What is the secret to effectively knocking flies out of the air?

[BicycleTree]

Knocking flies out of the air:

It started some days ago when walking my dogs. A fly was buzzing around me and so I thrust out my hand in its general direction. Whack! I caught it on my thumb somehow and sent it on a stunned beeline to the ground. Where it remained for some seconds before dizzily flying away--away from me. But then, you know, something similar happened today as an insect--perhaps a firefly--got too close to me and I smacked it with one of my fingernails, accidentally as I remember it (didn't even know he was there). The beast went shooting down... down... but recovered before it struck the ground. And I have some recollection of doing something like that again later today, too, but details escape.

The real achievement was the fly whack. Those things are quick.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Please keep us posted

 

[Pengwuino]

I hit a fly with a remote control a few nights ago. Dang thing kept on flying! He was a pretty big one too

 

[Danger]

I hit a fly with a remote control a few nights ago. Dang thing kept on flying! He was a pretty big one too

You have to remember to switch the remote from 'stun' to 'kill' for the big ones.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I just use the twelve gauge. The good part is that even if you miss, they still fly out through the holes in the walls.

There is a new urban legend which states that one can take a baggy, fill it about 1/8 full of water, hang the bag over the door, and flies won't cross the doorway. The dramatic new revelation allegedly comes from the Middle East. While pointing to his own baggy hanging above the door, as the source of this story was telling my brother how well it works, my brother pointed to a fly in the living room. His buddy responded, "oh, he got caught inside and now he's afraid to leave".

 

[Moonbear]

Is it really a beeline if it's a fly?

 

[Danger]

Is it really a beeline if it's a fly?

I believe that the PC term is 'airborne arthropod-American line'.

 

[BicycleTree]

Is it really a beeline if it's a fly?

I said "beeline" intentionally, you know... playing on that. I know I make it look easy but making posts like these requires an awesome degree of skill.

I'm kind of kidding, but not about the beeline thing[/size]

 

[brewnog]

I've got quite a nice fly swat. It's tennis-racket shaped, but instead of strings has a metal grille. A couple of batteries and a capacitor inside mean that you can swat any flying insects with a satisfying 'crack', and blue flash as they get electrocuted. If you press the buttons down long enough, your victim will twitch and give off smoke.

Bloody well hurts if you zap your own skin with it, though.

http://www.eurocosm.com/Application/Products/Electro-swat/electro-swat-GB.asp

 

[Astronuc]

When I worked at a refinery, I was given the duty of picking up garbage and cleaning the lunch area. Anyway, I encountered a lot of flies, which I used to flick with my finger - most never recovered. Then I discovered a spider web in the corner of a window near the lunch table.

I started catching flies - and depositing them in the spider's web. The spider was very cooperative in disposing of the flies.

Soon there were fewer flies.

 

[Danger]

I've got quite a nice fly swat.

I love that thing! I want one! And the Venus flytrap as well. Unfortunately, the video didn't play for me (audio only; I run into that a lot with that one particular player).

 

[brewnog]

My Venus died, although she was pretty rubbish at catching flies on her own, I had to feed her ones I zapped with my zapper thingy.

 

[Danger]

I had to feed her ones I zapped with my zapper thingy.

That seems a bit redundant, or are you referring to a real one?