Before I get to the main point I need to explain a couple of problems that led to my posting this.
My current home was a bank repo when I bought it last December. In order to make it look habitable the bank had the trim painted and whoever did it just slapped paint everywhere, including all the window trim; effectively sealing all my windows shut. That didn’t bother me until February when we had a two-week period of temperatures in the low hundreds. Whew! I needed some air circulating so I wouldn’t bake. After many hours of work, and with the help of an auto jack, I managed to free three windows and get them open about a foot. That’s problem number one.
When I bought the place there were no screens on any of the windows. That meant that, as soon as I got the windows open, I had every flying critter you can think of wandering in here. Flies, gnats, mosquitos, butterflies, moths -- I even had a hummingbird find his way in one day. Let me tell you, those things are hard to catch! That’s problem number two (the bugs, not catching a hummingbird).
Once the weather warmed up I kept my windows open 24/7 and finally called someone to install screens on my open windows. After the screens were on I had no flying things at all -- until today.
Did you ever have one of those flies that just wouldn’t leave you alone? I had one this morning that must have been in love with me because it just wouldn’t go away. I batted at it, blew cigarette smoke at it, and nothing would drive it off; it was driving me crazy. It just loved buzzing my head, flying in front of my eyes, it even landed on my hand I was using to move my mouse around. It was just so irritating -- and then I remembered something. Each week I receive a newsletter from snopes.com and in last week’s edition there was something about flies.
It seems an urban legend says that you should fill a sealable freezer bag half full of water, put four pennies in it, and hang it up. That is supposed to keep flies away.
Snopes categorized it as undetermined because many people swear by it, but a university study disproved it. What the heck, this thing was irritating the heck out of me so I decided to conduct my own "scientific" experiment. I walked out to the kitchen (fly following me), filled a bag half full of water, dropped four pennies into it, and walked back into my office (fly following me). As I was hanging it up on a shelf about three feet from my desk the stupid fly was landing on my hand. Hmm, don’t think this is going to work.
That was five hours ago and the only time I’ve seen it was when I went to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup and it started buzzing me. But, it has not come back into my office since then. Is it because of the bag? I don’t know, but you better believe that bag will hang there forever!
If you’d like to read the snopes report, here’s the link:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/flies.asp
[As an aside, let me give you a warning you if you live anywhere around San Bernardino. If you need any door or window screens, DO NOT call All Star Screens. Their "professional" installer said he could not install my screens because of the bars I have on all the windows. I pointed out how he could do it and he just said it wouldn’t work. After he left I had the screens in place in about thirty seconds and the brackets mounted in another ten or so minutes. Besides that, I got no discount for my "installed" screens that weren’t installed.]
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 44
In my old city it was okay to fire a blank when I was testing a weapon I had just repaired. When I moved here I talked to a police officer who told me that I would be arrested for "discharging a firearm within the city limits." Even a blank? Yep.
Living in the country has it's advantages.
Made a couple comments on your album but have a question I'll forward to you separately. Just KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON.
I have dogs that are constantly wanting in and out, so this time of year a fly follows them in at times. I hate those buggers.... ;-)
I have a story that equals your screen story.
My husband hired a gentleman to replace our roof. He paid him half the total price already (which I told him not to do) and we were told he would be here last Monday.
We got a call from him and he said he was backed up on another job and would not be here till Wednesday.
He and his crew showed up (he left the crew stayed) and they worked till 2:30 p.m. He picked them up (remember this was last Wenesday) and we have not seen them since. It is now Sunday at 6:23 p.m.
I told my husband to call them and ask if this was a do-it-yourself job (for us two senior citizens to do) since they left shingles piled in the yard, a fullsized dumpster, nails all over the place and a ladder still propped against the house.
He just clucked his tongue at me. When they show up I am telling him that I would never recommend him to anybody. He should at least have the decency to call a person and give an approximate date of return.
For your roofing story, there are a lot of contractor sites that accept complaints from various areas. I'm going to post a complaint against All Star Screens. How much good will it do? I don't know. For the people that just look in the Yellow Pages, nothing. For those that search the Web for a contractor, it might ensure that company doesn't get one or two jobs
See, I told you my people skills suck, I didn't thank you for reading this. Thank you.
Ha!Ha! I'm glad the little fellow didn't crawl into your beer. I hear they carry germs!
It isn't raining right now so I will leave the roof up to the workers and the dear man who hired them.
Beer=alcohol=kills germs. No problem if you swallow them.
I sincerely hope your roofing troubles turn out okay.
And for poetry in general you get a hiss.
In response to this I'm blowin' you a cyber kiss.
:-)
and screw that tech. you put in your own screens for free!!
No, not for free; the price I paid was supposed to include installation. I just got ripped off.
I've also heard of this one for flies, but haven't tried it. You have no mosquitoes? WHY?
I subscribe to snopes too and try things they recommend - usually the "old wives tales" were passed down by some pretty smart old wives :)
No flyswatter? Throw up a quick website - sell Fly Swatters - instant millionaire! I'm in nowhere, country-Connecticut and we can still find fly-swatters, but I've noticed they don't work as well on the flies as the ones Mom used to use on my butt! Those hurt :)
Another tip on flies - they don't like peppermint, spearmint, etc's.
And file with even the online Better Business Bureau about that company - they did rip you off! Don't they owe you for installation?
Marilyn
For the company, I don't know if they've changed their policy, but the last time I tried to file a complaint with the BBB they wanted a $10 filing fee. I'm taking the more direct route. There is a contractor locator service for just this area, and I'm going to file a notice on that site.