Flypaper (also known as a fly ribbon, fly strip, fly capture tape, or fly catcher) is a

fly-killing device A fly-killing device is used for pest control of flying insects, such as houseflies, wasps, moths, gnats, and mosquitoes. Flyswatter A flyswatter (or fly-swat, fly swatter) usually consists of a small rectangular or round sheet of some acros ...

made of

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

coated with a sweetly fragrant, but extremely sticky and sometimes poisonous substance that traps

flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

and other flying

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s when they land upon it. Fly paper is considered a

pest control Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range ...

device, and is subject to regulation in many countries. In the United States of America, the device may be subject to the

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) is a United States federal law that set up the basic U.S. system of pesticide regulation to protect applicators, consumers, and the environment. It is administered and regulated by t ...

Toxicity

The poisons used in some older types of flypaper could potentially be toxic to

humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

and other animals. Historically, metallic

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but ...

(a well-known toxin to humans) was used in flypaper. Arsenic extracted by soaking flypaper in water has been used by several convicted murderers, among them

Frederick Seddon Frederick Henry Seddon (sometimes spelled Sedden) (21 January 1872 – 18 April 1912) was a British murderer hanging, hanged in 1912 for the arsenic poisoning murder of his lodger Eliza Mary Barrow. Background Frederick Seddon was born in Liverp ...

Florence Maybrick Florence Elizabeth Chandler Maybrick (3 September 1862 – 23 October 1941) was an American woman convicted in the United Kingdom of murdering her husband, cotton merchant James Maybrick. Early life Florence Maybrick was born Florence Elizabet ...

, and the

Angel Makers of Nagyrév The Angel Makers of Nagyrév (, "Tiszazug poison-mixers") were a group of women living in the village of Nagyrév, Hungary, who, between 1914 and 1929, poisoned to death an estimated 40 people. They were supplied arsenic and encouraged to use it f ...

. Most modern brands of flypaper contain no poison, but only a non-toxic adhesive such as

rosin Rosin (), also called colophony or Greek pitch ( la, links=no, pix graeca), is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene comp ...

Effectiveness

Flypaper is as effective as many other methods involving

insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...

s or

bug zapper A bug zapper, more formally called an electrical discharge insect control system, electric insect killer or (insect) electrocutor trap, is a device that attracts and kills flying insects that are attracted by light. A light source attracts insect ...

s. However, a twisted strip of flypaper hanging from the ceiling is considered by many to be aesthetically less acceptable than some other methods, and so flypaper is not as commonly used as it once was. Some formulas for flypaper also have a slight but potentially disagreeable odor. Handling and disposing of flypaper can be awkward because it is so sticky, though vegetable oil can commonly be used to remove the adhesive. Flypaper loses its effectiveness over time when it dries up or becomes covered with dust, and it should be replaced regularly. Consideration should also be given to positioning, as it may be more or less effective in different areas of a room.

References

{{reflist Pesticides Paper products Flies and humans Pest insects fr:Attrape-mouche#Le papier tue-mouche

Toxicity

Effectiveness

See also

References