The two fly traps before installation

At least I think they did…

I’m talking about the “Cluster Buster” traps I bought to combat an infestation of cluster flies. I bought two – at a hefty $25  each – (but I was desperate!) and put one in the kitchen window and the other in the living room window.

Before you stick it on the window, you have to shake the powder inside so it levels out. The flies enter the opening in the top of the trap and suffocate in the finely-ground eggshells inside.

A trap, installed

I stuck each one in the window and waited. I was kind of hoping to see the flies jumping in, one after another, but it didn’t work that way. The next day, I still had several of the loathsome creatures buzzing around, and try as I might, I couldn’t see inside the traps to determine whether some had gone in.

Fast forward to three days later, and the flies were gone. I still don’t know whether they met their demises in the traps or whether they just went away or died (although I haven’t found any of their bodies on the floor.) The traps will work for up to two years, so I’ll see if I get more flies next year and if so, if the traps do their jobs.

So there you have it: another daring experiment comes to a close – this one a success, I hope.