Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Smother with household chemicals
• Method 2 of 3: Hit with an elastic
• Method 3 of 3: Immobilize with hairspray
• Warnings
• Necessities
• Smother with household chemicals
• Hit with an elastic
• Immobilize with hairspray

Annoying, annoying flies. Is there a huge whopper or a little buzzing bastard that you just can't track down and kill? We are trained hunters and will assist you with in-depth knowledge gained over many years - all intended to your fly to kill.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Smother with household chemicals

1. Choose your weapon. Buy a bottle of Febreze, glass cleaner or a noxious spray that will damage the items in your home not will damage.
   • Note: Febreze may have an extra advantage because it deters flying. No self-respecting fly will want to go to a place that smells so fresh and clean. On the contrary, the fly will run away as quickly as possible.
2. Check that you have enough liquid to do this (in excess). You may have to spray on target five or six times for the fly to die. You may even have to squirt up to 20 times if you take on a fight like Rambo.
   • Make sure the bottle contains enough liquid to completely suffocate the fly or drown the unfortunate victim.
3. Approach the fly. Do not approach the fly from the side or from the front, but sneak up behind it. (Make sure to wear sneakers - they're perfect for sneaking around and will come in handy if your victim suddenly has it out for you.)
4. Spray the fly. Keep spraying until you are sure the fly is dead.
5. Take a paper towel or, better yet, some index cards that you can use to lift the carcass. Don't forget that the deadly chemicals also need to be cleaned up.
6. Take the carcass outside or to the trash can. You can give the animal a decent burial, but there is no need to hang the flag at half mast (unless you really like to overdo it).
7. Wash your hands. It is important to wash your hands after killing the fly as flies can transmit diseases and germs (luckily that's about all they can to wear).
   • You knew a fly is quite impressive aerodynamically, didn't you? But have you heard the story of a fly that can bear 15 or 20 times its own weight. No, but they do carry germs.

Method 2 of 3: Hit with an elastic

1. Choose your weapon. Take an elastic with a fairly wide rubber band about 8 cm long (not stretched).
2. Develop your rubber band shooting technique. If necessary, practice a few times before you go hunting, so that you can fine-tune your technique.
   • You are supposed to make a fist of your front hand with your thumb pointing flat forward at the top. Then place the elastic on top of your thumb so it stays in place, and pull the other piece with your other hands - with a finger or with your pinching finger and thumb.
   • Ideally, everything is parallel and flat so there is little risk of the elastic hitting your thumb or hand when you let go.
   • When you're done, place the elastic next to the target and release it with your back hand so that it shoots over your thumb in the direction of your victim.
   • Once you've mastered aiming, you can start working on your strength. While it doesn't take much force to squash a fly, you will still need moderate speed and strength to reach the fly with the elastic.
3. Chase the fly. If you want, you can imitate a ninja for this. You can of course also imitate a cat, walk up to it casually or approach it in a more aggressive way.
4. Wait patiently for the fly to land on a stable object. Delicate items are not intended to be in the vicinity of the fly as they could be damaged by a poorly aimed shot.
5. Check twice to see that nothing or anyone other than the fly can be injured if you don't aim properly.
6. Pull back the elastic. Make sure you have enough pressure to shoot far past your target, but not so much that you risk breaking the elastic (especially if you don't have a backup weapon handy).
7. Look along the elastic and make sure the elastic will not touch your knuckle. The most common cause of a poorly aimed shot is the elastic that deflects as it hits part of your body. Make sure you can shoot well.
8. Take a deep breath and try to stay Zen (if you can).
9. Release the elastic cleanly. Bam! The fly never saw him come. The elastic goes too fast for any fly (unless it's a super fly from a 1970s movie).
10. Get the elastic. Put these in your pocket once you get hold of the fly. If that didn't work then you have to track down the insect and try again and again ... by then you should know the tricks of the trade when it comes to shooting with a rubber band. If not, you can always request a wikiHow article called "Accurately Kill a Fly with a Rubber Band" and wait for it to be published so you can start practicing.
11. Clean up the mess after you hit. Some of the fly's body parts can stick to the window, on the wall, or anywhere else. Spray the remains with detergent and wipe everything clean with a paper towel.
12. Properly dispose of the carcass.
    • The carcass has to go to a controlled landfill (you know flies are unsanitary, right?) With a special transport vehicle (the garbage truck).
    • You can also simply compost the carcass. This makes it easier for the siblings to come and visit the deceased. (They're probably always near the compost pile anyway.)
13. Wash your hands.
14. Find victim no. 2.

Method 3 of 3: Immobilize with hairspray

1. Take the time to study the abilities of your nemesis (the fly). Watch Michael Dickinson's TED talk on how flies fly to get some great insights.
2. Know that the fly maneuvers thanks to the hinges that hold the wings to the body. When these are immobilized, the fly is no longer a "fly".
3. Know that hairspray is the ultimate stiffener. Chemists around the world have worked in laboratories for years to formulate, test and fine-tune products intended to make hair stiff. And you know what? Hairspray know not exactly what makes it stiff. It makes everything stiff it touches and makes no distinction whether it has wings or not.
4. Chase your victim (don't worry - this form of stalking won't put you on a special list). Observe the fly and position yourself in a good position to intercept the flight path of the proudly parading insect.
5. Shower him (or her) with a good splash of hairspray. So. It will now hum a little lower!
6. Catch the fly with a clear glass. Turn the glass over and place it over the fly.
7. Slide an index card under the glass and fly.
8. Take the carrier of the fly (combination of glass and index card) to the toilet.
9. Dump the fly in the toilet and flush. Goodbye, dead fly. Note: You can make this funeral "at sea" as ceremonial as you want, but you don't have to. After all, the fly has had its day ...

Warnings

• Method 2: using elastics is addictive. You may want to breed flies just to have enough targets to practice on. Make sure you keep everything under control so that your home doesn't become a haven for gambling addicts (even though all the action takes place in the lightweight class, of course).

Necessities

Smother with household chemicals

• Household chemicals in a spray bottle
• Paper towel
• Index cards (optional)

Hit with an elastic

• Elastic band (s) of considerable length
• Surface cleaner
• Paper towel

Immobilize with hairspray

• Hairspray
• Transparent glass for drinking
• Index card