Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes usually stick to the wall area. So you’d better stay away from the wall when you sleep. They detect humans by lactic acid and CO2 which secreted from secretors. People with high temperatures can easily be targets to mosquitoes. As you swing your arm to drive away the mosquito they are more attracted to you because of the heat from your body. It’s better to take a shower before you go to bed, but be careful not to use a soap containing a strong scent because this will attract more mosquitoes.
They distinguish color by light and shade and they like dark colors. Pastel colors are a good choice for your pajamas. Remember that chemical sprays which kill mosquitoes are harmful to your health. You can use nature aroma sprays which have an insect resistance effect, or use a trap which lures mosquitoes by using CO2.
Aroma Spray Recipe
Ingredients: distilled water, ethanol and essential herb oil.
1. Fill a spray with 45ml of distilled water, 5ml of ethanol and 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (citronella, geranium, cypress).
2. Shake it.
3. Spray it around your bed.
Mosquito Trap
Ingredients: brown sugar, baking powder, water and a plastic bottle.
1. Dissolve two spoons of brown sugar in lukewarm water.
2. Put two spoons of baking powder in the solution.
3. Cut off 1/3 of plastic bottle.
4. Fill the solution in the 2/3 of the bottle.
5. Fit the 1/3 of the bottle upside down to the other part of the bottle.
6. Rap up with black paper.
There is a more primitive way. Buy a Pelargonium citrosum planted in a vase at a flower shop and place it near your bed. Pelargonium citrosum is also called a ‘mosquito plant’ in the America. It flowers pink blossoms from late spring to summer. Its stems and leaves smell like peppermint which help to drive away mosquitoes.
Lastly, surrounding your bed with a mosquito net is the definite way to protect yourself from mosquito’s bites. It just physically disables mosquitoes from reaching you. Generally, they cost about 5000 Won.
With these efforts described above, it’s impossible to get bitten by mosquitoes when you sleep. But there is always an exception. If you get bitten, don’t put spit on the bite because saliva in your mouth contains 1 hundred million germs per 1ml... like a staphylococcus, instead wash it and relieve fever with an ice bag to restrain the circulation of the blood.
Flies
The fly is a carrier of infectious diseases such as typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, tuberculosis, leprosy, etc. And it’s also an annoying creature. Probably you’ve already seen that transparent vinyl hung on the ceiling filled with water. It’s really an effective way to drive away flies and other winged insects because it reflection appears as much bigger figure and it really scares them. Also, don’t forget to remove leftover foods as fast as possible, and you can also make a trap as described below.
Fly Trap
Ingredients: clear strained rice wine, vinegar, sugar and a plastic bottle.
1. Fill a cup of clear strained rice wine, half cup of vinegar and two spoons of sugar in a plastic bottle.
2. Mix it.
3. Make 3cm holes around top of the bottle.
4. Place it where flies appear often.
In addition, rapping a silver paper on the window frame can drive away flies by reflecting bright light.
Ants
Pharaoh ants are major indoor nuisance pest. Color range from yellow to red. They feed on a wide variety of foods including honey, shortening, fruit juices, soft drinks, greases and even dead insects. The ants in your kitchen will invade some left over food at night contaminating foods. You can kill them using boric acid. Following is a recipe.
Boric Acid Bug Ball
Ingredients: boric acid, potato, egg and sugar
1. Buy some boric acid at nearby pharmacy.
2. Boil potato and egg.
3. Mix potato, egg yolk and sugar.
4. Make small dough balls bigger than bean.
5. Place them on corners of your room.
But it has been told that this method is inefficient for species like ants. As queen ant lays more eggs to fill up vacancy. You can choose other way. Put things that hated by ants on ants’ path. That will prevent them from entering your room.
Things Which Ants Hate
1. Petroleum
2. Red pepper powder
3. Salt
4. Gingko nut
5. Mint
6. Wormwood
For your refreshing summer, try these methods described above. Maintaining your room clean and neat is necessary to prevent breeding of bugs. Also, you can create your own homemade solutions for the elimination of vermin. Be bug free!
Jeong Yu-bin Reporter
qls0325@uos.ac.kr