Bugs And Critters

[Bluetongue]

I'm a newbie to the farming forum, this topic is more for people living on farms as opposed to a straight out farming topic. I've been here for a fair while now and in my house for 6 months or so, I was living in a wooden house prior. I have screened the new house and about the only thing successfully kept out seems to be mossies. This is good but not good if you take my drift. I know from living in the wooden house that bugs are sometimes very numerous, but in this place there is a veritable carpet of them every morning. At first these were the small black smelly crawling ones I think may be maleng men, but lately these have been superceded by tiny flying ones. And there is always a smattering of other ones as well.

I should say the farm is flat or gently sloping country, 60 odd rai, mainly lamyai with alternating corn and sapalang in with the immature trees and a mixture of other fruit, a couple of vegie patches, four dams and a creek, chickens not far from the house and ducks in one dam. The new house is quite close to mature lamyai and I'm told that the smelly bugs live in the leaf litter. Also my wife insists on leaving a light on at night. I guess that might be part of my problem.

My topic is really just wondering how all these things get into the house, into the light fittings inside the house, in the wooden house it didn't seem so bad, and if anyone has any good ideas on dealing with it or should I just put up with it.

[Khonwan]

Hi Bluetongue

A bright light a short distance from your house is the solution. That will attract the insects away from your house. Don’t have any other outside lights on that are attached to your house or patio during ‘mass attacks’. The bright light can be situated close enough to provide dim illumination around your patio but far enough to keep the insects away. Add a black UV light and you’ll greatly increase its attractiveness to insects whilst still providing you with illumination from the white light.

Rgds

Khonwan

[drtreelove]

Khonwans advise is excellent. Also check your screens, windows, doors for holes & gaps, the bugs will find them.

To each their own, I have friends with farm homes that have no screens, fully open doors and widows and it doesn't seem to bother them. I'm fanatic, fully screened, and have a ritual to shut the screen doors and windows about 5PM, turn on an exterior light, and turn on the interior bug lights (zappers); I keep a larger one in the living room (500-700 from Makkro or Carrefour) and small ones (250 from Carrefour) in each bedroom. Without the screens the bug lights will draw bugs inside, so you have to be diligent. It was tough to get my family to comply, but now they appreciate the bug free home (or they got tired of hearing "shut the screen door"). It works, except when the termites fly, then its mass invasion and clean up the mess tomorrow.

[oldestswinger]

Excellent advice already given. And, if you haven't already done so, develop a taste for them - they're full of protein.

[drtreelove]

Excellent advice already given. And, if you haven't already done so, develop a taste for them - they're full of protein.

It's a way of life for some; not something I'd consider unless I had to. But I am a fan of Bear Grylls and 'Man VS Wild"; download some episodes of the series and see some of the things that dude eats on his survival treks.

[tim armstrong]

Agree with the treelove. keep it all screened. Somewhere else on tv someone suggested 50/50 listerine and water sprayed around the house for mozzies. Maybe it works for bugs too ? We are all screened, swept clean around the house,and all that, but my biggest problem is doors left open by one and all.

[Bluetongue]

Thanks for the advice all, I'll go with the Khonwan solution. You are right about the doors being left open of course the younger children from the wider family think doors are toys certainly not to be closed, repetitively opened and closed more like it, in out in out they go. Yes my screens do have a few small gaps and I've seen the smelly bugs crawling through at least one but overall the external casualties vastly outnumber the internal ones so the screens are fairly effective. I do like to have a relaxing cuppa first thing in the morning while the missus goes about her si baht chores and I can chat to her without the other distractions that the day brings in due course, it's certainly not relaxing to spend 20 minutes sweeping. Thanks again.

[Scully]

I don't have a problem with mossies just things like this-

I got stung by this little bugger and have found 4 since. We have now bought some concoction from the farm supplier and sprinkled it around the house to get rid of scorpions and snakes.

Apparently they don't like the smell, fingers crossed. I also have screens and blocked all holes but make sure you check your clothes after hanging out to dry and always check your shoes .

[Bluetongue]

The only thing I've found in my gumboots so far have been frogs or toads. These are the only enclosed footwear I leave outside. I have seen plenty of snakes around recently including some big black cobras, but those red centipedes get me, I saw one take a hel_l of a beating and still try and get away, mind you it was about a foot long.

[Khonwan]

I was bitten by a big fat, hairy tarantula a couple of years ago when putting on my boots at home here. First time I had seen one in the wild. Fortunately I’m not allergic to stings/bites from scorpions, bees, wasps, hornets, or spiders and find the slight pain just about vanishes after 5-10 minutes. Jellyfish are really painful though!

[teletiger]

Just a couple of things.....

"Big, fat and hairy"? That poor tarantula is going to need counceling for sure now....once the vet's done with him.

Secondly.....the salesman specifically assured me that jellyfish could not get in my window screens.

I must be allergic to scorpions then. 4 hours later and my toe was still throbbing. 'And the scorpion was only about an inch long.

"And if that anti-snake stuff is lemon scented, yellow powder......it didn't work for me. Marigold, tomato plants, or lemon grass plants.....most plants that "zest" when touched, seem to be effective.

'And of course....the ultimate creepy crawly killer......catzzzzz.

Regards.

[bina]

teletiger, the throbbing toe is a regular reaction to a scorpion, it can last a few days; if u were allergic, u would be either dead or in hospital by now... the reaction is the same as to bee stings, either extended local reaction, anaphlactic, and since some scorpions are deadly, death reactions...

bina

israel

[Khonwan]

Very good, TeleTiger – I liked that!

Bina, there are no deadly scorpions (or spiders) in Thailand. Of course, hypoallergenic people may die from a scorpion-sting as easily as a bee-sting. Any swelling is an allergic response – allergies only require treatment (or lead to death) if they are severe. Most people have quite severe swelling when stung by a hornet – I was stung by three large hornets at the same time (having disturbed their nest by accident in the forest) and suffered only slight pain akin to a bee-sting for around 5 minutes with only very slight ant-bite type bumps at the three sites that vanished within an hour.

[tim armstrong]

A further update on the listerine and water. We went to a local restaurant recently that is known for good food and millions of mozzies and other creatures. I went armed with the Listerine mix. To my surprise I must admit, a few sprays under the tables and no bugs, of any type. A great evening was had by all. There were fans too, but before they made no difference to the wildlife.

[JurgenG]

I have(had) the chance to be like Khonwan, I've been stung by all kind of insect and the pain never lasted more than a couple of minutes and never was that painful anyway. That was until we got this invasion of big black ants. I suppose they came with those outdoor furniture made from big pieces of tree we bought, at least that where they had their nest. One stings you, first it's really painful, but worst, it last for hours. It seems they live inside dead wood and I really don't know how to get rid of them.

[Scully]

When I was bitten by that scorpion the pain is intense for about three hours and then a throb for a further 21. Treatment was a piece of lime with a broken up match head applied to the sting (old wives trick maybe).

The bite was on my hand but the pain travels up your arm as the venom goes through your blood, centerpides and snakes are the really scarey ones.

Centerpides will bite and not let go , a hospital job.

Careful out there.

[Khonwan]

I have(had) the chance to be like Khonwan, I've been stung by all kind of insect and the pain never lasted more than a couple of minutes and never was that painful anyway. That was until we got this invasion of big black ants. I suppose they came with those outdoor furniture made from big pieces of tree we bought, at least that where they had their nest. One stings you, first it's really painful, but worst, it last for hours. It seems they live inside dead wood and I really don't know how to get rid of them.

I’ve never found an ant that can survive a good dose of Chaindrite crack and crevice spray. I also use it for wasp and hornet nests. Just as effective on scorpions and spiders.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Khonwan