Fly Control: Weird Things You Can Do with Baggies, Plus Shaving Cream Carpet Cleaning Tips
And a Free Bonus Handy Homemaker Tip from Lindy Lou
Lindy Lou gets soooooo many invitations, and at a patio party this weekend I saw something so weird I said "wow, that's weird." There were Ziploc bags full of water pinned to posts, with pennies in them. Holy Homemaker! What's this all about?- I cleverly queried my hostess who said and I am not making this up: "Fly control."
Ziploc bags for fly control! I repeated.
My hostess is not one baggy short of a lunchbox, she is a brilliant pesterologist! The bags of water and pennies act like prisms in the sun, giving off shafts of moving light, even reflecting nearby people, and practically blinding all 136 eyes every fly has. (Of course I haven't actually counted.) Flies are scared of Ziploc bags full of water! Who knew? In fact they get so scared they stop buzzing and start whining.
"Water in a plastic bag as an organic fly repellent."
Lest you scoff, let me elaborate: Water molecules seen through plastic look like little disco balls to flies, and they are not into disco. Also, flies are slightly paranoid about the fact that so many other species regard them as yummy snacks. So they stay away from strange flashing bags of water that might want to eat them, plus they are morbidly afraid of water, being as they can't swim.
Yes it's true, and if you don't believe me, just ask the Dirt Doctor who said: "I've seen the use of water in a plastic bag as a fly repellent for over a year and it seems to be growing in use. What an "expert" from my area claimed was that the fly mistook the bag as a large spider web. Something about the way the water bulging in a clear plastic bag causes a prism effect and confuses the fly." (These people are Fly-Whisperers.) Now do you believe me? Oh, go Google it. There are 7,970 entries in Google for "baggies for fly control."
Of course, to be really effective, if you're using your Ziploc bags for fly control they must not be allowed to get dusty or dirty. And they won't work for fly control unless you hang them where there is some sun. And now you're asking what the pennies have to do with it, and other than the fact that flies never have correct change, I can only say they must act like reflectors. Anyway, there are reliable reports that people who use Ziploc bags for fly control are the laughingstock of the neighborhood (bwahahaha) no, I mean, they completely eliminate fly problems, without one squirt of smelly, toxic bug spray. (Jaipi , resident green living guru will approve.)
Foamy Shaving Cream Cleans Carpet Stains
Also, during another stop on my social whirl, I complimented the hosts on their pristine white carpet only to hear that it had suffered blood stains, dog poo, and more, all of which had been removed with shaving cream. Regular old white foamy shaving cream takes out carpet stains. Holy Homemaker I said! (I always say that.) How do you do it?
Squirt shaving cream on the carpet stain.
Then let it sit for 15 minutes or so. Ding, there goes the timer, so get down there on your hands and knees with a damp towel and gently rub the stain a little bit. Satisfied shaving-cream stained-carpet users say the stain comes right out. Next, blot up the excess shaving cream with a clean white damp towel. You can get up now. Um, can't you? You didn't hurt yourself? When dry, vacuum the residue. Jenny Wagner has some other carpet stain removal tips here.
Only White Foaming Shaving Cream Cleans Carpet Stains.
Don't use your fancy green gel shaving cream. Not only will it not take out the stain, it may add another one in green. Use only the good old fashioned white shaving cream in an aerosol can.
Free Bonus Extra Handy Homemaker Tip from Lindy Lou: Squirt your toothpaste where you itch.
Put toothpaste on your mosquito bites to make them stop itching. I know, I know, you could still get malaria but at least you won't itch. Why on earth would you expect toothpaste to ward off malaria and bubonic stuff anyway? Sheesh. It's just toothpaste.
For more Lindy Lou Handy Homemaker Tips, go to:
Weird Things You Can Do With Apple Cider Vinegar
Weird Things You Can Do with Ziploc Bags
Things a Gorilla Knows About Bananas
Can Fabric Softener Sheets Kill Your Clothes Dryer?
How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Plants
Published by Linda Louise Johnson
Linda Louise Johnson is an animal lover, crafter and hobbyist, graphic art afficionado and veteran writer. Her work has been featured on Associated Content, Yahoo! News, and eHow as well as in Poetry Garden,... View profile
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Guide to Common Carpet Stain RemovalLearn how to treat and remove five of the most common carpet stains. Dirt, blood, pet stains, coffee, and candle wax are all very common carpet stains which can be removed.
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50 Comments
Post a CommentLOL! Linda. you're too much. Ok, that certainly has it's place in the annals of nonsensical things to do around the house, but it is at least practical. There's logic at work there. This fly business however, is more akin to voodoo. I'm curious... just how much schooling is required in order to attain a doctorate in "dirt"? Does one attend the same medical school as the likes of Dr. Phil, Dr. Demento, and Dr. Pepper? Malpractice insurance for "dirt" must be ASTRONOMICAL.
Oh, Kris,if you think this one is nonsense, check this out: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2958506/weird_things_you_can_do_with_your_washer.html
Not placating, just having fun bantering with you. I can make do with the "beta" flies.
Granted, but elsewhere Dr. Dirt has as much weight as Mayor McCheese. Well.... I suppose the lesser fruit flies would shy away from concentrate, but you'd be wise to use freshly squeezed juice if you want to scare the tougher "alpha" flies. Thank you very much and no, I don't have a blog. Wait a minute.... are you placating me by appealing to my ego? LOL! Regardless, I'll take it as a straight forward compliment. ;) Joking aside, I do sometimes write for my own amusement, but not professionally or in a blog, or anything of the sort.
Kris,I don't know about entomological experts without credentials, but I know Dr.Dirt says it works, right on the dang radio. Why here in Indianapolis, what Dr.Dirt says goes. Love the orange juice idea, does it have to be fresh-squeezed? You are a good writer--do you have a blog or something?
I have googled it and all this proves is that people will believe anything they read on the internet. lol. It's true... there are literally thousands of articles, threads, and testimonials from so called "experts" who have no actual credentials in entomology or anything else, for that matter. But here again, this proves little in the way of it's logic or effectiveness. In the middle ages, on through the Victorian era, people hung garlic, bones, dead animals, and all sorts of things in their doorways because they believed it would protect them from vampires, evil spirits, illness, and death itself and they had explanations that seemed perfectly reasonable to the uneducated masses, but it still amounted to a bunch of hooey. lol. All this light refraction talk amounts to pseudo science. As far as my humor is concerned, I think I will start a rumor that if you fill the bags with orange juice, that it will fend off fruit flies. lol. ;) Thank you so much for taking taking the time to reply.
Kris, google it! And where is your sense of humor dear?
This is nonsense. Flies are not "afraid" of anything. They breed near and fly over large bodies of water frequently. If they knew what a spider web was, they would never get caught in them. Light and movement don't scare them. They fly out in direct sunlight and don't move out of your way until your swatting hand is literally inches away from them. If you've actually done this and noticed less flies, it's due to the fact that flies only live for a few weeks and unless you have rotting meat or feces lying around your house, conditions are not right for breeding. Fly invasions are therefore, short lived.
Awesome tips! I just added shaving cream to the shopping list, and I'm looking forward to being the belle of the summer bbq season. :)
I thought my neighbors were just crazy...