By Richard Fagerlund
Scripps Howard News Service Q: Short of making my house airtight, how can I keep flies out using non-toxic methods? - A.R.
A: It is not known why or how this works, but it is worth a try: You can tape sandwich-size zip-top bags half filled with water to your doors. These water bags will repel flies.
Perhaps the reflections in the water make a difference, somehow scaring or confusing the flies. Entomologists know that flies are phototropic, meaning they are attracted to light, but they don't know why these water bags repel flies.
"I have no earthly idea," an entomologist from Iowa State University replied when I asked him how well and how this works. But if it works as well as some say, you could see water bags taped to doors all over--houses, horse barns, livestock yards and poultry houses ... just about any structure that gets flies.
If you want to try this, here are some guidelines:
Use a sandwich-sized zip-top bag. Fill it about half-full with water. If it's completely full, then it doesn't move and movement is said to be important by those who swear by this method. Zip the bag closed and tape the top of the bag to the outside of your door. Replenish the water as needed; there will be some evaporation.
You may get some questions as to why you have little bags of water taped to your door. Here are some explanations you can use:
- It attracts flies
- It scares flies
- If it freezes we know it's cold outside
- If it's boiling we know it's hot outside
- To see if anyone is paying attention
- I don't know, ask the Bugman. This is his idea.
If you do try this I would be very interested in the results, as would the rest of the readers who may not be inclined to tape water-filled baggies to their doors.
(Send questions for Richard Fagerlund to University of New Mexico Environmental Services, Physical Plant Department, 1818 Camino del Servicio N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87131-3500 or E-mail: fagerlun@unm.edu .)
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