Flying Cockroaches, Hidden Repellents

I often screamed at the top of my voice when I see flying cockroaches. Whenever spring cleaning comes, I often have to brace myself up before fighting the pest. My parents seem more brave than me, using their bare hands to slap the cockroach flat, before picking them up into the bin. When I was young, it seemed to me that they were playing some kind of Arcade Games to see who kills more cockroaches. Though it may be true that cockroaches are probably extremely proud of their long existence heritage, I don't really like their sneaky character. They often sneaked from th common dustbin that goes all the way down from the top of multi-storey flat. Sometimes, they crawl up and fly in from the kitchen window.

So, besides cleaning your home to wipe out the cockroaches and their eggs, what do you do to prevent and to repell the cockroaches from your home? I have a short list of natural repellents against cockroaches:-

1) Cinnamon (my favourite)

Cinnamon works best in enclosed spaces in your cupboard. If you can get those that is not grinded, you can use it without staining your space with the brown spices. Otherwise, you can put your powder in a pouch. I was also told that you should replace the cinnamon every 6 months.

2) Catnip

It was said that Catnip can repell cockroaches due to the presence of 2 types of nepetalactone. Similiarly, leave it at spots where cockroaches are likely come from. This would greatly discourage them from coming to your home.

3) Bay Leaves

If you run out of cinnamon, bay leaves, that is a spice used for cooking, can also shoo-oo away the cockroaches. It is probably due to the presence of Ceneole that the cockroaches dislike.

Leech, trekking pest

I love trekking at waterfall and I remember during my very first trekking experience at Endau rompin (Malaysia), I had to overcome my fear of leachees. They are such a pest as they sometimes can spoil the amateur's hiking experience. They latch on you, release an anticoagulant (hirudin) and after they have their blood fill, they drop off, leaving the wound bleeding for the next few hours. The thought of it still chills down my spine as I recall.

Though leech bite is harmless, it is still undesirable to have one.

Creating a natural repellent against this leech pest can be quite tricky if you want to protect the environment at the same time. But nevertheless, it can still be done.


Natural repellents:-

Tea Tree essential oil

Add a few drops of tea tree oil with your favourite repellent. And apply it onto your arms and legs, your clothings and your socks. It is this easy. And when it crawls to your skin, you can aim on the leech using a small spray bottle containing tea tree oil with your homemade repellent (to repell insects).

Deep Heat or oinments that contain menthol

As the leech dislike the presence of menthol, it becomes a suitable repellent you can consider as well. As usual, rub onto the surface that is vulnerable to leech attacks and the leech may think twice about sucking your blood.


Prevention measures at leech infested areas:-

Witnessing a leech sucking your blood can be quite frightful though there is no pain. Thus it is best to look prevent yourself from falling into the leech victim.

Wear thick socks or leech socks

Wearing a pair of thick socks can prevent them from latching onto your skin before you get rid of them. I have witnessed the leech crawl quickly within split seconds into the holes from your shoe lace portion or up from the socks. You can further thicken your socks by wearing double layers for double protection. You should also wear your socks over your trousers for better seal.

Wear good shoes

As I mentioned, wearing the right shoe is important. Make sure that the layer of the shoe is thick enough so that the leech is not able to access to your skin and suck the blood from the outside. Also make sure that you tighten your shoe laces to leave no little gaps for the leech to crawl in. They can crawl really fast!!

Wear long trekking pants

There are trekking pants that tightens the seal down from your ankle so you may consider investing on one. This can help to at least reduce your exposure of bare skin as they sometimes would playfully jump high enough to reach your calf. And remember to wear your thick socks over your pants.

Avoid stagnant and dark waters

Swimming along the rivers where the water is stagnant and dark are typically where the leeches would be, especially on the rocks. So enjoy yourself in the water but avoid those areas.


Useful reference

1) Wikipedia - Leech
2) Travel camping first aid

3) Use of Tea Oil

4) The Herbs place - The Tea Tree oil

Natural Mosquito repellent

When I was trekking in the forest, I often didn't like the idea of spraying chemicals from insect repellent that is often not environmentally friendly. Diethyltoluamide (DEET) is commonly included in commercial mosquito and other insect repellents and there has been some environmental concern with the use of DEET. However, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that it is safe to use so long as users comply to the labels instructions. But, the implications to the environment is still not fully known.

Thus, there are some reccomended natural insect repellents to consider:-

1) Citronella oil
2) Catnip oil
3) Castor oil
4) Lemongrass oil
5) Peppermint oil
6) Geranium oil
7) Celery extract

As for me, I prefer to use Citronella essential, or Citronella-containing repellent sprays and patch. Citronella is friendly to skin but may cause mild rash allergy for some. If Citronella is not suitable for you, you can always consider other natural repellent options. Personally, I think it is only a matter of time that mosquitoes may eventually get used to DEET-containing repellents, so it is always good to seek advise from our mother nature before it becomes too late to salvage the environment.

EPA website

DEET (TEACH Chemical summary)

Plant Oils Fact Sheet

Natural Repellents reference

Natural Mosquito Repellent

What is Citronella?

Handmade Organic Mosquito repellent

Garlic as a Mosquito Repellent

Grow your own Mosquito Repellent

Which Natural Mosquito Repellent works best?

War with Ants

Do you have ants passing through your bedroom? I recently experience black ants crawling across through my bedroom window to the kitchen. You see, my bedroom is just beside my family's mini garden that is laid along the common corridor of my flat. I really fought hard with the ants as the lost ants crawl up my feet while I was surfing the net. I considered a list of ways to chase away the ants:-

1) kill them with my hands
2) use vinegar
3) use baby talcum powder
4) use insecticide
5) use the ants poison.
6) destroy the ants nest
7) use water (it prevents them from eating my favourite cake!)

I didn't like the idea of poisoning the ants as I am aware of the environmental effects for the use of pesticides. Drinking vinegar is fine but not smelling like one in a bedroom seem undesirable to me, so I discarded the idea as well. Water is useful for discouraging the ants only if the water is deep enough. Killing them with my mighty hands has been a norm during my fight with them but it didn't discourage or stop them either. I didn't manage to find the nest either as it was well hidden. The ultimate moment came when I saw them bringing the fried fish bone from the kitchen floor to my bedroom. I got hysterical that midnight and began cleaning my bedroom thoroughly. Then I furiously pepper the talcum powder on all possible entries that includes my windows and my bedroom door. I did this for a few days until the ants decided to change their route to my living room door. You can anticipate my next step was to powder the living room door steps as well, ignoring my mum's annoyance with me. The talcum powder seem to work for now, though it didn't entirely stop the ants from coming in and I wasn't really keen to destroy the ants, I am really glad that it literally stop crawling under my feet while I am working on my computer.