Job Discussion Forums

[cedarstreetcowboy]

My dorm is full of mosquitoes, and I'm not sure where they're coming from. My window has a screen, but I leave it closed at night.

Any tips on what I can do to get rid of them? Again, I'm not really sure where they're coming from.

Are mosquito zappers sold in China?

[LarssonCrew]

Buy the thing you plug in the wall with the small perfume bottle attached.

Leave it on 24/7 if you like, it mostly works, and after paying 40-50 for the initial thing, you only need pay 10 yuan to buy 'booster' pots once the old one has run out.

[doogsville]

They lay their eggs in water, so they can come out of the sink or drainage holes in your toilet etc. It's almost impossible to stop them getting in, they're so small they could get in a crack just about anywhere. We use a plug in thing that looks like a UFO you put tablets in, cost about 12 kuai for the unit and the tablets are cheap too. You'll find a ton of that kind of stuff in any supermarket. Not sure if the chemicals are killing us as well as the mosquitoes in the long run, but it's better than the biting and buzzing in your ear at 3 am.

The only other thing I've tried is a mosquito net on the bed, but if you have to get up in the night to pee like I do then it's a major hassle. Also it's not always 100% effective, so sometimes you get one trapped in there with you.

[JamesD]

Same topic came up last year, here's the solution I found. After doing this I never saw another mosquito in my apartment. Spray curtains and screens once a week or so.

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012

[roadwalker]

The supermarkets in your area should have zappers that look like tennis rackets. 25 to 35 RMB. Plug it into the wall socket for a charge and then go to town. You won't get them all but you will feel some satisfaction. Some of them really pack a wallop, so don't stick your tongue on it and avoid the retractable plug when holding the charge button too.

I picked up some aromatic non-deet skin lotion or oil, but I haven't had a reason to try it out yet. I've been lucky in my apartment so far.

[dean_a_jones]

I would second the tent/net for the bed. A slight annoyance to get in and out, but as long as you are careful, does a good job. Get one with zips and make sure you keep it closed and it should be ok.

Also enjoy mosquito tennis. Not really going to solve your problem, but kind of fun.

[Non Sequitur]

I have found the little plug in the wall bottles better than either the coils that you light or a net.

[kungfuman]

Also plug up holes that lead to the sewer - such as sinks and showers. They come up the line from the septic - sewer system.

try little drain plugs or small screen inserts.

I cover my shower drain with a plunger when not in use and sometimes find mosquitoes under it when I lift it.

[cedarstreetcowboy]

Thanks for the pointers. I'll experiment with the various methods and see what works best.

[cedarstreetcowboy]

I put a waste basket over the drain in my washroom. Only one mosquito in my room this morning, and I think he was a hold-over from yesterday.

It appears that my mosquito problem has been solved.

[Non Sequitur]

Western style plumbing usually has a trap which contains water and therefore can't let mosquitoes in.
In my first apartment there was a sewer smell coming from the shower drain when the wind was in was in a certain direction.
The hand basin drain had a trap, but not the shower.

[JamesD]

[Non Sequitur]

[hilena_westb]

[MESL]

Some of the plugin brands work great, some are worthless. Some last a couple of weeks, some last a couple of days. The plugins that use sponges used to be the best, but apparently they've been watered down the last few years.

Now if I could just find something that repels midges...