Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Zapper

For those of you who haven't given up on me, I have another post. When we first arrived in Taiwan, it seemed pretty hot and we opened our windows. For a few weeks we didn't learn how to operate the built-in screens and we seemed to have no problems with bugs, flies, or mosquitoes. For about five months we were going along fine, and then in March we started being bothered by mosquitoes while we were sleeping, buzzing in our ears and keeping us awake. Alma got bit a lot, but I didn't seem to. We mentioned this to some company one night and a woman said she would help us get a zapper. She immediately left and went to a nearby grocery store where she bought a heating device that puts fumes into the air and kills the mosquitoes.

This is the device with some used cardboard wafers which contained the poison. Annmarie was not anxious to come visit if we had mosquitoes. We got this about a week before she arrived and it seemed to work. However, we didn't like the smell of it.

Then about a week after she left, a fellow senior missionary was buying an electric zapper at Costco and I said, "I want one of those," so he went and got one and I bought it.

This seems to work good, although they can survive if they are in a different room. The interesting thing about this is the noise it makes when they get zapped. I was told that you would hear it when they got zapped, but I was skeptical. But it IS really loud. The nearest thing I can compare it to is the toy cap pistol -- it can make you jump if you are near by. It has a little tray at the bottom where you can see the remains of their demise.

5 comments:

  1. That's great! Glad Alma is safer now! I think the sound of the zapping would be very satisfying, knowing that the device is working! Love, Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's interesting that so many get inside . . . that isn't as common here - but living in a subtropical climate is DIFFERENT!!!! Although almost might want to entertain the thought to bring it home for the porch. (: So this doesn't smell? Thanks for sharing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Today, the kids and I got at least 4 mosquito bites each. First day. :( I wonder if I could use this outside? That is where the kids want to play and they get eaten. :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. I guess another option is to close your windows and just have some fans going.... But I'm glad you were able to find a zapper! Maybe you should get one for each room! ; ) I'm totally with Dawn on the whole sound issue! I'd be like, "YES!!! Another one's gone!".

    ReplyDelete
  5. P.S. Uh.... and what about learning how to shut the screens..... Did you finally find out how? And did the mosquitos STILL get in after that??

    ReplyDelete