets must die and they did.

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