# Fly's



## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Fly's
Has anybody noticed, we now have good hot weather and the amount of Fly's seems to have shrunk!:smile2:
Normally, if we are cooking at home, and the kitchen door is open, in come the B52 Bombers, but over the last few days, hardly any, infact, I think two in all!
I hate Fly's
Seems so different to hot European Countries!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Try here 

We have flies 

Although my fly zapper has decided to work

Well at least during the night 

Maybe we don't have that many but I'm obsessed 

Shooing them out of windows, won't use fly sprays 

But I dislike them

Sandra


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Maybe our neighbours are making nicer smelling food>
BY the way Sandra, I am an expert with the electric fly swat tennis bat thing


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

:grin2:I've got one of them

In the van I'm hot

Well hot ish:grin2:
Sandra


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

I have two of the original Leclecrc's finest plastic fly swatteurs in the van. And the French know about flies. Works a treat and very satisfying action!

My worst fly experiences have been in Portugal, but France is good competition.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

We like Hopms, on the Canal Du Midi, BUT most times we go there, we are inundated with B52 Bombers, and they just don't give up.
You leave the van, just to go to the bin, and they are straight in for the kill.:frown2:


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

They must have gone on strike in sympathy while we were there a month or so ago. In fact we noticed how few flies there were this year as we toured around including at Homps and a (rare) scorching hot day beside the Tarn at a campsite at Millau.

Steve


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

No flys or midges on Arran at all at the moment just a viscous Seal and 
Stroppy Swan, oh and a massive jelly fish as big as a mini. 

We have one of those battery powered electric tennis raquet swatter which are great as sometimes the fly will
Explode


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well they are great

Well if you hit the fly

Shadow goes into meltdown when he sees it

I guess we've missed the fly and got him instead

Sandra


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

Don't talk to me about fly swats. My wife uses them with abandon.

I wouldn't mind if she misses, but she doesn't. I spend ages cleaning up the bits of carcass from everything.

I'm one of those people that tries to usher them out, but not her. I try hiding the swats, but she finds them.

Over forty three years of marriage and we still argue about flies. Our children think we're a marriage counsellor's dream. :frown2:





.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Huh! You ain't seen nothing until you've been in the Aussie bush. Seriously you can have several actually crawling over your face while you keep your thumb over the top of your beer bottle to stop the buggers getting in.

But you are right Graham they heat seems to have made them shy. Even the castle seem to have less around ther heads.

Dick


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I can't do with flies, but dead bodies are worse, and I could use a zapper whilst there was food out, don't fancy eating them too, if ti's not midgey we leave the windows open they come in they go out, actually so do the midges.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

If you would like me to send you a few I can happily supply ex-stock.....

They are a big problem at the moment with probably a dozen or so at any one time in spite of zappers, fly swats and the tennis bat, even insecticide sprays seem to work for about 5 minutes only.....

Hair spray can be used as it sets them solid but not good on furniture...... (only joking)

The zapper does not seem to attract them - the instructions say there are two types, those that are attracted and all the others..... we have the latter....

We have cows nearby and some VERY unpleasant horse-flies do their damnedest when we are in the pool and they start their attack dives.......

Not a good thing, not sure who invented them or why......

Mind you our Border Collie does love chasing them and snapping at them but does not seem to get on top of the population yet.....

Dave


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

What I don't get about flies is that they're supposed to have 100's of eyes, giving them exceptional vision; they can find the small opening to a camper or house, but cannot see the ruddy massive open window of door, opened specifically for them to exit, even when they're right next to it...


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

It's true they have thousands of small eyes, as the picture below shows, each small lump is an independent eye and they build up a complex but very efficient visual pattern. They detect movement primarily and use their senses to guide them to possible food sources (often sweet or foul smelling surfaces as these represent suitable places to lay their eggs....)

The picture is of a Fruit Fly - those very small black dots that you find near soft fruit if you have a fruit bowl.....

I bet you wished you hadn't asked now don't you? (Sorry former biology teacher)










Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Penquin said:


> It's true they have thousands of small eyes, as the picture below shows, each small lump is an independent eye and they build up a complex but very efficient visual pattern. They detect movement primarily and use their senses to guide them to possible food sources (often sweet or foul smelling surfaces as these represent suitable places to lay their eggs....)
> 
> The picture is of a Fruit Fly - those very small black dots that you find near soft fruit if you have a fruit bowl.....
> 
> ...


What magnificence though Dave, thanks.

Who needs aliens, we already have our own  

I wonder what all the spiky bits do.


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> I wonder what all the spiky bits do.


I'll tell you what they don't do... sense open ruddy doors! >


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## gramor (Oct 24, 2010)

Penquin said:


> The zapper does not seem to attract them - the instructions say there are two types, those that are attracted and all the others..... we have the latter.


The UV tubes in units you see in catering kitchens and Fish and Chip shops require to be changed annually, the blue light you see is not the UV light that the fly homes in on. New models contain a visible green light and designed to look less industrial and sticky pads to trap the fly which is preferable to disintegration and spreading of fly parts in a food processing enviroment. There is ongoing argument about how far a fly can actually see (2 metre is being suggested) and that its olfactory function is the main steering device, so keep bins empty, clean and dispose of waste promptly.
as a retired Pest Controller it works for me.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks gramor those are some really interesting suggestions that I will certainly put into practice, :grin2:

there now isn't MHF useful :grin2::wink2:

Kev, the "spiky bits" are touch receptors that give it an awareness of things being close, their nervous system though fairly simple is VERY fast, my final degree assessment was to dissect out the flight muscles of a bluebottle sized fly under a microscope - not easy and VERY slow (well I was) but I managed.....

Dave


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Fascinating thread but is it about:

Fly's

Flys

Flies

or even

Flie's


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

However youspell it

They are bloody annoying 
Sandra


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

pippin said:


> Fascinating thread but is it about:
> 
> Fly's
> 
> ...


I did check the spelling out before I started the thread, as I just knew it would be contested!> I still don't know which is correct>
https://www.quora.com/Which-is-correct-and-why-time-flies-or-time-flys


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## grandadbaza (Jan 3, 2008)

I am surprised nobody has realised where all the flies have gone , we voted Brexit so they took it literally and left , just like we should :wink2: oops sorry may have gone a little off topic , I'll just brexit stage left :smile2:


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## alexblack13 (Feb 10, 2013)

lol..What a wierd thread! 

Well what the hell.

We use an elastic band cut in the middle to bump them off. Just wait till one lands and zap it. Hold one end and pull the band back.. Aim and fire. 

Results 9 times out of 10 (when your aim is good) in a kit form fly. Bits everywhere.. 

LOL...


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

Had to leave a lovely campsite this June, in Spain, at Cabo de Gato. Just could not be outside at all as hundreds of flies made a rush to taste your lovely sweaty skin. No possibility of cooking or eating outside. 

I wondered if the vast plastic greenhouses nearby had contributed to the problem, rotting fruit/veg perhaps?

Didn't have much of a problem anywhere else just the usual irritating one or two.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Could be! when we were at Homps, I wondered if it was all the human waste in the canal which was attracting them. Or the grape harvest!:frown2:


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

:surprise::surprise: not a pleasant thought:frown2:


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