Why Are Iowans Hanging Bags of Pennies Outside Their Homes?

This home remedy to avoid a specific pest seems to be a tried and true method for several Iowans, but does it work?

Summer in Iowa is just about the best thing there is. Whether you're bringing friends and family over for a good bonfire, gathering up the inner tubes for a day on the river, or even relaxing on your porch, enjoying a beautiful Iowa sunset; this time of year is about as good as it gets in the Hawkeye State.

With that being said, this is also the time of year for pests, bugs, in particular. But, according to some Iowans, there's a simple method to keep some of those nuisances away for good.

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How Does a Bag of Pennies in Water Keep Away Flies in the Summer?

According to the Taste of Home Website, many DIY individuals are using this simple hack to keep away those six-legged irritants.

The eyes on a fly are more complicated than human eyes; for flies, Orkin says their eyes are compound, or made up of thousands of individual lenses that are very perceptive to changes in light.

So, when light hits the bag of water filled with shiny pennies (or even pieces of aluminum foil, in some cases), the thought is that it refracts and confuses the insects. Overwhelmed, they fly away and hang around somewhere else.

-Taste of Home Website

In theory, this sounds like a cost-effective and clean way to keep the flies at bay, but does it work? Apparently, it's still up in the air.

According to Snopes (the debunking website), it's been proven to not have any effect on flies whatsoever, however, many people have shared their own success stories online. So, the final verdict, it's worth a shot, right?

To learn more about this home remedy, check out the YouTube video below from Joy Home Remedies.

Story Sources: Taste of Home Website