Flyswatter

A fly-killing device is used for pest control of flying insects, such as houseflies, wasps, moths, gnats, and mosquitos. Most such devices are lethal to insects, but some designs (such as certain bug vacuums) can be used for live capture and later release.

A flyswatter (or fly swatter) usually consists of a small rectangular or round sheet (some 4 inches (10 cm) across) of lightweight, flexible, vented material (usually thin metallic, rubber, or plastic mesh), attached to a lightweight wire or plastic handle about 1 foot (0.30 m) to 2 feet (0.61 m) long. The venting or perforations minimize the disruption of air currents, which can be detected by the fly and allow it to escape, and also reduce air resistance, making it easier to hit a fast-moving target such as a fly.

A flyswatter is ideally lightweight and stiff, allowing quick acceleration to overcome the fast reaction time of the fly, while also minimizing damage caused by hitting other objects. The flyswatter usually works by mechanically crushing the fly against a hard surface, after the user has waited for the fly to land somewhere. However, some skilled users can injure or stun an airborne insect in mid-flight by whipping the swatter through the air at an extreme speed.

The abeyance of insects by use of short horsetail staffs and fans is ancient. The earliest flyswatters were in fact nothing more than some sort of striking surface attached to the end of a long stick. An early patent on a commercial flyswatter was issued in 1900 to Robert R. Montgomery who called it a fly-killer. Montgomery sold his patent to John L. Bennett, a wealthy inventor and an industrialist who made further improvements on the design.

However, the origin of the name "flyswatter" does not come from its inventors. In the summer of 1905, Kansas was plagued by an overabundance of flies, which as well as causing annoyance, aided in the spread of communicable disease. Dr. Samuel Crumbine, a member of the Kansas board of health, wanted to raise public awareness of the threat of flies. He was inspired by a chant at a local Topeka softball game: "swat the ball". In a health bulletin published soon afterwards, he exhorted Kansans to "swat the fly". In response, a schoolteacher named Frank H. Rose created the "fly bat", a device consisting of a yardstick attached to a piece of screen. Crumbine had named the device now commonly known as the flyswatter.

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Wikipedia