Fly Swatters Sold Here?

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Are fly swatters sold in the DR? I've been looking over the years, but have never seen them in any of the stores. Have I looked in the wrong places, or have they gone the way of the buggy whip?
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Look in the hardware stores. they also sell sticky tapes that can be hung from the ceiling...ugly but effective...

I'll call around here, just in case..
HB
 

dms3611

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Jan 14, 2002
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We have had to bring a # down from the states and then "teach" folks how to use them...ha....really have not seen any in the stores at all.

Best, Dave
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Will be interested in what you find out, HB, but am inclined to think they aren't sold here. We don't have enough flies to warrant using those ugly sticky tapes, but we get a few in spite of our screens. I get a great deal of personal satisfaction every time I smash a fly with a fly swatter and, when, in past situations we had a lot, it was challenging to get a number of them with one blow. Give me a fly swatter over sticky tape any day.
 

PJT

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Jan 8, 2002
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Stealth Swatter

Ken, just by chance you happen upon one of those roving vendors, you know, the guys in the old Nissan or Toyota camionetas that sell everything from them, soup to nuts, clothing, plastic buckets, chairs, etc, to the people in the campo; check them out, they may have a swatter.

If you are handy, you can form a swatter from a wire clothes hanger and the plastic from a discarded flat-sided household container. Cut the plastic to form, punch some holes in it to enable it to get it to swatting speed. Bend the hanger to make a handle and with a little glue and fine wire wrapping you attach the plastic. You have a homemade stealth swatter. Regards, PJT
 

Jim Hinsch

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Jan 1, 2002
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What you do is wait for them to land. Don't get up from your chair. Just sit there and point one of those keychain laser lights in their eyes. They won't move away.

After you've blinded them you can just walk up and crush them with your finger.

Seriously, that "flying insect spray" works wonders. If you see a fly, just give it a 1/10 second blast about 2 feet above the fly. A tiny amount of the mist will fall on the fly. It will be dead within 15 minutes and if you get gratification from squashing them, think of how you'll love watching them wriggle and suffer during the death process.
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Good suggestion, PJT, but as a last resort. I'm afraid the homemade flyswatter won't be durable enough. When I hit those suckers I really give them a whack, and part of the satisfaction is the noise made when the fly swatter pounds the intruder into the table top. Reading dms' post reminded me of friends coming at the end of the month. I'm sending them an email tonight asking that they bring me several fly swatters.

BTW, dms, my wife and I got a good laugh from envisioning you "teaching" the use of a fly swatter. I suspect she will be weaving that into future conversations with local friends.
flylunch.gif
 

Campesino

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May 18, 2002
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This has to be one of the funniest and most useful posts Ive seen in ages. Really liked the laser treatment, I have one and will try that, I have made fly swatters from a one gallon jug of water and a coat hanger, but still prefer the free ones they give away back home in the spring time.
 

Mickey

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Mar 3, 2002
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Why not take yesterday's Listin Diario (or paper of your choice), roll it so that its slightly conical, and roll some tape around the skinny end? As a student who can't afford luxuries like fly swatters, I find this to be quite effective. Bigger bugs? Add more newspaper. I have become quite the stealthly hunter. Oh and those ink smudges come off the walls about as easily as fly guts and legs.
Ciao,
Mickey
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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I have seen some in a small Chinese supermarket here. If you want, I'll go buy a few if they still have any?
 

Jim Hinsch

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Jan 1, 2002
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We used to tie a half dozen rubber bands together and then a half dozen more in to a ball at the end. With practice, and fully cocked with one arm streteched all the way back, the front of the band held firm between the thumb and the bend in the index finger, most of us could splat a fly from 10 feet, cielings too. Sometimes we'd miss, making it a sport of sorts.

When they mess with me where I sit, I sometimes note their flight path and they seem to repeat it more or less. When they on the airborn return, you can play batter-up using a good magazine and a good baseball-bat swing. The accompanying thawt is priceless. It usually doesn't kill the fly, it just knocks it senseless. Then you go stand over it, pronounce the sentence, and proceed with execution.

FYI: The best way to kill a fly with your hands is to clap your hands over them 1 inch above, 1 inch behind, with approach from the side. Since we are slower than they, they will be where your hands are about the time your hands clap duruing their escape. Gloat with each death, that you have outsmarted the fly, and used your brain to make up for your lack of speed.
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Jim, you are a man after my own heart.

Robert, thanks for the offer. Have already sent a request to our Canadian neighbors who are coming at end of month to spend the winter; if that doesn't produce results, I will certainly be back to you.

Mickey, I have used newspapers; for now that is all I have. But I'm like Campesino, there is nothing like the real thing.
 

Jan

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Jan 3, 2002
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Santo Domingo Este
www.colonialzone-dr.com
I used to have a little spring loaded fly squasher gun! It wasn,t that accurate but it was a good time. But those flies seem to be smart. As soon as I loaded up and was all ready for them never saw a fly. Get tired of looking, discharge my weapon, and didn't those big juicy ones appear again! They must be trained to know when you have a swatter!
 

sjh

aka - shadley
Jan 1, 2002
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swatter on a stationary fly ----- 1 pts
swatter on a moving fly ----- 5 pts
two hands on a stationary fly --- 10 pts
one hand on a stationary fly ----- 20 pts
two hands on a moving fly --- 50 pts
one hand on a moving fly ---- 100 pts


not sure where i would put a laser stunned fly....
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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Happy to report that friends from Canada will be bringing me a supply of fly swatters. But thanks for all the excellent suggestions.
Here's another that wasn't mentioned.

tn_t50.gif
 

jaragunnar

New member
Nov 15, 2002
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An extra mosquito net is pretty useful.
Only that the cat dragged it into
the candlelight couple of weeks ago.
Think the fire, quickly spreading across
the bedroom, killed more flies than
any swatter ever will do.
Anyone needs a bald cat?
Gunnar/Jarabacoa
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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HB, you're invited. We'll let the flies accumulate, and when there are enough to make your trip worthwhile, we'll contact you. Thanks for the offer of help.

BTW, I've been wondering. Do they have a salty taste?
 

Drake

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
667
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Fly mosquito Racket

I recently bought an electronic fly and mosquito zapper. It comes in the the form of a tennis racket with batteries. You push the button and the screen is activated. When you take a swipe the insect is instantly fried with a spectactcular exploding sound. You have to be fast to zap a fly. Great thing was it only cost me 100$RD.