Recently I've had a fly problem in this house because it hadn't rained for the longest time.

 

When it did rain however, a bunch of flies decided to move in and live in the house.

 

The first few days I had problems swatting them with the fly swatter and decided to just give up.

 

About three days ago I began to pick up catching flies by hand. Once they land I'll try and grab them. The first day I did this, I sucked.

 

Now I'm on the fourth day or so and I'm catching flies with lightning quick speed.

 

A fly may land on my head and BAM! i'll grab that sucker in about half a second.

 

How come my body was able to create such lightning quick moves in such a short period of time? It's only been four days or so.

erm... Practice makes perfect???

 

or at least competent in this case.

Maybe the flies were slowing down. Was the weather getting warmer and more humid around day four?

it is easier if they are in the air. i know they get slower when it is cold.

How come my body was able to create such lightning quick moves in such a short period of time? It's only been four days or so.

Your speed has improved slightly, but your anticipation of their moves has increased dramatically. It's part practice, part figuring out subconsciously which way they're going to go.

 

What are you doing with the ones you catch? This could solve your protein problems.

i have some ideas for you from my younger years if your interested...

 

my old school had a big fly problem and not a lot of entertainment. i think our record was catching 4 at once.

Practice and experience...

Mmm. I've caught flies with my hands since I was quite young. They are not fast at all, they are quite ponderously slow. The trick is in not disturbing the air too much when you grab for them.

also you`ll note that flies take off Backwards! so swooping from the front is daft, catch them from behind

If you move towards them very slowly and with a bit of a side to side motion, you can get to almost touch them before they will move. I think with their brains working so fast they just don't notice untill you are very close.

It might also have to do with your muscles re-organizing themselves in the face of this new kind of exercise. Your muscles have 3 types of fibers: fast-twitch (fast but low endurance), slow-twitch (slow but high endurance) and intermediate. Focusing on a particular type of exercise can alter the ratios. I suspect, along with your newfound speed, that you won't be able to hold a 4 lb weigh aloft for as long as before. And if you train to regain your endurance at that, your speed will go down.

 

Mokele

I thought the ratio of fast:slow muscle fibres was primarily genetic. No?

Primarily, but it can be altered by exercise. To what extent it can be altered might also be genetic.

Clapping your hands together about 3 inches above and behind usually gets them.

Did you drink my beaker of green liquid that I left on the bench top, it is missing?

Clapping your hands together about 3 inches above and behind usually gets them.

This is very true. My friend showed me this trick a long time ago. I guess flies have this instinct to fly straight up to avoid danger.

Were you by any chance bitten by a radioactive spider?