Move your swatting device very slowly until within around 3 inches vertical height (directly above) the settled fly. Wait a couple of seconds, then squidge violently. Works every time.

Jim Worley, Lincoln, UK

Surely this experiment was conducted to test out the new camera the lab purchased. Watching flies in action is a terrific way to check out the capabilites of the camera.

Leroy Howard, Detroit,

More interesting than this is to think that instead of the fly's brain processing this information in a matter of milliseconds, perhaps the multi-lensed eyes directly cause the motor response. Maybe the fly doesn't "see" a mosaic of images, but instead the photoelectric signal is used for nerves.

Leroy Howard, Detroit,

I use hair spray. One spray coats their wings, they cannot fly and thus are easy pickings for my cats.

Nona, New York City, USA

so time and money has been s pent on something we can work out for ourselves. Must be a nulab project.

Albert Hall, kettering,

Let them have it between the eyes!

Yves Ferrer, algoz, portugal

How did they get funding approval for this research?

Ligeo Varkey, London,

Armed ready with a heavy duty elastic band (ready to fire from your index finger), get as close to the fly as possible - then let him/her (we have to be politically correct) have it! Easy and effortless - no swatting, swiping or spraying chemicals.

Kevin, Portsmouth, UK

Once the target is identified, dim the lights, put on some background music and approach from downwind. Once within striking distance raise your fighting hand and strike down upon the animal using a karate chop action for minimal wind resistance. Always be ready to follow up with a second blow.

Adam, Brighton, uk

Flies should be stunned mid air as if swinging at a ball and then finished off on the ground. This involves stalking; a hunt between man and fly. You also need to tape down any ornaments and wait until your wife has gone out.

James, New Forest, UK

I use a catapult swatter: Make a heavy knot in one end of a piece of string. Attach the other end to a series of linked elastic bands. Attach the front band to piece of wood/ metal which you can hold like a catapult handle. Pull back on the knotted string end and SPLAT. No flies on me

Chris, Hitchin,

i use "The Executioner" it's like a small tennis racket but the strings are wire and electrified by small batteries it downs flies instantly.Works every time.

Brian Callaghan, Warrington, England

Swatting probably gains more results, but it's very satisfying to catch a fly, particularly those pesky fruit flies.

I've had a very good swat once, where I accidentally managed to hit a bluebottle like a tennis ball with the back of my hairbrush.

Rosalie, Chichester, England

Yet another sport that Aussies are better than Brits at

Pablo, Edinburgh, UK

In common with everybody else, I find flies extraordinarily annoying. But as this article illustrates they are truely amazing creatures, who seem to deliberately enter into a duel of catch-me-if-you-can: so I do.

Robbie Rohan-, Great Chart, Kent, UK

Try a dish towel. Use a quick flick of the wrist. Flies don't even have enough time to react.

Mike, Columbus, USA

Using an open mesh fly swat and coming down directly on top of the fly having approached as closely as possible generally works for me. I do usher them out if I can.

Dianne Taimsalu, Uzes, South of France, France

Just use a fly swat. A rolled up newspaper pushes air before it giving an early warning to the fly, the holes in a swat reduce this dramatically and you’ll kill more than you miss. It didn’t take a scientific study to invent the fly swat either.

John. Villablanca, Spain

John, Villablanca, Spain

Move in very quickly and aim your swat just behind the fly as they take off backwards. Works every time.

Alastair, Manchester,

Fly swats are a guaranteed success. But if there's not one to hand, then simply approach the fly slowly with your hand or a rolled up paper until you are just over it - then gently thwack it without moving too fast. This stuns it for the coup de grace, which can be as dramatic as you like!

Luke, Geneva, Switzerland

When we have a patio door open in summer, our extension can sometimes fill with flies - too many to swat. I having found a small hand held vacuum cleaner to be very effective in sucking them up. It's also good for wasps.

Archie Westwood, Cardross, Scotland

My old man taught me the best way was to approach a fly with your hands in the clap position. When you've flanked it on both sides *clap*. Fly's fly off sideways and will always fly into either hand.

Phill, The Wirral, England

Move in REALLY slowly with one hand to within about 6 inches at a constant rate. The fly analyses the threat and decides it has plenty of time to move off, based on the speed of your hand's approach. Simply then make the last 6 inch journey at a faster speed and splat - fools the fly and never fails

Matthew, London, UK

why swat? use fly paperlike we did in the old days- not pretty but jolly effective, buy from any good old-fashioned hardware store if any still exist or pound shops sell them

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

Just use a 'purpose-built' fly swatter. Easy-peasy! But what an utterly pointless article!!

Howard Marshall, Norwich, UK

I heard if you swat too many flies, geoff goldbloom comes at you in the night...

Gavin, Caernarfon,

I best approach that I have found, is to slowly wave the hand which is not holding the fly swat, I have found this distracts them, then with the other hand SWAT.

Nick, Liverpool, England

To me this suggests a double swipe be employed, using two swatters. One from behind (the dummy) and one in front (the real weapon).

A method I have used is cling film or kitchen towel. If you approach the target slowly then it won't buzz off.

Gillette shaving foam makes a good immobilising spray.

Thomas, Bristol,

Tie together a couple of elastic bands, hole in one hand and stretch like a catapult and...ping!!! very fast and accurate after a few practice goes. The flies don't know what hit them!

Drew, woodbridge, uk

I find that whipping a tea towel at the fly almost always hits and kills it. The tea towel can move faster than a newspaper and covers more area. Obviously you need to wash the tea towel afterwards...

Tim, Exeter, England

This is just common sense! Who needs a study!

jennifer brown, abu dhabi, uae

Come on. What is wrong in killing a fly? Some people hunt for ducks, other people hunt for flies. It is just a sport, you do it for fun. If you just want to get rid of flies you should rather use some spray.

Philip, West Vancouver, Canada

I find that an almost foolproof way to swat a fly is to clap your hands in the air just above where the fly is walking. The fly invariably jumps off the wall/counter straight into your clapping hands.

A good hand wash is needed afterwards of course!

Leah Prince, Hants,

While the calculations may be noteworthy, they by definition can't be "extraoridinary" - if they were, flies would have died out!

The least messy solution is to shut the kitchen door, depriving the fly of food. When you come down the next morning, it will just be dead on the window sill.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

Set your hand ready for a flicking action and when the fly is just sitting, approach it from any direction and then release your flick, obviously within your flicking range, it is gauranteed to make contact, putting the fly in a daze then simply trod on it or hit it with something else. Game over!

Nick, Newcastle,

I found an effective way to kill all baby flies(seem to come out of banana peel!)When i open the lid of recycling bin in kitchen,a swarm of baby flies come out.SO I WET MY HANDS AND SWAT THEM ALL...THEY ARE NOT FAST ENOUGH THEN.maybe they can't hear the movement due 2 wet hands.SANDRINE,CORK Ireland

sandrine THORPE, CORK, IRELAND

Use two swatters coming from different directions. A fly hesitates when facing simultaneous nemeses.

Richard, Wokingham,

My technique is to slowly and smoothly advance on said fly with swatter of your choice and crush (no sudden swatting). The fly's perception is around 10 times quickler than humans hence they normally have time to react to quick movement. They don't always register the slower movement.

Sean Langstone, Bridgend, UK

Exactly, Brian from Stafford! Why the need to kill, except for enjoyment? They can be easily guided with a wave of an arm towards an exit. It's probably less hassle too.

Thomas, London,

This method never fails: hold the swatter handle with one hand then, with your other hand, pull the neck back away from the fly and release. The spring action is too quick for the fly and you are guaranteed an accurate swat.

Paul, Blackpool,

I have realised after successfully swatting thousands of flies why the fly swatter is better than using a rolled up newpaper.It is because a fly can still see through a flyswatter's mesh/lattice work and does not rate it as serious a threat as a rolled up newspaper ,which cuts out the light.

robert john, coimbatore, india

Never try to hit the fly directly where it sits. Simply clap hands together about 5 cm above where the fly positioned. It flies into the path of the hands as it can only judge the threat from one direction. Always works for me. Oh yes, have soap to hand for washing afterwards!

David, Brussels,

There's another one: make circles with your hands around a sitting fly, slowly approaching with each move - the fly becomes so disoriented, it can be easily clapped when it tries to get off.

pats, Samara, Russia

I would NEVER swat a fly with a copy of The Times!

Les H, Zhangzhou, China

Just swing the newspaper harder.

Dan, Nottingham, UK

So why swat the fly? why not just guide it where you want it, e.g. out an open window?

Brian, Stafford,

A barfly showed me how to squish flies. A fly was on the bar. He extended the first 3 fingers of his right hand, with his left hand holding the 2nd finger up like a cocked trigger. He slowly advanced on the fly until he had the 1st and 3rd fingers either side of it. Then thwack with the 2nd finger!

Bryan Divall, Singapore, Singapore

You actually need a study into this ?
That is why fly spray was invented. They never see that coming before it is too late.

Keithw, Wirral, UK

What works for me is placing my left hand in front of the fly at some distance and by moving my fingers I keep her focused on the danger in front of her, poor thing, she never sees the magazine coming from behind and landing on top of her........

Nick, Athens, Greece

My brother taught me a neat trick and it really works. Blow gently on the fly from it's rear as you get ready to strike and keep blowing. The fly will instinctively grip tighter - you will see this. Keep blowing as you bring the newspaper down. Not a guaranteed hit, but definitely better odds.

Michael Man, Hong Kong, China

Dr Dickinson talks of "taking off when they see an object hurtling towards them ........". Rather than a visual threat, my experience is that the threat is in the form of wind-pressure. The best fly-swats are based on an open (mesh) design. This causes no great air pressure build-up.

Ron Durham, Auckland, NZ