How to be a Great White Hunter in the privacy of your own home.

Never mind trapping.

Never mind zapping.

It's much more satisfying to hunt the annoying flies down one at a time and give them what they deserve.

Personal, like.

Step 1 Choose your weapon

The weapon of choice for the seasoned fly hunter is the broad rubber band. Narrow rubber bands can work, but carry much less energy, so are more likely to simply scare the prey off. Like shooting at a tiger with a BB gun, although the fly is less likely to turn round and take your arm off.

When using the bands, the universally-approved method is to hook the band over the tip of the index finger of your favoured hand, and pull it taught with the other, so that the band will fly wherever you point, and you can even sight along your arm and finger.

However, there is still some debate regarding length - longer bands are heavier, but shorter bands travel more quickly.

Pith helmets are optional.

Comments

[kros5920]

I like it its very creative

[Kiteman]

Thank you!

[Hawkeye Lyles]

LOL great instructable

[Kiteman]

Thanks!

[Vendigroth]

I try and flick them out of the air with a towel. Get everything just right, and the flick'd end of the towel (moving remarkably quick) hits the fly and either stuns it, and smashes it against the nearest planar surface, of kills it outright.

[Kiteman]

I tried that first. We used to have a vase on the mantlepiece...

[sharlston]

used to have a vase on the mantelpiece lol

[waterbottledestroyer]

HA!!!

[ilpug]

Here's an idea- cut a rubber band so it no longer a loop- just an elastic strip, and tape a small tightly taped wad of paper or something to the end. hold the loose end in one hand, then pull back the ball on the end with the other. Release the ball while still holding the elastic end. this works quite well.

[CandyCaneGirl]

I do amateur taxidermy, so could i be a fly taxidermist?

[Kiteman]

I'm not sure there's much to actually stuff - it's more drying and mounting, but I'm sure there's some skill cross-over.

[A good name]

It's so much easier to just let a fat white guy run through your house while you run at him with a rifle yelling "Remember the Alamo!"

[Rishnai]

I didn't know flys took off backwards, and thus would fly toward the shot for a split second. That's handy! Kind of like the fact that rattlesnakes will strike at a hot bullet meant for them...

[ll.13]

I'd go for a BB gun. or maybe air rifle.

[bowmaster]

Why not a REAL shotgun?

[mking2012]

An AEG would be awesome. My brother and I hunted hornets once with BB pistols

[PyroManiac96]

I have a homemade rubberband sniper that will be perfect for killing things and might come on instructables soon :)

[nightninja87]

i dont know how but my grandfather rip he used to catch flies with chopsticks it was crazy

[Nalydorthebuilder]

I like to go for mosquitos, they're smaller, and harder to hit, but also dumber, and they aren't as evolved as flies(don't always flay away when the elastic band misses) and this is soooo much fun, I love fly hunting :)

[nightninja87]

the ones i seen down here are huge!! there about 1 inch there freaky

[Kiteman]

Mozzies are too easy - you just walk up, clap your hands and then wipe them off your palm.

[Father Christmas]

or, we can all go hunting hornets and bees with our airsoft guns. thats fun, plus it add a little more realism to the huntin scenario: the prey fights back.

[tosplant]

Great advice. I didn't know that flies take off backwards.

[Nalydorthebuilder]

hey, I've got some tips, if your good at "stalking" the flies, and can get really close, then use this to your advantage, go for the "shotgun"(use like 4 or 5 elastics and kill those bastards!)also, the shorter the band is, the faster it flies, but shorter bands weigh less... So it all depends!

[Mini98tacoma]

Very Similar to the get drunk and go to walmart to buy airsoft guns and then shoot flies thing. Except this probably doesnt result in holes in walls, welts, or lost eyes. Oh and your room mates girlfriend leaving him cause he is immature.

[Designer17]

This is a riot. I thought I was the only one who did this. I have found though, if you twist the elastic just once and then shoot at your target your aim is 20 times better. I pick flies off from 10-15ft away all the time. My best one yet was at 15ft away I picked a moving fly off. The elastic ripped the head right off it and stuck to the window. It was so cool. haha

[sgt.paper]

hey since u do this can u email me and give me some tips i cant seem to hit them my email adress is [e-mail]

[Designer17]

My best advice is to just practice shooting things. I got all my practice by shooting elastics at the office secretary, she helped me perfect my aim,lol. As stated before, having just a half twist on the elastic makes a huge difference in aim. I use to hit the secretary in the nose and forehead all the time whereas she had all she could do to hit me. I attached a quick drawing i did in paint on how the twist should look.

[Designer17]

Oh and one more piece of advice..... make sure you pull back tight and let go of the front hand first, hahaha, I convinced the secretary to do that...it was too funny.

[Bran]

Very entertaining. One way to knock out flies that are captured is to put the jar into a freezer, or if a freezer isn't available, a refrigerator. This knocks them out cold (literally!). All you got to do then is just thaw them fairly slowly and they'll "wake up". I've always wanted to catch a fly, knock him out, tie a length of thread around him, and wait till he wakes up. Hold the loose end of the thread, and there you go, a pet fly on a leash! No wonder people say I'm weird. Hehe....

[musicalbee2003]

I had a bumblebee on a leash. My next door nieghbor had a huge phobia... Good times.

[Kiteman]

How did you see this Instructable? I wrote it, and published it, but I can't see it on the "recent" search at all.

[Bran]

Me either - I saw it on your personal page (when I clicked your name).

[Kiteman]

Oh, it's turned up in the recent search.

[Tetranitrate]

I prefer the electric fly swatter method. It is fun to watch the little buggers burst into flames after they get caught in the grid.

[ll.13]

You would. (:

[royalestel]

Wahahaha! My wife would love that thing!

[Tetranitrate]

3$ at Harbor Freight.

[Bran]

Have you tried getting shocked by it?

[Tetranitrate]

Yes and like all electric shocks it can be described in one word ... tingly.