Professional

Last year I was an amateur swat-a-holic. This year I’ve moved my game up a notch or two. Behold my professional-level fly swat.

Fly swat

Pictured in as-new condition prior to entering battle

I found it in New World on Willis Street during last year’s winter Wellington trip. It was languishing on a shelf, on special for $2 (I guess there’s not much call for a fly swat in a Wellington winter). Imagine my excitement in finding the instrument of death some of The Readership referred to after my post on The Great Northland Fly Plague of 2017.

Those of you in step with interior design trends will sympathise when I tell you the only two colours available were fluorescent yellow or fluorescent green. Picture me reluctantly setting aside my ambition to create the restrained neutral-with-an-industrial-vibe decor featured in all the recent shelter magazines, and buying the fluro yellow one. Such are the sacrifices one must make.

Natural / industrial kitchen

The people who own this kitchen probably wouldn’t buy a fluro yellow plastic fly swat

Mind you, given that my previous swatting implement was a rolled up Supercheap Auto flyer I probably can’t afford to get too precious about aesthetics.

Thankfully the advantages of this new model outweigh the brutal colour. It boasts minimal drag, a flexible handle to add flick to those delicate edge-of-the-fruit-bowl shots, it’s fully washable and has little fringy bits on the front to sweep up the corpses. After a full and busy fly season, during which it sustained minor damage to one corner after a particularly enthusiastic swipe, it is still dispatching those nasty little visitors.

yellow fluro flyswat

For those who requested an after-battle shot.

Two dollars well spent I say! Anyone else upgraded their anti-vermin arsenal recently?

 

chrissyb

16 Comments

  1. My personal recommendation is a fly swat in every room. Or at least in the kitchen and living areas. Many shots are lost retrieving the fly swat from its previous location. Either multiple swatters, or perhaps wear one at all times clipped to your belt??

    • I agree about those missed shots, and a belt clip fly swat gets my vote. Perhaps we can develop something tasteful and clip-able to excite The Readership.

  2. I agree – a picture of the battle weary but triumphant fly swat would add a thousand words worth to your excellent military campaign.

    • Ok, by popular request I’m adding a post massacre picture for you gruesome types x

  3. Ummm … hmmm … I tend to go for clouds of insecticide. Not good for the flies, me or the planet, oh well …

  4. I will, I will bravely have fluo fly swat in that kitchen. JUST WANTED TO HAVE THAT KITCHEN

    • I’m with you there sister. Love that kitchen! We could share it?

  5. I think you’ve been HAD! I get my swatters 3-in-a-pack at the $2 Shop. And, one lot came in shapes of ladybird, butterfly and ? – not the best though as there was less surface area. The current one tends to snap bits off when I hit the edge of the bin. And what about the guts left on the windows?? Maybe that’s what the fringing is for – scraping.

    • Three in a pack for $2! One for every room. Yup, I’ve been had. Note to self to visit your local $2 shop when next in the big smoke.
      Scraping guts off the window, what a good use for the fringy bits. 😝

  6. Hahaha That’s India’s local NW and true she’s practically never seen a fly ,lucky thing. I suggest a coating of chalk paint to bring it into the right aesthetic vibe😊
    I have to resort to some auto sprayers in the warmer months,can’t let the Bunnies get fly strike 😐
    Evidently the pesky little ones we get plagued with are Poo flies!! According to the Bug Man They like grass clippings, compost,rotting down bark gardens and poo!
    Lovely…..

    • Chalk paint, love it! At the moment I’m just hiding the offending item on top of the fridge (I’m too short too see up there so it doesn’t assault my eyes).
      Yes, you’d definitely want to avoid bunny fly strike, sounds like the autosprayers are an essential there. x

  7. False economy with cheap fly swats! I think you have got a good deal. When I was given one from a pack of three it did not stand up to the job for very long. “You can’t go wrong” my mum had said, but for once she was! Also the flouro colour means it should be easy to find when needed in a hurry!

    • Good point. No chance of the fluro fly swat blending in with the… well with anything really. And I’m glad the extra outlay has probably given me a more robust weapon. Sounds like the tough Northland flies would likely split the cheaper models on the first wack! 🙂

Leave a Reply to chrissyb Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.