For the album by Blink-182, see Flyswatter (album).

A flyswatter is hand-held device for swatting flies and other insects. Flies have been bothering people for a very long time, and flyswatters have undoubtedly been around just as long. In fact, flyswatters may very well have been one of the first tools. Tools are, after all, extensions of the hand; an open hand works as a flyswatter, but various other things (for example, a rolled newspaper) work somewhat better.

The modern flyswatter usually consists of a small square (about 4 inches or 10 cm across) of lightweight, flexible, vented material, usually rubber or plastic, attached to a lightweight wire or plastic handle about 2 feet long. The venting allows the flyswatter to move more quickly through the air, making it easier to hit a fast-moving target such as a fly. The venting also allows the flyswatter to get closer to the fly before it is detected, as flies can sense the change in air pressure caused by an approaching solid object. With the vents in it, the flyswatter usually gets close enough to the fly that when it is finally detected by the fly's pressure-sense or its eyes, it is too late for the fly to escape.