Fly Catcher. Adoption Day.

"They are like fruit flies, you can see them but never swat them. I looked on the Internet and found a solution. Here's how I dealt with them.

First find a bottle, like a used water bottle.

Second pour a quarter - half inch of balsamic vinegar or vinegar or salad dressing into the bottle. Balsamic vinegar seemed to work best.

Next make a small paper funnel cone with a small opening and tape it in the neck of the bottle. Make sure flies in the bottle can't slip between the edge of the bottle neck and the cone. It should extend about an inch into the bottle and about an inch above the bottle.

The theory behind all this is the flies smell the vinegar and work their way down the funnel into the bottle and then can't get out. If you want to you can put a drop or two liquid soap into the mix. The soap will break the surface tension of the mix and allow the flies to sink instead of floating on the surface.

In a few days the flies will be gone. Because you never see more than one or two at a time you will be surprised how many you catch in the bottle."

An Rver's blog: http://www.movinon.net/Barb/tinythings.html  mentions the same tactic.
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Now there are some who think that you can repel flies by half-filling a plastic bag and hanging it up, (with or without pennies in it), but Snopes says: http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/flies.asp

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Today:

Ray wanted to work today. He said he had been so immersed in running family around with all the funeral arrangements for his brother, that he needed to get away from it all, and think about other things.

So first we unhooked the removable fence that is across a corner of the back yard around some rose bushes. It is to stop dogs from running into the thorns. Pine needles had collected there which is a fire hazard, so we removed them, and hooked the fence back up.

Pugsy, the vintage 1968 motor home, had got dirty, so Ray pressure washed it. I had intended to put the new carpet in there this Spring, and offer it for sale, but we never got any Spring, it just went straight from cold to HOT.

It was time to come indoors out of the heat. Ray took the icemaker out of the new fridge, as I have no need to hook it up, and it takes up too much room in the freezer. You know us Brits, we don't use much ice!

Then we vacuumed the air cleaners, ACs, and the back of the computer.

One of the SPCA foster moms who lives near me came and picked up Paco and Prime in their carriers, as it is Adoption Day. She is the main helper on Adoption Day, and she will be bringing them back about 6.30, if they aren't adopted.

Patches is a little difficult for anyone else to handle, so she didn't go. She gets lots of hits on her page on Petfinder.com anyway.

Last time when I took Prime and Paco, I wasn't here to see how Misty and Patches would take being left here. 15 year old Misty, who is not up for adoption, went around looking for food, as Paco eats everything in sight. I can't leave any dry dog food around, so I have to feed her separately in the Grooming Room. But the rest of the time she is in the house.

Patches meowed " Where is Prime?", and stayed really close to me today.