Summer Mosquitoes

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  • #8087
    Avatar photoElias
    Participant

    This is the 2nd flat I’ve lived in without A/C and thankfully it isn’t “four furnaces” weather yet but I know it is around the corner. Naturally we leave our windows open all the time and there always seem to be just one mosquito bugging me to death at bedtime.

    Now I’m a rural kid from New England who spent spring months taking down storm windows and measuring window frames for fitted farm-style screens. HOWEVER we all know that very very few apartments/buildings have window screens in China.

    So what are some strategies (other than cigarette smoke and funky incense) to keep the bugs at bay? Has anyone installed screens? And no ball-busting from you A/C slaves, we all appreciate your copious contributions to global warming 😉

    #12283
    Avatar photoMatt
    Member

    You could get a bug zapper at a corner hardware store (五金店). Aside from that and closing the window, I don’t think you have many options.

    #12285
    Avatar photoBen
    Moderator

    Screens are quite cheap and can be installed on even the thinnest windowsill or possibly attached to an existing window frame. Try asking your landlord? The landlord at my last place installed them for me on request.

    #12286
    Avatar photoElias
    Participant

    Those things freak me out. Maybe I could buy a mosquito net, cut it into a rectangle and duct tape it over the window.

    #12287
    Avatar photoElias
    Participant

    Ah I replied just as you wrote that Ben. Yeah, I think I’ll look into that rather than mindlessly pursue an arts and crafts project.

    #12289
    Avatar photoCharlie
    Keymaster

    Duct taping mosquito net to your window frame isn’t the most elegant solution. I guess it beats getting eaten alive in bed though. You could also hang a mosquito net over your bed, SE Asia style.

    #12291
    Avatar photoRay
    Participant

    Man, i find that that green “toilet water” in the supermarkets works well (i think its citronella). Just dab a little on and the mozzies leave me alone. OH yeah, smells good too!

    #12293
    Avatar photoElias
    Participant

    SEA style w00t:

    “Hey Baby I live in Tongzilin, wanna climb under my mosquito net?”

    @kuma you sure that isn’t toxic?

    Thinking of going the screen installation route

    #12294
    Avatar photoCharlie
    Keymaster

    Toilet water can’t be good for you.

    #12296
    Avatar photoshinichi
    Participant

    Maybe you can consider the 好又多 Supermarket to buy a mosquito net bed.

    I like to use the “彩虹” (Rainbow) repellent liquid, plug in to use, the liquid evaporates.

    #12315
    Avatar photoRay
    Participant

    Oh, I don’t mean its really toilet water, its just the english translation that says toilet water. Its a green bottle with a mosquito on it. Pretty sure its got some citronella in it. The little electric machines, with the replaceable bottles use the same stuff (yeah, the one Shinichi mentions). I find this little gizmo works really well. Damn, I aint the cleanest cat around, but i wouldnt use real toilet water!

    Mozzies aint my problem right now, its flies! Any solutions for flies? No disgusting fly paper please!

    #12321
    Avatar photoshinichi
    Participant

    To deal flies the electric,most severely is electric Beat “电蚊拍”, I hate this thing, because it will hear flies’s burst of the sound ~ ~ `

    #12322
    Avatar photoYe Ming
    Participant

    Haha the ‘toilet water’ works well for me aswell but not that long tho, and the smell is really strong, i dont like it :P. as far as flies are concerned i think you should keep your food covered and dont leave so much sweetened stuff open. If they keep coming in, show them your deadliest backhand/forehand with the electric tennisracket…

    #12323
    Avatar photoRay
    Participant

    @Shinichi: the “electric Beat” sounds awesome! I gotta get one of those things! The sound of exploding flies will be music to my ears!

    #12326
    Avatar photoshinichi
    Participant

    ha ha! “Electric Beat”. Do not get Kuma!

    #12364
    Avatar photoBrendan
    Moderator

    Here’s a tip you’ll dig…

    Get an essence oil burner (cheap as chips), and burn a little Tee Tee oil in your bedroom. I got absolutely mauled for a few days, and it drove me insane. Once I burnt the Tea Tree oil, those little fuckers were gone.

    They’re attracted to heat/humidity/carbon dioxide, so even burning a candle would keep them away from you.

    As a bonus, if you rub Tee Tree oil onto a bite it will ease the irritation, and speed healing.

    Mosquitos potentially carry a grab bag of diseases, so it’s best to deal with them asap.

    #12379
    Avatar photoRay
    Participant

    @HZ: where do you get tea tree oil here? Anybody know the Chinese translation? Funny, but on a Tv show here i saw a guy do something interesting: he diluted vitamin B1 tablets in water, then placed it in a spray bottle and sprayed it on his skin, as a home-made mosquito repellent. Gotta do more research into this….

    #12387
    Avatar photoBrendan
    Moderator

    Luckily I has some with me, but I’m sure it must be available in a pharmacy, or even a spa (as an essential oil).

    If I find any I’ll post on here. Let us know if you turn anything up yourself.

    #12393
    Avatar photoElias
    Participant

    Tea Tree oil is great stuff, it is great for body piercing healing and I really like the “Australian plantation” toothpicks, numby-minty deliciousness will have you knawing away for hours.

    So you can get those essential oil burners? Like the hippie style ones with an open wick on the bottom and a metal bowl to hold oil? Funky stuff.

    I’m embarrassed to admit that there were actually screens on most of my windows, just many were hard to pull out or broken. I bought one of those plug in smelly paper gizmos. I can’t imagine the scent is very healthy nor do I like to think of how much trash it produces because of those single-use synthetic pads!

    #12399
    Avatar photoBen
    Moderator

    Those synthetic pads are a waste. You should get yourself one of the plug-in ones that has a glass bottle full of repellent with a heating element inside. They last for ages, assuming you remember to turn it off in the morning. I’m still using the same one as last year.

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