Pensioner Blows Up House With Electric Fly Swatter

In a bid to get rid of the blighter once and for all, he grabbed his electric fly swatter and went for it.

However, the man was unaware that a gas cylinder was leaking, and when he turned the swatter on and swang for the fly, the electricity reacted with the gas and caused a spark.

The explosion blew a hole through his roof and destroyed his kitchen.

Fortunately, the man escaped with a few burns and was taken to hospital in Libourne where he was treated.

"The very hot zapper ignited the gas, causing a sudden explosion.

"The man was lucky to get away with a burned hand after diving on the floor, but the kitchen was destroyed along with part of the roof."

It's also understood that the man was not allowed to return to the house, and is staying on a campsite while the property is repaired.

This isn't the only time a seemingly simple confrontation with a bug has gone awry.

Firefighters said the man was trying to kill black widow spiders in the house and picked up a blowtorch.

In total, 29 firefighters were called out to deal with the fire.

Fortunately, he was able to make it out of the property safely and no one else was in the house at the time. The fate of the spiders is not known, but it's not looking good.

If you're a fellow arachnophobe, you might not be surprised to learn that this isn't an entirely uncommon occurence.