Everytime I pick up the Flyswatter the fly leaves..Why is this? Do they know

I know, it drives me nuts too! I have no idea how they get in but every now and then I'll see one and then it's gone. That cat is usually good at catching them but the silly thing will only play with the flys for a while and then set them free. At least they're dizzy when she's done and I can swat them! A friend of mine keeps a ziplock bag filled with water with some pennies at the bottom to keep the flies away, on her deck and it actually works.

How true is that !!!! It always happens, the little suckers...

I know that feeling all to well.. that's for sure.. It happens to me all the time.. I'd see one and grab the flyswatter and boom gone.. But I get smart with them I keep the flyswatter in my hand so the next time they come near me I can get them the next time the come near me..

I think they know. They keep annoying us till they drive us mad, and i am sure they have eyes all over their bodies, cause they can see you coming from all directions. I also hate how they buzz near your ear at night, knowing they will keep you awake. I think they are laughing at us. Best wishes to you, feona

I don't know about flies. But when I pick up the fly swatter all my dogs hide. I have 5 Pomeranians and everytime I go for the swatter the scatter all different directions. I can usually find then hiding under the kitchen table, in the closets, behind the couch or chairs. I've never used it on them, they just get scared and bolt. As for the flies, they are smart they can see their lives flash in front of them and want to survive. Heck if I was a fly, I'd hide too.

well i will answer with a more scientific approach lifting the fly swatter creates air movement which the fly senses and moves away

they see you move for they have lots of eyes. ya have to sneak up the little sneaky buggers lol

that is the best way to keep flies away from you I always have that problem

I think they are kind of like our cats when we pick up a spray bottle. They know they are going to be in trouble so they skedaddle to the nearest hiding place. And I swear, flies know how to hide themselves really well when the swatter is in our hands. It must have something to do with those hundreds of "eyes" they have....they can see behind our backs when we're trying to be sly and hide the swatters. LOL

Hello Feona1962!:-) LOL! I felt the same way until I discovered (read) some facts about them. Actually flies have different time scaling and framing than humans; interesting, isn't it?. The idea of a "second" for a fly is much quicker than ours. They feel things in milliseconds and the things that appear to move 'normally' to us appear much slower to them because of their quick sensing in time frame. THe best thing to do is to move really slowly so as you appear to them even slower, to a point that they feel that your motion isn't a motion at all. They will not get threatened while you approach them. When you approach and get much closer with really slow motion, just give Flyswatter a flash with lightening speed and they will have no time then to react. Try it and you will never be disappointed. Many other flying little creatures have similar definition of time i.e. there time scaling is much closer than ours, so you can try this trick to other little flying creatures too. Best of luck!:-)

I hate when that happens! As soon as you put the flyswatter down, they are back again! I think that their tiny little brain only knows what a flyswatter is. Funny, that they are soooo smart to know what flyswatter is, but yet they sit on dog poop like it's the best thing in the world. What's up with that??!

so might as well lift the fly swatter beforehand so the fly will have less chance to notice your movement :)

LOL Feona - I hear ya on that! It's like they get some kind of warning, or something, that tells them to move immediately or die. I've discovered something interesting, though: I can't prove this, but I swear they can see shadow, and when they see it, they move. So, I decided to experiment by attempting to sneak up on one. By this I mean that I tried to get near enough to it to kill it, without putting myself in a position where it would see my shadow. Surprisingly, it worked, and voila, the fly was a goner. *shrug*

my science teacher once told the class about a really easy way to kill flies because there was a fly on his desk, it worked well and i do it all the time now! YOU have to be patient sometimes, just let the fly settle on a flat surface, preferably parallel to the ground. Slowly move your hand about 4 feet or so above it and very slowly lower you hand vertically. if the fly is moving its arms around than you know it isnt really paying attention or it already lost interest in you, they are pretty stupid!! than wen you think you are close enough slap downward as fast as you can. the fly will try to escape sure but while taking flight it has to fly up first. You might not want to do this if you dont want a smooshed fly on your hand but it works! maybe use a napkin or something?

perhaps they saw you or they were spotted by other persons.