People are Hanging Bags of Pennies From Their Porch (And We Might Just Join Them)

Several Southern customs are puzzling to foreigners. These can range from one-off occurrences (like purity balls) to deeply ingrained social mores (looking at Southern hospitality). Ziploc pouches filled with coins and water hung from people’s porches would be an even more baffling sight to tourists wandering Georgia or Kentucky streets in the heat. 

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you encounter anything out of the ordinary? It’s only natural for us to be curious, right?

The lady who looked at it recalls that each bag had four coins and was half-filled with water and securely zipped up. They weren’t used to seeing anything like that, so it was strange for them.

At this time, the companions were unaware of the fact that this phenomenon is actually one that occurs rather frequently, particularly in the southern regions of the United States.

When devout individuals in ancient Europe came to the conclusion that their gods were angry with them for some reason, they made it a practice to present sacrifices to the gods in their belief system.

We all want to believe that the pennies that we throw into fountains are holy (come on, we used our one wish on that!), but little did we realize that it goes that these cast coins can actually function as major money-makers. 

This well-known attraction attracts a lot of tourists, and every day it gathers up to an amount of $4,500 in pennies. To put it another way, it’s like a piggy bank!

It turns out that a single Facebook post on a group known as “Hinch Army Cleaning Tips,” which is full of fans dedicated to an Instagram character named Sophie Hinchcliffe, was all it took for the peculiar trend to become widely used.

You might be wondering what on earth these bags, full of water and four cents, have anything to do with cleaning. The fact of the matter is that everything can be traced all the way back to an issue that isn’t specific to the South in and of itself but which is nonetheless extremely prevalent in that region. 

Anyone who has spent even a single summer day below the Mason-Dixon border understands that the temperature can be quite severe at times–this is common knowledge.

There’s really no problem with it, is there? Unfortunately, for those who are in the know, the answer is that there actually is. You must understand that getting some relief from the scorching sun is essential, yet even something as straightforward as opening a window might have unintended repercussions.

We are all aware that no one likes having house flies about, but these insects are more dangerous than merely unpleasant or annoying. They may also bring a variety of infectious diseases, a few of which (including cholera or tuberculosis) have the potential to be fatal. 

Because they are just about a third of an inch in size on average, these annoying bugs are quite adept at sneaking into areas where they are not supposed to be, such as behind window screens and within cupboards.

The woman and her friend asked the waiter about the bags, and the waiter gave them a straightforward response, “The owner told us that these baggies kept the flies away naturally.” The restaurant guests had no idea what to make of this concept, as the contents of the bags were just ordinary.

Indeed, it appeared that the bag performed flawlessly in its intended function! The friends said they actually saw some flies enter the room through the open window, land on the ledge, and then leave again. The dining area was completely free of flying insects. The guests, who had just finished their meal, were astounded by what they found. But how exactly does the strange trick work?

“Flies don’t like water, and they don’t like the colors given off from the pennies. Flies have compound eyes, so the bags look like a giant body of water to them. Therefore, they leave,” said the individual who first reported the hack online. 

When placed in water, the pennies provide the illusion of being much, much larger than they actually are, which is supported by the fact that flies have extremely large eyes in comparison to the size of their bodies.

“Given that flies have a lot of eyes, to them it’s like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner, ” one internet commenter explained. He added, “When you figure that flies are prey for many other bugs, animals, birds, et cetera, they simply won’t take the risk of being around that much-perceived action.” 

There are a lot of folks in the South as well as in other places with climates that are similar to the South who swear that, from time to time, the tactic is effective. One person who has camped in a horse trailer said, “The flies were bad while I was camping,” he added, “I put the baggies with pennies above the door. Not one fly came into the trailer.”