Removing Thunderflies from your monitor screen

aforumusernameforoc · 19 Jul 2017 at 09:59

I had this problem with my few months old XB321HK yesterday. It started with a few walking on the outside during the day. I kept carefully pinching them off the screen with a tissue. But it wasn't long before I tried getting one only to find it was actually inside the screen. It looked pixellated and deeper than the image displayed on the screen. It seemed to follow my mouse cursor (maybe I imagined) and walked back off the screen. So I turned off the monitor and came back a while later hoping never to have that happen again in case it dies in there. Yesterday then, one appeared in the middle of the screen and was not moving. Great.

I tried tapping the edges of the monitor and it did move around, but it was staying in the same position on the monitor, just its orientation was changing. At one point it ended up lengthways, so only looked like a dot head-on. But still wasn't happy.

Couldn't find any of these suction cup things even though I know we have loads of them. And was worried that leaving it there it might leak fluid or something and never come out. It was nearer the top of the screen, so I took the monitor off the stand and held it upright but upside down on a bed (actually I needed an extra pair of hands to hold it upright, and I had to plug it into a laptop so I could see the bug). Then tried tapping the screen close to where it was with a lens cleaning cloth. It changed orientation a little again, but there was no sign of it moving towards the exit.

So had to look for alternatives to the suction cups, and found a packet of these in my desk drawer:

http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/pos...sers-Pack?N=4327+3294529207+3294647206&rt=rud

Attaching one of these to the screen near the thunderfly and gently pulling while tapping the screen above the bug very quickly worked. Got it right to the edge where it was barely visible, but then it didn't want to go any further. So had to resort to "tapping" the edges of the bezel, but it did get it out. Was worried it might drop back in when I put the monitor the right way round, but so far it hasn't. It was a really frustrating job, but so glad not to have to look at it stuck there today. I did have the screen tilted slightly when doing this, not knowing what the inside of the screen looks like, I am not sure if it helped or not. I had the screen upside down, so the actual bottom of the screen I had closer to me than the actual top if that makes any sense, about 30 degrees, so that if it would fall onto the screen rather than the backlight if freed.

antijoke · 19 Jul 2017 at 10:24

I tried the custion cup method but it didn't work for me at all.

:/

cadmunkey · 21 Jul 2017 at 10:40

Just seen this thread whilst browsing what new monitor to buy! My pet insect has been crawling around inside my screen for just over a week and he decided to die near the centre of it. Suction cup method hasnt worked at all, hes firmly wedged in there. Sent Iiyama a service request to see if they can do something but if not I'm scrapping the monitor as its driving me nuts staring at his corpse all day.
Its a 40" 4k screen so not cheap to replace at the moment, monitor prices seem crazy!

cadmunkey · 16 Aug 2017 at 17:10

Thought I would come on here and give props to Iiyamas great support. Emailed them about my monitor having a trapped fly in it and asked if they could help me out and repair it, or give me a quote. Next day they picked it up free of charge and said they would have it fixed within 7-10 days. Anyway 2 weeks went by and they emailed to apologise as it would need a new panel and they had non in stock due to a recent shortage. I didn't mind too much as luckily I have a spare smaller monitor to keep me going. Anyway they have emailed me again today (3 weeks later) to say the panels are still out of stock still so they are shipping me a brand new monitor free of charge tomorrow as an apology. Well chuffed, and a big shout out to Iiyama's great support!

opethdisciple · 16 Aug 2017 at 20:33

Why are these bugs attracted to monitors?

cadmunkey · 16 Aug 2017 at 20:50

opethdisciple said:
Why are these bugs attracted to monitors?

Blue light apparently.

Tiny Clanger · 27 Aug 2017 at 20:20

Had this happen to me for the first time ever last week, and searching t'internet I found this thread. I used aforumnameforoc's tip with post-it notes (the extra sticky variety) and it worked a treat - annoying thunderfly banised to the bottom of the screen

tyler_jrb · 29 Aug 2017 at 17:06

Had quite a few of them in my panels before (lucky none this year).

As soon as it's the season I just shut my windows for a few weeks (when the suns out).

Tip for those with Asus panels. They do recognise it as a fault so will replace a panel under warranty if it still is. Have done so twice with my rog swifts.

Suction cup has worked for me before as well as I have stripped my sisters monitor down before which was easier than expected and just wiped the bug away with a microfibre from between the layers.

lettuce · 2 Jul 2018 at 18:55

Just noticed one on my ASUS Rog Swift last night walking about under the screen no cares in the world come home today and it appears to be dead now about half way up the screen and about an inch away from the left side. Managed to get it to drop by using the suction cup method and tapping the top of the monitor but now it seems to be stuck about an inch from the bottom :mad:

.

Im wondering as the monitors been on for a good few hours the screen space probably has expanded slightly so maybe over night with the monitor turned of the space would contract an maybe allow the blighter to drop the last inch!?

cadmunkey · 2 Jul 2018 at 22:20

Arrrghhh same here. Stuck in top middle third. FML!

Craterloads · 3 Jul 2018 at 22:59

On my iiyama screen which had 3 stuck inside the screen i had to take it apart. Then separate the backlight panel and the LCD screen and wipe them away. One which i squished has left a small brownish stain which wont come off. Still a lot better than before.

So dont squish them and if you do take it apart kind of needs to be a dust free environment as anything infront of the backlighht will show through.

Now on my asus gsync monitor i also have 3 of the buggers to deal with, will try suction cup first and if no luck will have to take that apart too!

Panos · 4 Jul 2018 at 05:09

Since I had lost already two monitors in this house, there is solution following religiously the last 7 years.

a) If you see Thrips out on the window, don't open the window.
b) use vinyl blinds to stop the rooms becoming green houses.
c) afternoon (around 18:00) when Thrips are gone, open windows then. In the mean time get some fans
d) pray for rain.

varkanoid · 4 Jul 2018 at 12:50

I saw one in my monitor two nights ago crawling about. I thought too OMG it was crawling near the top. Then I did some gaming and forgot about it. Just seen this thread reminds me I need to check if its gone, although I didnt notice it last night.

The sucker method mentioned earlier in this thread might work.

antijoke · 4 Jul 2018 at 12:53

As if it has been 1 year already!

The dead ******* is still there.

cadmunkey · 4 Jul 2018 at 17:43

Craterloads said:
On my iiyama screen which had 3 stuck inside the screen i had to take it apart. Then separate the backlight panel and the LCD screen and wipe them away. One which i squished has left a small brownish stain which wont come off. Still a lot better than before.

interesting, Iiyama told me its a sealed panel so cant be taken apart, its a replacement or nothing basically. Anyway I've emailed them again but as my original warranty is now up I suspect they will tell me they cant help which is fair enough. Cant expect a new monitor everytime this happens, but I'd like them to try make them bug proof!
I may have a go at taking the panel apart depending on their answer.

tomnewdelhi · 19 Jul 2018 at 19:33

Thought I'd jump in on this. I joined the cloud yesterday noticed one sat bang on dead centre of my Asus rog pg278qr. Been in contact with Asus as the screen is only 6 months old. I told them it was dead pixels but now reading these threads it's more likely these damn bugs!!

Ree · 2 Aug 2018 at 16:26

really wish i never saw this thread a week or so ago, i didn't even think about these bloody things getting in my monitor till i read this and sure enough today for the first time ever i have one walking around behind my monitor as i type this, am not a happy chappy.

crinkleshoes · 2 Aug 2018 at 16:27

Thunderflies and lightning... very very frightening...

a.tunnard · 4 Aug 2018 at 23:45

Its amazing how stubborn they are to even budging a little

Harnser · 23 Aug 2018 at 12:13

Would one of those UV fly killers that butchers shops have work? Something to attract the thunderflies away from the monitor to another source of blue light.