Do you use bags of water against houseflies?

[gritsar]

I grew up in small towns in NC where it is common to see bags of water hanging outside homes, barns and restaurants. I told DH I was going to start hanging them outside my coops, but he looked at me like...well he looked at me....

Do you do it? Do you believe in it or not?

Here's both sides of the argument:

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/water-bags-repel-flies1.htm

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/water-bags-repel-flies2.htm


(Sorry Red, it doesn't work against spiders

)

 

[AKsmama]

My parents did that last year, after visiting my sister (who lives in the Swanboro/Jacksonville/Beaufort area of NC) and asking a restaurant owner about the bags of water at the door. I honestly don't remember if they said it worked.

Let me know if it works for you, Gritty, and I'll be hanging those suckers everywhere.

 

[Laurajean]

Regarding this part of one of those links that says:

"...But the most popular reasoning that pops up among entomologists and patent-filing entrepreneurs is simple light refraction. Refraction takes place when a clear or opaque object, such as a piece of glass or a bag of water, alters the course and velocity of light. The rays of light, which normally travel in a straight line, bend. This effect is responsible for a number of optical illusions, such as mirages, that occasionally baffle humans as well. For more information on refraction, read How Light Works. In theory, refraction can be just as confusing for some species of insect, especially the housefly. It boasts a highly sensitive array of eyes which allow it to see in multiple directions at once. The insect's head mostly consists of a pair of large complex eyes, each of which is composed of 3,000 to 6,000 simple eyes. These eyes can't move or focus on objects like human eyes, but they provide the fly with a mosaic view of the world around them. Each simple eye provides one small piece of the puzzle, much like the way a screen's pixel delivers one detail of the larger picture. A housefly bases its sense of direction on the direction sunlight comes from. Some entomologists believe that when these complex, sensitive eyes experience refracted light, the insect becomes confused and flies away...."

My question would then be: IF that is how it works, then why not hang those pretty hanging crystal sun catchers in the windows or in various places? Much nicer than a bag of water, and you'll get plenty of fly-confusing light refraction. Just a thought.

**On a side note, I don't get road rage, but sure do get tempted when people hang those crystals in their rearview mirrors and darn near blind me!

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

We use to do that in our horse barn, over each stall. As far as I am concerned they did NOT work. The fans we installed were much more effective.

 

[AKsmama]

Quote:
I thought that, too!

 

[easttxchick]

We have them hanging around the coop, outside brooder, under the above-ground duck pens and in our garage.
Do they work???? I think they help somewhat, but don't alleviate the flies.

 

[gritsar]

I bought these fly sticks that I love, work great. Problem is, they are not exactly cheap and they fill up fast. The flies seems worse this year?

As for why people would use ziplock bags over crystals? Southerners are overly frugal?

 

[La Mike]

I have used them being my DW swears they work. lol Not I still had flies around the porch. Thay are really bad this year even if you dont have animals or birds. I had a couple friends over a few days ago listening to my DW fuss about the flies and they told her they are worse at their house than mine and they dont have any critters.

Needless to say she didnt like those comments much

 

[gritsar]

Of course the fact that they fertilized our hay meadows yesterday with used litter from the commercial chicken houses doesn't help a dang thing.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
Well for me, I need to remember the Klutz factor. I guarantee I would somehow walk into one or bang it with a broom handle or something and dump water all over my head.