Flies, Flies, FLIES!!

matteasley2 · Aug 14, 2014

Am I the only one that gets bombarded with flies every time I smoke meat? Without fail, every time I fire up the smoker, hundreds of the little bastards show up. I can't say I blame em, but does anyone know of a good way to keep em away or trap/kill em?

grillmonkey · Aug 14, 2014

I've never done this but people swear it works. Hang a few clear ziplock bags filled with water around where you don't want the flies, and they will stay away.

Hang them where the sun will shine on them.

ifitsdeadsmokeit · Aug 14, 2014

The only way I have found to keep them at bay is to smoke in the winter or rain...they love the sweet smell of the fruit wood.

sqwib · Aug 14, 2014

No flies, just neighbors

bkleinsmid · Aug 14, 2014

Grillmonkey said:
I've never done this but people swear it works. Hang a few clear ziplock bags filled with water around where you don't want the flies, and they will stay away.

Hang them where the sun will shine on them.

You missed the part of a few new shiny pennies in each bag. Something about the reflections off the pennies through the water confuses them. And as you say, there are those that swear by it. The jury is still out for me...

Brad

matteasley2 · Aug 14, 2014

I was gonna say, I've tried the ziplocks, but didn't get much mileage out of them. Maybe the problem is the fact that I left out the pennies. I'll have to try that this weekend. I made a trap a couple weekends ago by cutting the top off of a 2-liter, scooping some dog turds in the bottom, and putting the top back on upside-down. This definitely helped to trap the flies, but the smell was a little less desirable.

lol @ the neighbors SQWIB, I know exactly what you mean...

seenred · Aug 14, 2014

Can you still buy fly strips? You know...those sweet-smelling strips of sticky film/paper that folks would hang on their porch or in their garage? Years ago, I used to see them all the time. But now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw a fly strip.

Red

forluvofsmoke · Aug 14, 2014

matteasley2 said:
I was gonna say, I've tried the ziplocks, but didn't get much mileage out of them. Maybe the problem is the fact that I left out the pennies. I'll have to try that this weekend. I made a trap a couple weekends ago by cutting the top off of a 2-liter, scooping some dog turds in the bottom, and putting the top back on upside-down. This definitely helped to trap the flies, but the smell was a little less desirable.

lol @ the neighbors SQWIB, I know exactly what you mean...

The concoction you speak of with the doggie-doo will work to trap them...just gotta find a place away from where people gather, as the stench will get the better of you. Placement in a bright area will help, as they like sunlight...the solar heating of the poo-bomb makes it stink even more, so is more effective at attracting flies. Don't forget to check/empty the trap periodically...pouring directly into a container you can close-up and toss/burn right away is best

SeenRed said:
Can you still buy fly strips? You know...those sweet-smelling strips of sticky film/paper that folks would hang on their porch or in their garage? Years ago, I used to see them all the time. But now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw a fly strip.

Red

We can still get fly strips here in a few hardware stores.

Eric

junkcollector · Aug 14, 2014

matteasley2 said:
I was gonna say, I've tried the ziplocks, but didn't get much mileage out of them. Maybe the problem is the fact that I left out the pennies. I'll have to try that this weekend. I made a trap a couple weekends ago by cutting the top off of a 2-liter, scooping some dog turds in the bottom, and putting the top back on upside-down. This definitely helped to trap the flies, but the smell was a little less desirable.

lol @ the neighbors SQWIB, I know exactly what you mean...

try this one bud. instead of doggy spots, mix up this concoction. i imagine it will smell nicer.

your bottle converted to trap

1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.

venture · Aug 14, 2014

You are not alone.

Smoking is the best way I have found to draw flies in the summer!

Good luck and good smoking.

grillmonkey · Aug 14, 2014

It's funny, if I smoke on the patio, flies. If I smoke at the shed, no flies.

dcarch · Aug 14, 2014

Butcher shops have those UV light zappers.

They seem to work very well.

If you have kids, buy a few of those insect zappers which look like a tennis racket, kids love to run around vaporizing flies and mosquittoes. They are $3.00 to $6.00 each on ebay.

dcarch

palladini · Aug 14, 2014

SeenRed said:
Can you still buy fly strips? You know...those sweet-smelling strips of sticky film/paper that folks would hang on their porch or in their garage? Years ago, I used to see them all the time. But now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw a fly strip.

Red

Yep, You still can buy those fly strips, the one you pull for the cardboard container. TSC carries them, or farm supply store would have them. I have two hanging by my sliding door in the back of the house, reason being, we have one half of one those easy screen things, taped up and we leave the door open about a foot for the dog most of the year. Do not talk to me about those easy screens, you know the ones with 2 panels and magnets in the middle that you can walk through and it closes on it's own. They are junk and if they last more than a week, then your lucky.

mneeley490 · Aug 15, 2014

No flies, but I have noticed my smoking does draw hornets sometimes. They will fly right into the smoke and sometimes even land on the hot lid or smokestack. That usually does them in.

padronman · Aug 19, 2014

Smoke better smelling meat?

I haven't run into this at all......as SQWIB said neighbors yes......flies no

Scott

pighog · Aug 19, 2014

matteasley2 said:
Am I the only one that gets bombarded with flies every time I smoke meat? Without fail, every time I fire up the smoker, hundreds of the little bastards show up. I can't say I blame em, but does anyone know of a good way to keep em away or trap/kill em?

I'm right there with you!!!! I did 2 smokes this weekend and those sons a birches were everywhere. Bout drove wife and I crazy. At any given time I could count 25 of them. I got rubber bands to shoot at them along with a case of beer to keep me refreshed.

stickyfingers · Aug 19, 2014

I get them too! Seems like its the BBQ sauce. I've tried it all.... nothing works! Weird thing is, this past Saturday not one fly!! I don't get it...?!

oldschoolbbq · Aug 20, 2014

I try to keep things wiped-up and the raw and cooked separate , in their appropriate containers . It doesn't SOLVE the problem , but cleanliness helps.

Have fun and . . .

timberjet · Aug 20, 2014

Grillmonkey said:
I've never done this but people swear it works. Hang a few clear ziplock bags filled with water around where you don't want the flies, and they will stay away.

Hang them where the sun will shine on them.

My mom swears by this only you need to have 4 shiny pennies across the bottom. The bugs think it is a dragon fly according to dear old mom. I do have them front and back. Can't really say weather it works or not. Another mom thing is dryer sheets. I have dryer sheets here and there around my outdoor kitchen area and I really do think this helps with bugs, especially hornets and wasps.

jdftwrth · Aug 28, 2014

All I have to do is uncover my smoker and the flies start lining up.

I am thinking about doing some a couple of racks of ribs this weekend, chicken thighs and some country style ribs (all depends on who drops in).

It will be the first big smoke since I resurrected my wsm and sealed it up, my wife has suggested that I replace the 181/2 wsm with a larger one or consider buying an offset stick burner, I had one a few years back and could never get the results I wanted and stuff always came out of tasting strange (could have been due to is was one of those pieces of crap made in China).

Y'all take care and have a safe holiday weekend.

JD

Flies, Flies, FLIES!!

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Featured A couple thick strips please!