How to keep the flies away

Here's a little trick I learned last year when I spent some time in south TX. It may be common knowledge to some, but it was news to me.

Take a clear plastic bag, drop a penny in it, fill it with water, seal it, and hang it where you want the flies gone. I suppose it works, because I didn't see any flies where other places had plenty of them. Now, I understand the total lack of logic in this cause/effect, believe me. I just heard it messes with the flies eyes.

If you're forced to bug out and live in the sticks for a while, or if you're just having a picnic, this might make life a little more bearable.

We actually saw those in Tombstone. Could not figure out why all the doorways had bags of water. *laughs* so we asked and they said it kept flies away.

We have done various trials and have found that the pennies must be shiney, and the sanwhich bag must be sort of full.

The reason behind it is that the pennies and water make a reflection that resembles something in nature that flies don't like.

Originally posted by PSUSA
Here's a little trick I learned last year when I spent some time in south TX. It may be common knowledge to some, but it was news to me.

Take a clear plastic bag, drop a penny in it, fill it with water, seal it, and hang it where you want the flies gone. I suppose it works, because I didn't see any flies where other places had plenty of them. Now, I understand the total lack of logic in this cause/effect, believe me. I just heard it messes with the flies eyes.

If you're forced to bug out and live in the sticks for a while, or if you're just having a picnic, this might make life a little more bearable.

I have seen it as just plastic bags with wate in them. When I inquired about it I was told that flies have segmented eyes and they don't just see one plastic bag, they see many. It appears like rain. Have you ever seen flies in the rain?

I'm not sure if that's the skinny or a good tale... But if it's just a good tale, I wanna be the one to tell it.

This is also a method I use when out in the bush for extended lengths of time Deer hunting.

I have NO idea why or how it works...it was something my Dad showed when he was teaching me bushcraft as a kid...and it works. Keeps the vension from getting so fly-blown before you can get it back home.

Another method we use with the vension/wild pork - apart from keeping it covered of course - but we also rub it down with leaves from a native type of pepper-tree found in our country.
It tends to keep flies away very well...be it through concealing the smell perhaps or giving off a smell that flies find not to their liking. Either way its another method we use.
The leaves of that tree also don't taint the taste of the meat, so no worries there either.


Good tip there OP!

Being from Texas I have heard of that trick but have never tried it so cannot vouch for whether it works or not.

On the same note though, I wonder about how to keep other biting/disease carrying bugs such as Mosquitos away.... Anybody know of any home made tricks for other bugs?

Interesting,Im from Australia where insects RULE,havnt heard this one but will definetly try it ,thanks

reply to post by Moreonethananyone


Let us know how well it works.

And I can't help but wonder who thought this up, and how. I mean, who thinks "I have a plastic bag, some water and a shiny penny, so lets see if this keeps the flies away"...

reply to post by alien


I've heard that flies taste with their feet. They find out whether something is edible by landing on it. Perhaps the leaves of the pepper tree have something in them that just tastes nasty to flies.

reply to post by PSUSA


That was our second thought after seeing this. Who thinks this up?

Originally posted by alien
This is also a method I use when out in the bush for extended lengths of time Deer hunting.

I have NO idea why or how it works...it was something my Dad showed when he was teaching me bushcraft as a kid...and it works. Keeps the vension from getting so fly-blown before you can get it back home.

Another method we use with the vension/wild pork - apart from keeping it covered of course - but we also rub it down with leaves from a native type of pepper-tree found in our country.
It tends to keep flies away very well...be it through concealing the smell perhaps or giving off a smell that flies find not to their liking. Either way its another method we use.
The leaves of that tree also don't taint the taste of the meat, so no worries there either.


Good tip there OP!

Do you know of any books with real bushcraft in them? I have the SAS manuals but I'm looking for something more homegrown.

Originally posted by gimme_some_truth
Being from Texas I have heard of that trick but have never tried it so cannot vouch for whether it works or not.

On the same note though, I wonder about how to keep other biting/disease carrying bugs such as Mosquitos away.... Anybody know of any home made tricks for other bugs?

...old spice lime aftershave - a camping necessity - even skeers off snakes...

I have a cat that hunts flys, she would be perfect for the job. I've seen her catch a fly with her bare paws! Where does she apply?

[edit on 5-11-2009 by obamalivechat]

If you take a bunch of the B Vitamins, i.e. B-6, B-12, etc. it will keep the mosquitos from bitting you. Only down side it takes about an hour for them to get into your blood stream. Forgot where I learned about that, but I've used it on many occations and it works like a charm.

reply to post by Mogwomp


If you take a bottle of tequila and rub some of it behind your ears..........then drink the rest.....you'll be numb enough that you just won't feel the mosquitos biting.

I live in NE TX and I put the plastic bags/water/pennies up all over my gazebo last summer and it seemed to work for a few days and then the flies were back...I even saw them crawling on the plastic bags. Maybe it only fools them for a short time

reply to post by Alena Michelle


Perhaps you've unwittingly contributed to fly evolution. The new breed of super-fly can tolerate, and even laugh at, the bags of water hanging everywhere.

Originally posted by Alena Michelle
I live in NE TX and I put the plastic bags/water/pennies up all over my gazebo last summer and it seemed to work for a few days and then the flies were back...I even saw them crawling on the plastic bags. Maybe it only fools them for a short time

a good 29.99 bug zapper works just fine...but you'll have to save up 2,998 pennies to go with the one out of the plastic bag to make that work.
i know....inflation...but what are you going to do?

reply to post by gimme_some_truth


The only real "homemade" ways I know to keep skeeters away is smoke from a fire - like a campfire.

I've found that puffing a cheap, smelly cigar will keep 99% of bugs and people away too.

Some ferns repel mosquitos. If you walk through the woods and find a mosquito free fern patch, then you know it is a species mosquitos don't like.

to keep flies away from the face wear a hat with dangling corks tied on by string, smoke will usually keep them away also, and by burning dried dung is said to get rid of insects.
there is another extreme measure of cutting a hole in your clothes around your backside area which in turn will attract the flies and keep them away from your face.