New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 45
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Yora's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Germany

    Default How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    From time to time a fly makes it into my room and spends the next week flying around my head or sitting on my arm. But these things are way too fast to catch them.

    Getting rid of a wasp is easy, just lure them with something sugary into a cup and put your hand on it when its in. But I have no clue what flies want. Except sitting on me and being generally annoying?

    Any tricks how to get rid of a fly?
    We are not standing on the shoulders of giants, but on very tall tower of other dwarves.

    Spriggan's Den Heroic Fantasy Roleplaying

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Xin-Shalast
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Put out some fruit-based vinegar?
    Quote Originally Posted by Keld Denar View Post
    +3 Girlfriend is totally unoptimized. You are better off with a +1 Keen Witty girlfriend and then appling Greater Magic Make-up to increase her enhancement bonus.
    Homebrew
    To Do: Reboot and finish Riptide

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    The Succubus's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Yora View Post
    From time to time a fly makes it into my room and spends the next week flying around my head or sitting on my arm. But these things are way too fast to catch them.

    Getting rid of a wasp is easy, just lure them with something sugary into a cup and put your hand on it when its in. But I have no clue what flies want. Except sitting on me and being generally annoying?

    Any tricks how to get rid of a fly?
    Disposal by feline generally works well from what I gather. But yes, fruit vinegar (raspberry vinigarette for example) is more effective than sugary stuff. XKCD told me so. =P

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Killer Angel's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Lustria
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Yora View Post
    From time to time a fly makes it into my room and spends the next week flying around my head or sitting on my arm. But these things are way too fast to catch them.
    (snip)Any tricks how to get rid of a fly?
    They're not so fast...
    Anyway, 3 possible solutions.

    1 - use a scoop flytrap.
    2 - buy a Venus Flytrap.
    3 - make your room as dark as you can, leave the window slightly open and the fly will fly away.
    Do I contradict myself?
    Very well then I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes. (W.Whitman)


    Things that increase my self esteem:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by Kaiyanwang View Post
    Great analysis KA. I second all things you said
    Quote Originally Posted by JoeYounger View Post
    Great analysis KA, I second everything you said here.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ryu_Bonkosi View Post
    If I have a player using Paladin in the future I will direct them to this. Good job.
    Quote Originally Posted by grimbold View Post
    THIS is proof that KA is amazing
    Quote Originally Posted by PairO'Dice Lost View Post
    Killer Angel, you have an excellent taste in books
    Quote Originally Posted by Eldan View Post
    Historical zombies is a fantastic idea.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Gender
    Intersex

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    A good hunter cat will do the trick within minutes. It will also likely dispose of the evidence... in his belly. Seriously. We once saw our cat Dante leap, nab an annoying fly with his paws, and then as he landed, he just popped it into his mouth. That fly was never seen again.

    Flies like something smelly. You might want to try that. You can also maybe get a trap actually made for flies? Wasn't there some sort of "fly paper" that people could get? It has some glue-covered surface that traps flies when they land.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
     
    nedz's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    London, EU
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    One trick with fruit flies is to leave out a beer bottle, with about half an inch left in, overnight. The flies will be attracted to the beer, but it is toxic to them. In the morning you can throw out the bottle, which should be full of dead flies.

    With regular flies - you can just chase them with a vacuum cleaner, obviously with the hose attachment. This is quite easy.
    π = 4
    Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.


    Completely Dysfunctional Handbook
    Warped Druid Handbook

    Avatar by Caravaggio

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    BlackDragon

    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    I find the traditional newspaper or magazine can be used to get rid of them, but don't roll it up! Wait for the fly to land on a flat surface and then throw the magazine at it, flat. Even if the fly sees the thing coming, and takes off to get out of the way, it's very unlikely to be able to clear the impact area in time.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    nedz's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    London, EU
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    There is also the knock-down trick. This is where you slap it downwards with your hand in order to knock it down onto the floor, whence you stamp on it. You need to move your arm very fast for this to work.

    And then there is the clapping trick. You wait for the fly to come close, and then clap your hands around the fly. Flies cannot handle dodging two impacts at once.
    π = 4
    Consider a 5' radius blast: this affects 4 squares which have a circumference of 40' — Actually it's worse than that.


    Completely Dysfunctional Handbook
    Warped Druid Handbook

    Avatar by Caravaggio

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    noparlpf's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Yora View Post
    From time to time a fly makes it into my room and spends the next week flying around my head or sitting on my arm. But these things are way too fast to catch them.

    Getting rid of a wasp is easy, just lure them with something sugary into a cup and put your hand on it when its in. But I have no clue what flies want. Except sitting on me and being generally annoying?

    Any tricks how to get rid of a fly?
    Flypaper? Worked great for me a couple summers back when I needed it. Alternatively, roll up a newspaper and stalk the thing down, but beware, for that leaves messy fly-insides on your walls and ceilings.
    Jude P.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    LaZodiac's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Gender
    Male2Female

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Hey now, you catch more flies with honey then with vinger. Or so they say.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    ClericGirl

    Join Date
    Mar 2008

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Bug-a-Salt. Google it.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    noparlpf's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Ooh--leave out a glass of cheap beer. It works for bees, wasps, and slugs, and kills them too. Try it for flies?
    Jude P.

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    TheThan's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    GI Joe Headquarters
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    The clear answer is chop sticks.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Xin-Shalast
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by LaZodiac View Post
    Hey now, you catch more flies with honey then with vinger. Or so they say.
    You have an XKCD strip, mademoiselle.
    Quote Originally Posted by Keld Denar View Post
    +3 Girlfriend is totally unoptimized. You are better off with a +1 Keen Witty girlfriend and then appling Greater Magic Make-up to increase her enhancement bonus.
    Homebrew
    To Do: Reboot and finish Riptide

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Blue Ghost's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Thulcandra
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    On a related note, anyone have any tips for catching mosquitoes? Evil little buggers...

    Blue Ghost, Lawful Good generalist wizard, at your service.
    Love wins. S'agapo.

    I make MtG cards. My portfolio

    Avatar by AsteriskAmp.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Banned
     
    Dr.Epic's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2010

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Just leave out some food and they'll go for it.

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    noparlpf's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Blue Ghost View Post
    On a related note, anyone have any tips for catching mosquitoes? Evil little buggers...
    My recommendation.
    Jude P.

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2007

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Blue Ghost View Post
    On a related note, anyone have any tips for catching mosquitoes? Evil little buggers...
    Well, you're in trouble as they are attracted to the color blue.

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Colossus in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    right behind you

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    I have an electrified tennis racket thing I swing around to bug zap any flies that annoy me. Its worth its weight in gold. It is rarely lethal, but it does stun them long enough to finish off, and if they get zapped a few times they die. Oh, and I found out that it just really annoys wasps and such. I had to trap the wasp and virtually set it on fire from constant voltage, (the thing was smoking by the time I stopped) before it quit trying to kill me back. I guess it needs more voltage or something.

    Best use was in my bosses house. Somehow he got a HUGE fly infestation. My theory is, the rat exterminator he had come in awhile back missed a corpse somewhere. Anyway, there is this cloud of them in the basement, and I walked in with that zapper swinging it all around me. Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop. The thing was lighting up the room like a strobe light. And because these were mostly full contact smacks out of midair, the zap and smack combo was enough to mostly kill them all. I think I logged in a couple dozen corpses before the rest wised up and left me alone. I went from needing to cover my mouth so I could breathe safely, to barely noticing any around me in about 5 minutes of swinging. Then I replaced the overloaded flypaper strips with new ones and called it a day.
    "Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum"
    Translation: "Sometimes I get this urge to conquer large parts of Europe."

    Quote Originally Posted by Nerd-o-rama View Post
    Traab is yelling everything that I'm thinking already.
    "If you don't get those cameras out of my face, I'm gonna go 8.6 on the Richter scale with gastric emissions that'll clear this room."

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Kelb_Panthera's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2009

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Houseflies always take off in the direction their butt is pointed. Sweep your hand in from behind them and you can catch them with pretty fair reliability. Just don't close your hand too tight.

    Once you've got the little booger, you can release it outside, throw it into the toilet and flush, hurl it into the surface of a table or counter and squash it while it's still stunned, etc.
    I am not seaweed. That's a B.

    Praise I've received
    Spoiler
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by ThiagoMartell View Post
    Kelb, recently it looks like you're the Avatar of Reason in these forums, man.
    Quote Originally Posted by LTwerewolf View Post
    [...] bringing Kelb in on your side in a rules fight is like bringing Mike Tyson in on your side to fight a toddler. You can, but it's such massive overkill.
    A quick outline on building a homebrew campaign

    Avatar by Tiffanie Lirle

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    GnomePirate

    Join Date
    Dec 2011

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    GnomeFighter, Membership Advisor, Henchpersons Union, South and Central (UK) branch - Ask about membership today!

    Injured in an evil experiment gone wrong? Suffered defending your employers lair? Get the compensation you deserve! Why wait until you have a doomsday device to exact revenge? Call the Henchpersons Union today. Our specialist evil injury lawyers are waiting to help!

    Remember, just because the world will suffer doesn't mean you should too!

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Kelb_Panthera's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2009

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by GnomeFighter View Post
    Subscribe the "There is no overkill, only open fire and reload" school of thought do we?

    Me too.
    Last edited by Kelb_Panthera; 2012-10-09 at 05:51 AM.
    I am not seaweed. That's a B.

    Praise I've received
    Spoiler
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by ThiagoMartell View Post
    Kelb, recently it looks like you're the Avatar of Reason in these forums, man.
    Quote Originally Posted by LTwerewolf View Post
    [...] bringing Kelb in on your side in a rules fight is like bringing Mike Tyson in on your side to fight a toddler. You can, but it's such massive overkill.
    A quick outline on building a homebrew campaign

    Avatar by Tiffanie Lirle

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Oz county
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Traab View Post
    I have an electrified tennis racket thing I swing around to bug zap any flies that annoy me. Its worth its weight in gold. It is rarely lethal, but it does stun them long enough to finish off, and if they get zapped a few times they die. Oh, and I found out that it just really annoys wasps and such. I had to trap the wasp and virtually set it on fire from constant voltage, (the thing was smoking by the time I stopped) before it quit trying to kill me back. I guess it needs more voltage or something.
    Are you sure it doesn't need new batteries? I once (accidentally) killed a small bat with one of those racket-shaped bug zappers. I was trying to shoo it toward an open window. I did feel bad about it. I would have felt a lot worse if any of the people or dogs in the house got rabies, though.

    As to flies, I'll second fly strip. Otherwise you could get an electric bug zapper light, but I've always found those of dubious usefulness.
    I used to live in a world of terrible beauty, and then the beauty left.
    Dioxazine purple.

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Colossus in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    right behind you

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Winter_Wolf View Post
    Are you sure it doesn't need new batteries? I once (accidentally) killed a small bat with one of those racket-shaped bug zappers. I was trying to shoo it toward an open window. I did feel bad about it. I would have felt a lot worse if any of the people or dogs in the house got rabies, though.

    As to flies, I'll second fly strip. Otherwise you could get an electric bug zapper light, but I've always found those of dubious usefulness.
    Pretty sure, I got it at ocean state job lot, as a cheapo item. I honestly didnt expect it to work at all really. And rarely lethal may have been a mistake. Its rarely lethal when its a glancing blow. Like, they didnt get swatted but came close enough to catch a spark. Im pretty sure most of the flies I whack from the air and zap all die. And if they get snagged they burn. Stinks something awful if I dont notice in time.
    "Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum"
    Translation: "Sometimes I get this urge to conquer large parts of Europe."

    Quote Originally Posted by Nerd-o-rama View Post
    Traab is yelling everything that I'm thinking already.
    "If you don't get those cameras out of my face, I'm gonna go 8.6 on the Richter scale with gastric emissions that'll clear this room."

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Absol197's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Ashes...
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Traab View Post
    Pretty sure, I got it at ocean state job lot, as a cheapo item. I honestly didnt expect it to work at all really. And rarely lethal may have been a mistake. Its rarely lethal when its a glancing blow. Like, they didnt get swatted but came close enough to catch a spark. Im pretty sure most of the flies I whack from the air and zap all die. And if they get snagged they burn. Stinks something awful if I dont notice in time.
    My friend had a couple of those, and they saved our college house from a true nightmare! We had a wasp nest that had burrowed into the foundation of our house, with one of the exits being in our basement. Every day of the week, there would be one to four wasps down there. They were definitely hard to kill with the thing, but so much better than trying just a newspaper of something!

    That little device saved us while we waited for the landlady toget an exterminator out to free us!
    "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." --Iroh
    LGBTAitP! If you want to talk, learn, or have some fun, stop by!
    Avatar by the lovely Lycunadari!

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    noparlpf's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Absol197 View Post
    My friend had a couple of those, and they saved our college house from a true nightmare! We had a wasp nest that had burrowed into the foundation of our house, with one of the exits being in our basement. Every day of the week, there would be one to four wasps down there. They were definitely hard to kill with the thing, but so much better than trying just a newspaper of something!

    That little device saved us while we waited for the landlady to get an exterminator out to free us!
    My way of dealing with it:
    1. Go into basement. Set off a smoke bomb or two.
    2. Fill in hole with concrete.
    3. Go outside. Repeat.
    Jude P.

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Absol197's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Ashes...
    Gender
    Female

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    Quote Originally Posted by noparlpf View Post
    My way of dealing with it:
    1. Go into basement. Set off a smoke bomb or two.
    2. Fill in hole with concrete.
    3. Go outside. Repeat.
    The problem was we didn't know which of the hundreds of tiny pock-marked holes in our basement wall they were coming out of, or if they were just coming in though the hole that surrounded the exhust vent for our washer/dryer. Both would haev been a royal pain to fill in. Plus, we were renting the house, so we weren't allowed to make any major changes, and would have to pay out of pocket, not only for the materials to do the filling, but for doing it, too!
    "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." --Iroh
    LGBTAitP! If you want to talk, learn, or have some fun, stop by!
    Avatar by the lovely Lycunadari!

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    The LOBster's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2012

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    I actually own a no-kill version of the bug vac... Thing. It works like a charm - I just take the bug outside after the vacuum nabs it, open the end of the tube, and dump the bug out into the wild.

    I'm weird, because I'm perfectly fine eating meat, but I couldn't kill a bug even if I wanted to.

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Kobold

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Somerville, MA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    There's a trick to swatting flies. Swat slowly.

    But the fly moves so fast? How will swatting slower help?

    Flies seem like they're able to detect your hand and fly away at the last instant because you're moving it so fast. They have tiny hairs that feel the breeze caused by your hand. Millions of years of evolution have taught them to move when they feel the breeze. The solution is to move your hand so slowly that there's no breeze whatsoever.

    This doesn't help if the fly won't stand still of course, but when you do catch him unawares you'll have a pretty good chance of doing something about him.
    If you like what I have to say, please check out my GMing Blog where I discuss writing and roleplaying in greater depth.

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Yora's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Germany

    Default Re: How to catch a fly without chasing it?

    I eventually did it with the solution I used before and should have tried in the first place. A large transparent cup from the kitchen and a sheet of paper. Just get it to sit on a window or table and you probably catch it on the first try.

    And this happened to be my incredibly smart 10,000th post.
    Last edited by Yora; 2012-10-09 at 04:34 PM.
    We are not standing on the shoulders of giants, but on very tall tower of other dwarves.

    Spriggan's Den Heroic Fantasy Roleplaying

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •