Can flies recognize that I'm holding a flyswatter? - eviltoast

Has this ever happened to you? There’s a fly in the house, buzzing around you, so you go to the cabinet to get the swatter. But as soon as you start wielding it, the little bastard disappears. You set it down, and now he’s back, taunting you.

Ok so obviously flies don’t taunt, but do they have the capacity to recognize, even instinctually, that I’m holding a deadly weapon?

  • Mugmoor@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    I maintain a silly belief that flies can in fact see a few seconds into the future, and that’s how they evade things so deftly.

    This is why my family invested in some of those Salt Guns you can use to kill flies. If you’re going to be driven crazy, it should at least let you release some steam.

    • citrusface@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      This isn’t silly - at all. Fly’s perception of the world is like bullet time to us. They can see something much faster than we can comprehend - that’s how they effortlessly move away from your swats

      If you want to catch a fly, move to them VERY slowly and cup a hand or glass over them to capture them. If you move slow, it’s more difficult for them to perceive something is moving towards them - much like it’s difficult for us to perceive a rising tide or watch a plant grow.