Help! FLIES in apartment!

[phesina]

ONE fly got into my apartment about 3 weeks ago when the kitchen was renovated and the doors were open all day. I was not able either to kill it or else redirect it back outside. It must have laid eggs (and maybe the eggs laid eggs too), because since last weekend I have had a LOT of flies in the place.

How do I get rid of them? I got some fly strips from the management to put up around the place. NOT ONE FLY has gotten stuck on any of these. I checked over at Ace, and it looks like the other stuff available is toxic to pets (I have 5 cats).

What can I do? I hate these dirty things being all around the place.

Thanks,
Pat

[moosmom]

I have a gadget that zaps them. It's in the shape of a tennis racket and works great. Like a hand held bug zapper.

I also have my little bug killer, Shortie. She may have short legs but she sure can catch a fly in mid air. She eats them. Eeewww.

[Cataholic]

Get a few cats.

[Cataholic]

I meant to say get a few more cats. Ugh, Pat. Maybe more strips? Or a fly swatter?

[phesina]

I have a gadget that zaps them. It's in the shape of a tennis racket and works great. Like a hand held bug zapper.

I also have my little bug killer, Shortie. She may have short legs but she sure can catch a fly in mid air. She eats them. Eeewww.

Donna, what is this gadget called, and where did you get it?

My cats aren't much on fly-hunting, unfortunately. Bob will wave a paw at one as it flies past, but that's about it.

Thanks,
Pat

[Karen]

Spray bottle with cleaner, and a paper towel to wipe up ... my only solution.

[phesina]

I meant to say get a few more cats. Ugh, Pat. Maybe more strips? Or a fly swatter?

Thanks, Cataholic. I already have 3 more cats than I'm allowed to have in this 2-room apartment (2 pets is "legal" maximum). None of them is much on fly-catching.

The strips have been totally useless. Not one fly has gotten stuck so far.

I got a fly swatter yesterday. Very little help, because so much of the time they don't land on flat surfaces.

On Monday I will call the apartment-complex management again and tell them the strips aren't working at all, see what else they can come up with.

Sigh, this is such a big pain in the @$$. There seem to be more of them just since this morning!

[kuhio98]

Sorry, no help here. We're lucky to have cats who hunt them down. Unfortunately, they are unconcerned if they knock a bunch of glassware off the shelf in the pursuit of said fly.

[phesina]

Spray bottle with cleaner, and a paper towel to wipe up ... my only solution.

Spray bottle with what kind of cleaner, Karen?

Thanks,
Pat

[Karen]

Any soap will do, it weighs them down so you can swat them, and leaves a clean spot afterwards!

[Vette]

We have a zapper thingy. havent used it in eons though. forgot even what it looked now. but my brothers dog hated it. hed growl when ever he heard something getting sizzled on it LOL

here be one:
http://www.amazon.com/Flowtron-BK-15...7381503&sr=1-1

but theres hundreds of diff bug zapper things out there. try Yahooing/Googling bug zapper an see what you get ^^

[phesina]

I looked at the one on the Amazon link. That's not something to have in the apartment, though!

It says: "Recommended not to be used within 25-feet of area intended for human activity, should not be attached to house or deck or other structures"

I just did some Google exploring. Looks like Sears (at the mall a couple miles from me!) has a good tennis-racket one that just might do the trick! I must check that out tomorrow.

Thanks for the suggestion, Vette!

[phesina]

Any soap will do, it weighs them down so you can swat them, and leaves a clean spot afterwards!

Any soap, like dish detergent?.. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap?.. Thanks.

[Karen]

Yeah, any soap will do, Windex, 409, anything in a spray bottle!

[mrspunkysmom]

Donna, what is this gadget called, and where did you get it?

My cats aren't much on fly-hunting, unfortunately. Bob will wave a paw at one as it flies past, but that's about it.

Thanks,
Pat

Same here for mine. Maybe they are too well fed?

I got flies, too. Except mine came in from the horse pasture most likely. Don't like spraying either. I like the soap and fly swatter. Vinegar bothers the flies, too, but your house gets smelly.