Cheeky Thing

We have spray, fly tape (with 12 dead flies in 48 hours), and various swatters. OK, so I'm slightly obsessed. My four-year-old gives the following instructions: "To kill a fly you have to sneak up on it and tap it gently with a fly swatter to injure it. Then you tap it hardly (sic) with a fly swatter to kill it!"

The six-year-old has ways of killing them too: "First, I want to give some tips on when it is time to kill a fly or when it is not. 1) Do not bring fly swatters to the dinner table and try to swat flys. 2) When you see a fly landing in a smooth place that does not have too many things close together then it is time to swat it. Hardly first, then put it in the rubbish bin (NZ lingo for garbage can). And do not use poison on flies if you don't think that poison will kill that fly right away!"

By the way, note the brand name on the fly poison. Pam's makes everything in NZ. Jam, peanutbutter, ice cream, kitchenware, electronics, gardening, liquor, etc etc. One of the teacher's at Miss B's school said it is the first word children in NZ learn to read.