[neilep (OP)]

Justy, my Mayo mate.....can you tell me exactly what fly spray does to a fly ?...(and silver fish too)....I'm not a sadist but certainly do not have a kinship with said flies when they land on my din dins or jam/jelly sarnie...so, often a quick spray of Happy Spray (Unhappy Spray for the fly) generally puts a smile on my face and a frown on Flys face......That's assuming all attempts to splat fly with rolled up paper or badminton racquet has failed.

but poor little fly really hates it and goes mad and flys into things and then collapses and 'quits the earth'......I tend to put the little guys out of their misery , but for many a year I have wondered what exactly is happenning to nasty fly...it must be an awful way to go.....I don't know if this is a question for the chemistry or biology forums and hope that it will 'placed' accordingly. Thank you in optimistic anticipation of a fruitful reply. Ta

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[MayoFlyFarmer]

It totally depends on the type of spray you are using.  I know a lot of them are neuro-toxins.  I'm sure many others work in other ways too...not as much my area of experteese (nor is spelling) as you would think it is.  I use 95% alchohol to kill them at work.  It dehydrates them so fast they're dead in a few seconds (fun to watch em squirm though).  Or else I just put them in the freezer...I'm sure thats great fun for them (actually they probably don't evenm realize whats going on.)

Lift your skinny fists, like antennas to hevan!

[neilep (OP)]

....Wow...death by alcohol or death by ice......I'll never drink another vodka on the rocks in the same light again !!..well..actually I don't drink anyway but thought I'd make that silly remark as it fitted.....what do you do Just ?...do you offer to by them a beer or something

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[tweener]

A lot of photographers recommend cooling insects (and reptiles) in the freezer prior to shooting their pictures.  When cold, they just sit and don't move - good for the photographer.  If you haven't overdone it, they come back to life in a few minutes.

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[neilep (OP)]

Actually John and Justy...that reminds me of when i saw a magician apparantley bring a dead fly back to life....he had cooled it in the freezer for a while and the warmth of his hand performed a miracle !!!...the spectators were aghast at the dead fly arouse to life and then buzz off !!........cheers !!!

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[chris]

Fly spray contains chemicals (including many organophosphate compounds) that bind to and permanently block the action of an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase.

Acetyl choline (ACh) is the nerve transmitter substance released by motor neurones (at a site called the neuromuscular junction) to stimulate muscle contraction.

The muscles relax (stops contracting) when the ACh is removed from the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) by the action of acetylcholinesterase.

By inhibiting the cholinesterase the fly can no longer break down ACh in the NMJ and so its muscles lock up in a state of tetany (continuous contraction) making flying and respiration impossible.

The South American indians used a similar approach to kill animals for food using poison-tipped blow-darts. They discovered the natural chemical curare which blocks the sites on the muscles where ACh usually locks on to activate muscle contraction. Because the ACh cannot activate the muscle the individual becomes paralysed and can then easily be trapped and butchered.

The toxin poses no threat to the people who eat the food because it is denatured (detroyed) by cooking and digestion.

Anaesthetists still use the same class of agents today (drugs including tubocurarine, atrocurium, cis-atrocurium and pancuronium) to paralyse patients during surgery.

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[MayoFlyFarmer]

It totally depends on the type of spray you are using.  I know a lot of them are neuro-toxins.  I'm sure many others work in other ways too...not as much my area of experteese (nor is spelling) as you would think it is.  I use 95% alchohol to kill them at work.  It dehydrates them so fast they're dead in a few seconds (fun to watch em squirm though).  Or else I just put them in the freezer...I'm sure thats great fun for them (actually they probably don't evenm realize whats going on.)

Lift your skinny fists, like antennas to hevan!

[neilep (OP)]

....Wow...death by alcohol or death by ice......I'll never drink another vodka on the rocks in the same light again !!..well..actually I don't drink anyway but thought I'd make that silly remark as it fitted.....what do you do Just ?...do you offer to by them a beer or something

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[tweener]

A lot of photographers recommend cooling insects (and reptiles) in the freezer prior to shooting their pictures.  When cold, they just sit and don't move - good for the photographer.  If you haven't overdone it, they come back to life in a few minutes.

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[neilep (OP)]

Actually John and Justy...that reminds me of when i saw a magician apparantley bring a dead fly back to life....he had cooled it in the freezer for a while and the warmth of his hand performed a miracle !!!...the spectators were aghast at the dead fly arouse to life and then buzz off !!........cheers !!!

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[chris]

Fly spray contains chemicals (including many organophosphate compounds) that bind to and permanently block the action of an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase.

Acetyl choline (ACh) is the nerve transmitter substance released by motor neurones (at a site called the neuromuscular junction) to stimulate muscle contraction.

The muscles relax (stops contracting) when the ACh is removed from the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) by the action of acetylcholinesterase.

By inhibiting the cholinesterase the fly can no longer break down ACh in the NMJ and so its muscles lock up in a state of tetany (continuous contraction) making flying and respiration impossible.

The South American indians used a similar approach to kill animals for food using poison-tipped blow-darts. They discovered the natural chemical curare which blocks the sites on the muscles where ACh usually locks on to activate muscle contraction. Because the ACh cannot activate the muscle the individual becomes paralysed and can then easily be trapped and butchered.

The toxin poses no threat to the people who eat the food because it is denatured (detroyed) by cooking and digestion.

Anaesthetists still use the same class of agents today (drugs including tubocurarine, atrocurium, cis-atrocurium and pancuronium) to paralyse patients during surgery.

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[neilep (OP)]

Phew !!..Thanks Chris.....I don't believe in Reincarnation but if I did, I would not want to come back as a fly in the testing lab of a fly spray factory !!

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[bezoar]

All I remember was the patients in the ER who drank organophosphates in a suicide attempt.  Those were the worst.  We had to gown and glove, burn all the clothes, and boy, did they stink.  The whole ER would smell like pesticide.

[neilep (OP)]

Nancy.....you're incredible you are !!..I just don't think I could do what you do...it must really be a labour of love eh?

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'

[MayoFlyFarmer]

As if the fact that you're commiting suicide wasn't evidence enough that you're crazy.... drinking organo-phosphates??!!  [xx(]

Lift your skinny fists, like antennas to hevan!