Asklemmy

I have a BUG-A-SALT that attached a laser sight on. It can take out a fly from a few feet away. And it makes it fun.

I've discovered that I'm good at herding flies.

I start by turning off lights sources including the TV, and closing all the doors and curtains except for one open window which is now the brightest, and therefore most attractive destination for the fly.

Then I just stand so that the fly is between me and the window. I wave my arms out sideways, kind of like semaphore, and it discourages the fly from flying towards my body and my hands, and can only avoid me by flying in the direction of the window.

It doesn't work at night since turning the lights off means I can't see the fly, and with the light on, it just flies to the light, lol.

They also don't like wind, so if there is a breeze outside, I make a stronger breeze inside by swinging a towel like a helicopter blade, and it makes the entire room very undesirable for the fly.

When I was a kid I would just wait until the fly was bouncing itself against the window, and just catch it in my hand, then throw it out and open window.

It also helps if you keep your house free of stale or rotting food smells.

This skill has dramatically reduced the number of flies I've killed by swatting.

Invest in venus flytraps. They're very loyal pets.

You'll catch some flies (and various other insects) with fly paper. The good thing is that it doesn't smell.

Never heard of houseflies going for vinegar, AFAIK that's for fruit flies (and even that is rather tricky IME).

Glass cups work unfailingly for me. As far as I know they don't see very well, so once, I tried slowly lowering one over them, and have been doing it since. Nothing else needed, just wait for it to land near you on a hard and even surface. They so far have not noticed it until the cup was fully down. After catching one, I slide a thin paper/something under the cup, and take the whole thing outside to release it.

Chopsticks!

Toy salt shotgun. Start hunting.

Edit: just saw another comment recommended the one i used to have. Bug-a-salt. It was the only thing that worked when we had something like 200 flies in a tiny 3-bed apt.

Get a used spray bottle, one that you can adjust the spray to be narrow or wide angled by screwing unscrewing the cap. Set it to wide angled. Fill the bottle with some water and cleaning solution. Something you wouldn't mind being sprayed about. Surface cleaner is a good bet because you probably already have that around the house to clean with.

Creep up on a fly with this diluted concoction and let rip. It might try and fly away but the wide angled spray plus the slight stickiness of the solution will hamper it's efforts. Watch as it falls to the floor and writhes about in agony as it desperately tries to breathe (flies breathe through their skin which is now clogged with cleaning solution). It's wings will be useless now too as they'll be weighed down by the solution.

Finally with some tissues mop up and squash the little shit. For the first several flies leave them where you let them die as a warning to other flies in the area. After a couple of days you can clean up the bodies.

You're welcome 🤗.

I roast em with a blow torch

If you want to swat them, you need to move your hand slowly at first. They seem to not notice or care if you move slowly and don't cast a shadow over them as that will frighten them. I use these same techniques for macrophotography, and it works, but you have to be patient.

I could also recommend getting good at snaping towels. Once you get good at it and you can judge distances, you can hit flies mid-flight.

Or if you just want to buy something and have 50ish bucks to spend you can get this

https://www.bugasalt.com/pages/shop-collections#threefive

My cats take care of most of them.

I slap them mid air when they are slower and with a towel when they fly more erratic and quick.
Satisfying and I get to feed my fly trap

Fly paper strips are the way to go

If you want to catch then when they land you can slowly approach them with both hands like you're gonna clap. They will try to avoid one hand and fly to the other hand and you can catch it.

Fan works. Bubble maker like the one on weddings can discourage fly and mosquitoes.

I use rubber band like on a rubber band pistols to shoot them when they land.

Let the friendly lizard and spiders stay around the house. They will help you get rid of them.

Play wildly upbeat frantic fly punk music and when they're all worn out from shaking their little fly asses - nab 'em.

Fly strips work. They work even better after catching a few flies (I guess misery loves company!). They're cheap too.

The vinegar thing is for fruit flies or gnats - it doesn't really work on typical house flies.

Or... you could use a fly gun. ..... : D

I open a window and they fly to it. Then I shut them out.