Why do bags of water deter flies

A house fly has a complex visual system consisting of two large complex eyes that are each made up of thousands of simple eyes. Each simple eye provides one small visual piece of the picture, sort of like pixels on a screen.

All of the pieces from each of the eyes together make up the total picture for a fly. Entomology professor Mike Stringham of North Carolina University decided to put the water baggies to a scientific test. His sites were two egg-production farms where you can be sure there were plenty of flies. His conclusion was that sites with the water bags actually had more fly activity.

Naturally we were curious! Ms Sweety told us that these baggies kept the flies away! So naturally we were even more curious! We actually watched some flies come in the open window, stand around on the window sill, and then fly out again.

And there were no flies in the eating area! Collected via e-mail, June Unproven About this rating. A: This is a result of a column I wrote a number of years ago and is worth repeating. Top Fact Checks. View all. Most Searched. Mosquitoes are becoming a problem as hot summer temperatures bring more people outdoors to work and play.

So far, no one has found a plastic bag of water to work on keeping them away so the Tennessee Department of Health is reminding all Tennessee residents to take steps to help prevent illnesses associated with mosquitoes. West Nile is a virus that can be carried by mosquitoes and prevention is the first line of defense. Tennesseans should take precautions to protect themselves from West Nile Virus and other diseases transmitted by mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes most likely to transmit WNV bite at dawn and dusk. The best way to prevent WNV infection is to avoid mosquito bites. Here are some tips from the Department of Health that can help. The mosquito population is now at its peak in Tennessee and can remain active through October.

Some crazy new way to control temperature? A scheme to save money on water pitchers? While any effect on temperature is purely accidental, these hanging bags are all about driving pests away. People hang these bags outside their homes, businesses and even in their barns to drive flies away.

Various takes on the water-bag practice exist. Some advocates insist the bag must have flakes of floating tin foil; others say a penny or two. A couple of industrious websites even offer commercial takes on the concept, selling specially designed water bags to be used as repellents. After all, flies spend much of their time buzzing around such germ havens as dumpsters and animal carcasses and droppings.

Then, loaded down with germs, they swarm around your chicken sandwich — it's only natural that you'd want to keep them away. After all, flies aren't just annoying, they carry diseases. But how can a bag of water help? Does it even work? Experts and amateurs are split on the question. Let's examine both sides of the issue.

The water bag method of fly repellent has many supporters, from restaurant owners to backyard grill-masters. Many success stories ranging from the mild to the miraculous litter the internet. So how does the method drive flies away?

Some insist the flies perceive the clear liquid as the surface of a body of water. Others claim the insect flies away at the sight of its own magnified reflection. But the most popular reasoning that pops up among entomologists and patent-filing entrepreneurs is simple light refraction.