Ever Tried Ziplock Baggie Trick

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rubyviewminis

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My sister (not a horse person, citified) sent me an interesting email she thought I could try. I haven't had time to research it online, but wondered if anyone had heard of filling a ziplock baggie halfway with water, put 4 - 6 pennies in it and seal it? Then you pin it to entry ways to repel flies. Something to do with the reflection of the water, prisms, and fly fears LOL. I am not sure if you pin it to walls against the wall, hanging down from the wall, or even if it works.
 
I just got the same email yesterday and was wondering if it would work or not. It wasn't really specific on how you do it. Also said something about the light hitting the bag/pennies and most of my entry ways are covered/shaded. Hopefully someone on the forum has tried this!
 
We tried this in late June- other than 3 baggies of water falling on us as we walked in and out of the door- we did not find it worked - maybe someone else did.
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For some reason i have my doubts that this would really accomplish anything but I think I may give it a try starting tomorrow if i find time to throw this together tonight after work...we sure have our share of flys here with the creek right behind our barn. I think we may need to put in a spray system next fall.
 
We have one at the farm that I board at. I had no idea what it was for, now I do. I'll keep an eye out to see if seems to be working.
 
I'm thinking flies are scent, not sight, motivated. Based on that premise, I'm also thinking nothing about a bag of water and pennies would have any effect on them what-so-ever. But, I'm no scientist and stranger things have happened!
 
It sure works on glass combination doors/ patio doors on your house. No flies will gather. I just fill bag halfway with water, no pennies needed. I tired it around my horse barns but my biggies kept mutilating the bags, go figure.!!!!!!!!!

Barb
 
I was just at a local amish store the other day and the owner was talking about hers (it was beside the door) and honestly from what i could see it worked. The doors were wide open and there wasn't a fly in there (and yes being amish they had tons of animals around). maybe it was just coincidence or something but she said it really seemed to work but didn't know why.
 
LOL....wow, this email has sure made the rounds....I was tempted but felt like it was just a trick to get lots of people to do a silly thing. So someone has actually had success with it?
 
I have been to a lot of farms that use plastic bottles filled with water. They put them in each stall and they do claim it works. I have never heard of baggies and to me plastic bottles makes more sense as they wouldnt tear.
 
We tried the bags of water and the clear plastic soda bottles filled with water and I didn't see any difference. As a matter a fact the flies were landing on the jugs and bags. I found it to be a waste of my time so just use the Quick Bayte. That really worked. Knocked them dead in seconds.
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Joyce
 
Yes, it does work! We've been doing this for years. Now granted, I don't stall, my guys come and go so the fly population is probably less than if they were stalled, but it definately works for us.

I just filled gallon size baggies 1/2 way with water, squeeze out most of the air and zip it up. Then I took hay twine and tied a short piece around the top of the baggie and I hang two in each stall. My same baggies have been up for several years. Very few flies. We will often look out and see the horses standing in and around the barn just resting and relaxed and no one is stomping or swishing flies away.

I don't have any idea how or why it works, but I'm a believer! They work great for us.
 
I read somewhere a few years ago that the light reflecting on the water affects the fly's eyes some how and they stay away from them.

I invested in a couple different fly catchers this year since there are cattle on my pasture now and the flies are really bad. One of the ones I bought worked and the other wasn't worth throwing away. I did however make my own with empty soda bottles and they caught hundreds. Great homemade idea.
 
This has always seemed odd to me. We have two types of fly traps here... the disposable "comes-in-a-bag" type and then the big reusable clear jug types. Now, if they were supposed to REPEL flies how do the flies get near them when they have bait in them and go in and drown? It's just water with some bait in the bottom... if the flies couldn't navigate around them I can't see that it would work.

I don't buy it.

Andrea
 
One of my minis "Cash" would have them off the wall, played with and/or eaten in minutes. would have to hang them very high for it to be an experiment at my place. My boy loved my solar lighting, yum yum. Do any of you have problems with your minis messing with anything different that you put with in reach? My boy steals and carrys off anything he can get his mouth on. Even if you think you placed it out of reach, he will even go down on his knees, reach far and can some how even toungue things into the paddock that blow up against the 2x4 wire mesh. he will pick up sticks and carry them around like a dog and poke his mini daddy with them. silly boy.
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Andrea the fly traps aren't "repellants", they actually trap the flies inside. And it's true they climb around and on them but they also go into them (to get to the bait) and can't get out. I was really happy with how they worked; and the best part is that they were free.
 
This has always seemed odd to me. We have two types of fly traps here... the disposable "comes-in-a-bag" type and then the big reusable clear jug types. Now, if they were supposed to REPEL flies how do the flies get near them when they have bait in them and go in and drown? It's just water with some bait in the bottom... if the flies couldn't navigate around them I can't see that it would work.I don't buy it.

Andrea
That was my first thought(s) as well...

I put this together last night and put them up in the two entrances to the barn and the feed room....so far no difference at all.
 
It works!

12 years ago the flies were awful. (Our home was new, and we are about 5 miles from a dairy farm).

Someone told me to put a baggie of water over the door (no pennies mentioned). Well, it worked! They didn't want to pass the bag.
 
I tried it on one shed this morning... it works.. how do I know.. I trapped the flies in the shed and they won't fly out.
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Sat there for 30 minutes or so watching. None of the many outside flies tryed to go in, either.

So it looks like it works.
 

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