For such a relatively small island Taiwan has a pretty large population of people. Which means there is an even larger population of mosquitoes. For my first few years here I never really had any problem with them, and I’d look perplexed whenever people would mention having a mosquito net around their bed. After awhile the mosquitoes finally found out that I was in Taiwan and that they should visit me. But still it wasn’t too bad. I just made sure to close my windows in the evenings, and I also would use some extra protection for my bedroom. I got one of those bad smelling things that you plug into the wall socket. So each night about 20 minutes before I was going to bed, I would turn it on in my bedroom and close the door. By the time I went to bed, the mosquitoes would all be dead.
When I got a dog, I stopped using this though. I know that there are natural oils and things to use to keep them away, but those aren’t available in Taiwan. So I just went to the tried and true method, my hands. This was all fine until I moved into an apartment that was the birthplace of all of mosquitoes on earth. Each night we had to hunt down the mosquitoes, of which there could be upwards of 40. At any time you might hear a loud “BANG” from somebody slapping their hand against the wall to kill a mosquito. Eventually our white walls were full of red spots and streaks. After a few months we got it down to a more manageable 15 mosquitoes a month, but it was never perfect.
The apartment I live in now is much better, it has at most two a day, but mostly it’s just one or two a week. It’s probably one of the biggest reasons why I may never move. Other places might offer things this apartment doesn’t, but at least with this apartment I know how the mosquito situation. With any new place you run the risk of the mosquito situation being worse than your current place.
In the picture is the way that most people in Taiwan kill mosquitoes. They use what looks like a small tennis racket, but the strings are a mesh of electrified metal. People will use this to hunt down and then swat the mosquito, causing them to be zapped and die. It’s not uncommon to go to somebody’s house and see every family member with one of these rackets constantly in their hand, always ready to pounce. Although I don’t really see the point, as no matter what you still have to hunt them down, so why not just use your hands?
Recently Taiwan has gotten some of those things that let off carbon dioxide to attract the mosquitoes, then trapping them and killing them. I know back in the states there are really big ones of these that are used for outside mosquito control and they are supposed to be really good. But here in Taiwan they are cheap tiny Chinese made ones, of which I haven’t heard good things.
But don’t worry, I do have a secret weapon…my dog! Yep she will kill hunt and kill mosquitoes. Usually she will be lying down and then perk up and look around for the culprit and once she finds him, she will track it around the house, never taking her eyes off it. If it gets low enough she will bite it out of the air to kill it, but she will also climb up on and jump off of furniture to get it. Even if she can’t get it, her tracking ability let’s me know where it is, so I can go over and squish it.
As much as she hates mosquitoes, I think she really enjoys killing them. Late at night if we are sleeping but I hear one, I will get up and turn on the lights. As soon as I do that she will burst out from under the covers, tail wagging, and immediately start to look around the room to find the mosquito.
I know I talk bad about her a lot, but I must admit that she is a valuable asset in the war against the mosquitoes.
