Have you ever thought about what the world was like before pesticides?
Probably a lot more bugs.
A few years ago, we had a team here. One thing they brought was a couple bottles of permethrin.
It’s meant for spraying on clothes and tents while camping, to keep the bugs away. The team didn’t use it, so they left it with us.
We discovered soon after that this stuff is liquid gold. If we sprayed it on baseboards, mosquito nets, and under furniture, we didn’t have live bugs in our house any more–we had dead bugs. And the best part is that it keeps working for about three months after it’s sprayed.
When your house is full of ticks, mosquitoes, ants of various varieties, cockroaches the size of small mammals, and centipedes that sting, trust me, you’d be willing to try anything.
I get the eebie jeebies just looking at this picture.
We brought permethrin back with us in July, but now it’s gone. And the bugs know it, and they have invaded. So when my mom offered to send us a box of Christmas presents back with a friend who was visiting the States, one of the first things I asked for was more permethrin.
And the last couple of weeks, it’s what I thought about every single day as I opened my cupboards and saw the roaches and their droppings. I’m sorry, but I’m of the old-fashioned opinion that when you put clean dishes back in the cupboards, they should stay clean. You shouldn’t have to wash them again when you take them out.
We got my mom’s box on Wednesday, and even though I was happy to see the chocolate chips and the presents for the kids, I was most excited to see the permethrin.
This morning, I took everything out of the cupboards, blasted them with bug spray, scrubbed them, and sprayed them with permethrin. (The cupboards, not the dishes.) I dare those bugs to come back.
Listen, when I was in America, I bought organic sweet potatoes from Trader Joe’s like every other good little mom. But out here, I’ve got to say that I sure am thankful for pesticides.
Flyaway
So thankful for bug spray! We lived in a climate where the winters were cold and never had to bother with fleas. Moved to a "banana belt" and had fleas jump onto our flea free cat. Glad you figured out how to get relief, and your mom came through for you!
Herding Grasshoppers
Oh you are a FONT of good ideas! We have some friends going in January to a place where they would likely welcome some bug spray too – now I have a great (new) idea of something to send them!
Sorry about the roaches – I've lived with them too. Ugh!
Julie
Anonymous
One of those things we take for granted in the States. Thank you for sharing.