# Bags of Water?



## funetical (Oct 18, 2009)

My brother in law in an attempt to keep flies away has covered my inlaws house in half full with water ziplock freezer bags. I asked him to explain the idea science, anyhting that would prove he's right, nothing. I looked it up on google and wikipedia etc. and couldn't find science to back it up. Just a bunch of yah it works! We don't know why it just works. I'm sure this is a plot to sell more ziploc bags. Any body know the science behind it and whether it really works?


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## inspectorD (Oct 18, 2009)

Start looking under the furniture for his marbles..... 
Think the flypaper companies know about this?


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Oct 19, 2009)

It's common knowledge amongst drain cleaning plumbers that a sudden infestation of baby fruit flies in a house is generally a sign that there's a major leak in a drain pipe (most commonly the kitchen sink drain pipe).

You see, the reason they're called "Fruit Flies" is because they lay their eggs in moist foods of various sorts, but not necessarily fruits.  Lots of foods go down the kitchen sink drain, and if they're accumulating in a pile in a crawl space under the house, that's the perfect pile/place for a fruit fly to lay her eggs.

Any time you suddenly get an infestation of small little flies (baby fruit flies) in a house, the first thought should be: "When was the last time I tossed out the garbage?", and "Could the drain line from my kitchen sink be dumping all the stuff that goes down it into a pile in my crawl space, and is that pile now incubating and nourishing a new generation of fruit fly larvae (commonly called "maggots")?"


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## funetical (Oct 19, 2009)

I'm sure they do. I'm serious you hang bags of water and it's supposed to keep the flies away. The jerk brother in law of mine even added pennies to the last ones that he did.


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## Cork-Guy (Oct 19, 2009)

"_Evidently, houseflies, being highly edible and defenseless, are nervous types, and don't like to sit still when they see something moving nearby, because it could be a predator. The water bag acts a bit like a lens--try it some time--in which the movements of people in the area are reflected. Even if the fly is too far from the action to see it directly, it can see a shifting of light and dark in the water bag, which it interprets as nearby movement, and it will fly away from the bag._"

Maybe you need to learn how to use Google better.... hehe

The Straight Dope: What's the purpose of bags of water hanging in restaurants?
Home Remedies for House Flies
Let's focus on flies' eyes, water bags
How to Get Rid of Flies - howtogetridofstuff.com


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## funetical (Oct 20, 2009)

I know how to Google. I'm looking for the science of it. Assuming something works because it "works" doesn't mean it works, it means that you have the expected results. All the links you posted were people guessing. Is there a scientist on this forum?


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## Cork-Guy (Oct 20, 2009)

Ya, they hang in the scientific theory sub-forum...


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## travelover (Oct 21, 2009)

Cork-Guy said:


> Ya, they hang in the scientific theory sub-forum...



Right, in the "fly behavior" sub-sub-forum. 

I'm actually disappointed that Nestor didn't post a two page dissertation on the mechanism of the compound eye in the common housefly and its psychoptical implications on spacial perception and flight path.


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## TxBuilder (Oct 21, 2009)

That should make it easy for you then Funetical.


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## funetical (Oct 21, 2009)

Alright I checked for that sub sub group and it returning with no result. Are you guys messin with me.


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## -bud- (Oct 22, 2009)

I've heard it works but I don't know why sorry.


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## FLGarageDoors (Oct 24, 2009)

It is their eyesight. 

According to this webpage: 



> Apparently the water bags do drive houseflies away. Not mosquitoes, not no-see-ums, not spiders, not roaches, not yellowjacket wasps, just houseflies. Evidently, houseflies, being highly edible and defenseless, are nervous types, and don't like to sit still when they see something moving nearby, because it could be a predator. The water bag acts a bit like a lens--try it some time--in which the movements of people in the area are reflected. Even if the fly is too far from the action to see it directly, it can see a shifting of light and dark in the water bag, which it interprets as nearby movement, and it will fly away from the bag. The reason it doesn't work on any other insects is that the other insects listed don't have eyesight worth a plugged nickel.
> 
>  Doug


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## rebecca16 (Dec 1, 2009)

such a simple technique to stop the flies  problem. does it really work?
will google some information about it. anyway thanks for sharing this news.


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## oldognewtrick (Dec 7, 2009)

Well I guess funeticals brother-in-law was right, cause ol funs not been back since the water bag experiment. I miss his witty observations. Guess I'll have to try the water bag thing in the spring and see what happens. If I disappear also you might not want to try the hanging bag thing...


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 24, 2010)

Come on funetical, give us an update. Somone else is having fly problems. See other post, did this work?


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## funetical (Mar 24, 2010)

Funny I get the occasional email which brings me back. I guess it did. I still think my brother in law is a moron, but unfortunately correct. He still thinks it has something to with their eyes but I think it the refraction of light appearing to be motion that scares them.


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 24, 2010)

funetical said:


> *I still think my brother in law is a moron*, but unfortunately correct. QUOTE]
> 
> Yep, got one too...


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## funetical (Mar 25, 2010)

Aren't they the greatest. For a know it all he doesn't know much.


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## saltbranch (Jun 1, 2011)

One of the old Mexicans at work told me about this method.....claims it works. Told me thats why mexicans are smarter than white people, mexicans hang bags of water that last and white people buy sprays that float away in the wind...LOL(not racist, its an on going Joke between him and I)

Anyways he claims its the way the bagged water fractures the light, thats why the flies keep away from it.


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## BritKnee (Jun 1, 2011)

works for me. and the above posts are correct. It's their eyesight. Look thought a hanging bag of water and tell me it wouldnt be mind blowing if you were a 1/4 inch long. 

now imagine that your eyes are like the first pic and your vision is like the second.












Id stay away from hanging bags of terror too!


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## oldognewtrick (Jun 8, 2011)

fizzer said:


> that sounds so freaky i dont think that there is actually any reason reason behind this stupid way of getting rid of flies......i'll suggest just use flies spray from any reputable company and that's it you are done.....



Oh...I beg to differ. Funectuals idiot brother-n-law has sorta, semi, almost proven this kinda works.


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## its4sandra (Jul 9, 2012)

Does it work indoors where there isn't sunlight?  I have a prepubescent boy who leaves mostly drank cups of milk all over his room that invite a fly population.


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## its4sandra (Jul 9, 2012)

As for the BBQ, we had dogs and the same problem with flies around the deck.  After much research I planted lavender and peppermint around the deck.  It looked nice, smelled nice and helped keep flies and wasps away.


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## notmrjohn (Sep 21, 2012)

The water bags seem to be a periodic fad around here. They'll be hanging in restaurant patios, people ask about them, they sjow up at homes. Somebody writes to paper or TV, flurry of bags, letters yea and nay, just like here, all kinds of theories. My fave, fly approaches bag, sees magnified reflection of big scary eyes, flees in terror. :hide: Perhaps it is people going to bags to see what they are or if they are working that terrifies flies.

Then all the sudden the bags are gone. People realize they do nothing. Even see flies on bags. Few years later it starts again. Some restaurant hangs bags....

If you fill plastic milk jugs with water, put one at each corner of yard, dogs will not do their bizness on yard. Lady down the street did it, said some friend told her about it, so she did it. Said that since she put um out not one dog had messed her yard. I asked if that had been a problem before, she looked at me for a while with her mouth open like she was gonna say somethin. Next day jugs were gone.


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