State of the art housefly eradication technology

Bronco

Bronco

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Thought you guys might get a kick out of this housefly shotgun rig. I've never seen anything quite like it. :)

bugasalt-exterminating-4359-500x416.jpg


http://bugasalt.com/
 
I admit I loved this thing. I have hunted houseflys with rubber bands for years. Not rubber-band guns, rather a longish one (usually a piece of elastic) that you draw like a bow. Just like "snapping" you school chums.
Effective but...Messy.
I was actually considering what kind of charge I could load into one of my home-made air guns to accomplish the same thing... Of course! salt! What a great idea.
 
Interesting idea. Over the years I have used the hand vaccuum to collect flies at the window sill. Inside the clear housing of the vaccuum they will swarm around. Then I take them outside at at -25C and let them go. One can hear them fly away, and wonder how far they can go during those low temps.
 
For outdoor use, I wonder if this would work with the bags of washed play sand you can purchase at your local home improvement center? It's about the same consistency as regular table salt, costs a lot less, might extend your range a bit and wouldn't attract moisture in humid climates.

Probably the biggest downside would be increased erosion in the barrel and some of the other internal workings. Maybe he could offer a premium version that is designed with sand in mind.
 
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mwerner said:
I was actually considering what kind of charge I could load into one of my home-made air guns to accomplish the same thing... Of course! salt! What a great idea.
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What kind of home made airguns have you created?
 
When I was a kid we used to use a cheap pump paintball gun, and just shoot them with the "air." Worked pretty well. Done that with my pellet gun also, but it doesn't work that great. Bet those salt shooters are entertaining.
 
We used to use a Sheridan Bluestreak, 1 or 2 pumps, no pellet. Hit them with the blast of air. If they are on the screen door, hit them square and you don't have to clean them up. We didn't have paint ball guns when I was kid.

I've also used rubber bands, with moderate success. They are better for spiders. A bandana used like a whip also works. If I am patient, I can slap them with my hand. Kind of disgusting with larger flies though...

Ric
 
jfindon said:
I have an electric fly swatter that works well, but this looks fun too.
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I bought one of those and the wife (a tennis player) loves to use it. All I need to do is holler "fly" and she'll come running with her backhand smash. Something about hearing the "zaap!", but she loves to kill 'em and I don't have to move a step!

Salt shotgun looks fun, fun for me but I don't think we'd want all that loose salt in the house!
 
Didn't have paintball when I was a kid either. Not for in the home, but on the porch, I used a $1 squirt bottle filled with rubbin' alcohol set to a fine spray & a bic lighter. Took their wings off & they fell to the ground for squashing. For bigger bugs, like bumblebees, I used a mop handle & we played bumblebee baseball. Good times!
 
I signed up for one for my wife. She hates slugs with a passion. Looks like they are shipping in September.
 
I have both a "rifle" (actually a smoothbore) and a pistol... I was thinking of using the pistol. These are simple devices made from plumbing parts, numerous examples on YouTube.
You have an air chamber, a ball-valve, a spring to open the ball-valve fast, and a trigger....
Here's a vid of mine:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=twEcjb1UEOA

You can make much more sophisticated items with a "QEV" valve; Some guys have produced items that operate at several thousand pounds per square inch.
 
ednemo

Here's a fun way to get rid of slug and snails. Put some vinegar in a spray bottle(set on stream) or squirt gun, then go hunting. The vinegar is less problems for the plants than salt.

Like the 70% isopropyl alcohol in the spray bottle. Ever try igniting some outside at night? It makes a really cool looking fire ball:D.

Just be careful, I saw an article years ago where some one tried this with an aerosol can and match on some spiders in his basement. The webs caught on fire along he did some damage to his house.

My dad said he used to catch flies by stunning them with his hand in elementary school. He would a get a long piece of hair from one of the girls and attach the fly with a slip knot and weight down the other end with a book. The fly would recover and it's flight would be restricted by the hair.

Ric
 
I got the bugasalt 2.0, loving it! Anyone got the 3.0? It's an improved version (tighter ray, more power, longer reach, more compact dimensions) and i've been wondering why they don't discontinue the 2.0 in favor of the 3.0.
 
Absolutely nuts but my dad would be all over this, sent him the link. My biggest caveat is the size of the rifle though. For the amount of power needed a pistol sized solution would make more sense to keep around and use casually.
 
Bufford said:
Interesting idea. Over the years I have used the hand vaccuum to collect flies at the window sill. Inside the clear housing of the vaccuum they will swarm around. Then I take them outside at at -25C and let them go. One can hear them fly away, and wonder how far they can go during those low temps.
Click to expand...
At -40C/-40F (same thing) they go about 10 ft. Then when you step on them they go "crunch". Speaking from personal experience.
 
kreisler said:
I got the bugasalt 2.0, loving it! Anyone got the 3.0? It's an improved version (tighter ray, more power, longer reach, more compact dimensions) and i've been wondering why they don't discontinue the 2.0 in favor of the 3.0.
Click to expand...
I’ll admit I’ve kept pace with the evolution of the Bugasalt. The jump from version 1.0 to 2.0 was pretty significant. My experience going from 2.0 to 3.0 was sadly a bit underwhelming. I say that with the proviso that we are, of course, talking about a sample size of one, but I didn’t notice much of a difference.
 
Bronco Bronco No shame in admitting, thx for the feedback! I'll have to find more reviews of the 3.0, like comparison reviews. I'd still be interested but there's only few days per year when i get to shoot flies outside. That doesn't warrant having another bugasalt in the household.
 
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