Mosquitoes and Mosquito Mysteries

I got bitten by one two weeks ago. caught it in the act, dont think its wise to kill it like that. Swollen leg to buggery. But no lasting side effects. They dont carry poison. Well, apart from the obvious.

My perfect partner bought one of those bug zappers and had it turned on in the bedroom while we slept. Well, she slept, i felt like an iguana under a heat lamp all night. No, we didn’t have it on the headboard, but at the foot of the bed. I didn’t get one bite, but I didn’t get any winks either.

My advice, keep the bloody thing outside the bedroom.

I proposed getting a mosquito net, but my (Taiwanese) wife said, “It would look like a big chunk of tofu sitting in the middle of the bedroom. Besides, it’s old-fashioned.”
“Well, you gripe about the mosquitoes,” I said. “Face it: mosquitoes are an old-fashioned problem. And you have an old-fashioned husband. Let’s try it.”
So I took my birthday money from work (less than a thousand NT) and bought a double-bed sized mosquito net. I got the green. Put a few screws in the (wooden) ceiling, and suspended it with thin nylon lines.
Pretty effective; it’s VERY rarely that a lil bugger gets in, and it looks, with its machine-knit star pattern, quaintly romantic.
Two minor down sides: slightly reduced airflow, and slightly less convenient jumping in and out of bed.
Net result: We like it!

Ok. SO I THINK I am being eaten by mosiquitos. I say I think because the little white bumps with redness around them look just like mosquito bites, but this being Taiwan WTF knows.

My bedroom is on the top floor of the building. There are no windows in the bedroom , but there is a skylight airvent for airflow into the apartment. As such, I can’t close the airvent and its the only source of fresh air - go figure.

Well lately I’ve been getting eaten at night. Its not pleasant.

So I bought this anti mosquite smell thing from RT mart. Its a wall socket thing that you plug the little blue chips into or a bottle and it supposedly gives off some scent that tells mosiquitos to go away. I specifically bought this instead of the little electric blue zapper since my taiwanese friend says that the little blue zapper is only good against MALE mosiquitos? :loco: :loco:

So here’s the burning question:

What do I have to do to get rid of the mosquitos? If it is the blue zapper or something else, then how much? I really do suspect it is mosquitos since if I take an afternoon nap, I am not getting bit (e.g. they only come out at night…oh…cue scary music).

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On a side note: I went running around 9:00 p.m. last night, I think I got bit then too. As long as I don’t cool down walk or stretch, if I am doing a moderate pace isn’t that fast enough to stop the little buggers from landing on me?

I swear by the mosquito nets that hang from the ceiling. Also great for having that secure feeling that none of those huge flying roaches are going to join you in the sack without warning.

Mosquito nets are the way to go. Since we have one, we have unbothered mosquito free nights. We got our net from BnQ, simple, cheap and efficient. We put up those sticky hangers from 3M, those hold it well, and you can remove it later without a trace.

I had really big problems when I first came here, but with a plug in scent thingy, and also sealing the gaps round our door a bit better, I haven’t had a problem (in the house) for months now.

I have heard it also has something to do with the food you eat. Anyone?

White walls. Right, seal holes at air condition on windows. Close doors quickly. Only open windows with grills on them. Buy this tennis rack with electrical wires and pick the dead misquito up and kill it.

Use screens and white walls. I find mosquito coils are effective though some people don’t like the smell. A fan and the mosquito rackets are helpful too.

Also have yoru sheets cleaned. Could be bed bugs.

Make sure your roommates all eat a banana before bedtime; mozzies are attracted to people who’ve just eaten a banana.

And a fan works fine, too. Mozzies can’t bear turbulent air.

You can buy one of these cans, add water to it, and fumigate your place. I think it gets rid of mites too.

Then cover the skylight with a mesh screen or even some panty hose.

If nothing can come in, you shouldn’t get bitten…

Yes, they are attracted to people who have eaten bananas and mangos. Can’t remember what else. I found, however, that the mosquito bites in Taiwan are quite mild and the bites/bumps only stay around for a short while. Gets itchy but then it just seems to go away. Maybe it’s different for each person. I know that here in Korea it’s more irritating. I live by the ocean and sit outside quite a bit outsided the supermarket drinking beer. Even bug spray doesn’t seem to work. Only thing that works for me is Deep Woods or Muskol. Coils to me just seem useless What are you going to do? Tape them all over your body. Maybe good inside though.

And Nivea ‘Skin So Soft’ is often lauded as the very best mozzie repellant, even though that’s not what it’s meant for.

It should also be mentioned that the absolute best thing you can do is live in a building that does a good job of fumigation.

How long will that keep mozzies away though?

Skin So Soft is Avon.

I stand corrected. :notworthy:

When I moved in (March) there were a couple mosquitos around and I used coils and stuff to keep them at bay. The landlord told me before I moved in though that they were going to fumigate in a couple of weeks. I haven’t seen a mosquito (and more importantly haven’t been bitten) in the apt since.

[url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/the-best-way-to-stave-off-mosquitoes/17688/20 best way to stave off mosquitoes.[/url]

bobepine