The intriguing reason why bags with water hang in houses and restaurants in Peru – Enseñame de Ciencia

Why do some hang bags with water in establishments? (Image: Claire Krieger/Taste Of Home).

Has it ever happened to you that you walk into a restaurant and notice that there is a bag with water hanging? Well, actually, it not only happens in Peru, but also in other southern regions and some in the north, it is customary to use this as a technique to repel flies. In this article we are going to talk regarding whether this is really a good method to avoid annoying flies or is it just a myth.

As we mentioned in the first paragraph, the reason why some people choose to hang bags with water in their homes, businesses, restaurants or in any establishment of their interest, is to scare away flies To be more exact, the belief is that clear plastic bags filled with water and hung where flies can see them will keep those airborne pests at bay. Generally these bags are hung or where flies can frequent.

Some even add some coins inside. But what is the explanation that this works? The most common theory is that when light hits the bag of water filled with glowing pennies, the bugs flee confused by the multidirectional refracted light produced by the bags (and bright reflection from the coins if any).

There are many people who trust this practice, while others claim that this is nothing more than a waste of time. The truth is that there is no record of scientific evidence which supports that this really works. This means that science does not support that bags with water repel flies.

Snopes reports thatIn 2007, Mike Stringham, a researcher at North Carolina State University (NCSU), spent 13 weeks studying the effects of water bags on flies at an egg-packing plant. Instead of repelling pesky flies, he concluded, the bags attracted more of them.

The debate continues and surely you will continue to see bags with water in the hope of warding off annoying pests such as flies in different parts of the world. Our conclusion is that there is no scientific evidence to prove it. After all, you can draw your own conclusions by putting it to the test for yourself.

Ways to keep flies away that do work

1. Put on cloves whole in a ripe apple or a piece of citrus and put it on a plate.
2. place the citrus and their skins in a muslin cloth bag outside.
3. put some drops of eucalyptus oil on a cloth and hang it near doors or windows.
4. Place demand on kitchen window sills, this will also keep them out.
5. citronella candles They can help keep flies away, especially in the garden.
6. Lemon with cloves. Cut two lemons in half and insert 4-5 cloves into each half so that the buds stick out. Place them where there are flies. The aroma will scare away the flies.
7. Herbs and flowers. Herbs and flowers can be planted both in the garden and outside to keep flies away from the house. In addition to decorating the home, it has the advantage that some can be used for cooking. Among the herbs and flowers that can repel flies are:

• basil
• calendula
• lavender
• bay leaves
• catnip

If you want to know a complete guide to scare away flies click here.

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