Giant pest zapper ????

[Clik]

My 48X80 garage is on our cattle farm where there are lots of flies and mice. Flies come in the back of the garage and gather at the south facing window. I can sweep up a dust pan full daily just from those that die at the base of the window (From exhaustion I presume). They slime the window up. Nasty.

I've been keeping the mice out of my vehicles, cars, trucks, tractors, etc using poison baited boxes but now we have two new puppies.

So, I was talking with another garage tinker and we discussed making a fly zapper that would cover the window like a screen.

The discussion evolved to include using it to also zap mice by baiting behind the screen.

Anyone ever build one?

Voltage? Capacitor? Elec hazard to humans? Fire hazard?

Then we got into a hypothetical discussion regarding other pests and garage security. Ferguson has been in the news alot lately and we started hypothesizing what would have happened if one of the store owners soaked their floor with a garden hose and threw welding leads in the water. ???

 

[KEH]

Welding leads in water sounds like a bad idea. That would complete a circuit and be a constant drain on the welder, probable burning it up. I don't claim to be an electrician just a home welder, so maybe I'm mistaken. Then there's the issue of killing someone which I won't go into. If the desire is to shock an intruder an electric fence charger is best. It's non lethal but it sure gets your attention.

KEH

 

[kbs2244]

Before you home brew I would look intoone of those propane powered bug magnet(?) things.
Thry are showing up an CL now.

 

[RVDan]

It's going to be tough building a grid with ground and neutral crossing each other but insulated from each other that has small enough openings to short out a fly.

 

[spruce]

sounds like you're a perfect candidate for these
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/fly-eliminators

 

[Jere]

Here is an old idea for a fly trap, you just put some bait in the bowl under the trap. When the flies try to leave they fly up towards the light, hit the screen, walk upside down into the entrance and they are stuck.
http:// Super Fly Trap: http://youtu.be/01m6A0pIQWY

Here is another trap for mice, just fill the bottom with water\ antifreeze in freezing temps
http:// Bucket Mouse Trap - In Action: http://youtu.be/jezQKOl5q-w

 

[bazzateer]

Saw the title and wondered just how big these giant pests were!

If they're that big just shoot them!

 

[Clik]

As to the flies, they are attracted to the window light.

As to the biggest pests, our garage BS session attendees, had a good laugh recalling the natives attacking Capt Nemo's sub in the movie Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and watching Nemo throw juice to the hull. Ha! Ha!

 

[OctoMan]

If mice are like rats they can't eat without water so remove water sources. I'm into antique cars and have had discussions at meetings about how to keep them out of our project cars. It got pretty funny because someone suggested getting a cat. Then how do you keep the cat from tearing up the car. Get a dog. On and on it went. The. Someone asked about chickens.

I've heard mothballs will work also ammonia. Not that you want to smell that but if it works might be worth it.

 

[Lippyp]

Why not just buy a proper bug zapper like the ones they use in butchers shops etc, UV light to attract them and then zap. Do it on a window and its only a matter of time before it all goes horribly wrong and someone gets knocked on their **** or worse. I would imagine its a pretty high voltage to get that snap of electricity albeit low current.

 

[kbs2244]

In the US you cannot use a zapper in a food prep area.
They are afraid of the bugs faling into the food.
All you will see are the old fashioned curly strips of sticky paper.

And that may be a solution to the OP.
Bought in case quanties at a restruant supply company thay should be pretty cheap.

 

[Jere]

In the US you cannot use a zapper in a food prep area.
They are afraid of the bugs faling into the food.
All you will see are the old fashioned curly strips of sticky paper.

And that may be a solution to the OP.
Bought in case quanties at a restruant supply company thay should be pretty cheap.

There are UV lights in us food service but they also use adhesive.

http://www.pestproducts.com/ultraviolet_fly_traps.htm

 

[Clik]

Adhesive would be covered in about two minutes. The flies swarm to the light at the window. A regular bug zapper might get a few, but most flies are drawn to the natural light. Most bug zappers are like a lantern and I need something like a window sized sheet. I also can't see paying big bucks for a commercial job that is nothing more than a simple charged grid. I guess I need to experiment with a battery and capacitor of some sort.

 

[RVDan]

If the adhesive is full in a few minutes, put up another one. Eventually you will run out if flies.

 

[Lippyp]

Sounds like you need some big *** spiders!

 

[Mr_fixit]

Little spiders will turn BIG in no time!

 

[isthunidal]

I'm mistaken. Then there's the issue of killing someone which I won't go into.