When The Simplest Design Is The Best Answer!

I don't know about you but when there is a problem I think we look for the most powerful solution. Men, ESPECIALLY men, seem to think that the more powerful anything is the better the solution. I mean seriously how many city dwellers need huge jacked up trucks? Men want to "dominate" the problem. Living here in the desert, summer time brings bugs ... lots of bugs, especially fruit flies or gnats. It seems that no matter how careful you are there they are as well. I am learning to wash everything before I put it away.

Your first reaction to a bug infestation is to get a bug spray. The stronger the better. And, of course the BIGGER the can the better. You're gonna get those bugs once and for all. Now is not the time to skimp.

After carefully covering food or anything your lips might touch, the last thing you do before bedtime is give the kitchen a good spray. In the morning you see a few dead bugs but just as many live ones flying around. I guess the initial spray gets those flying around but somehow, somewhere they manage to come back like, well, zombies!

You  can imagine how frustrating this is. On top of the bug invasion I had a water leak between the walls in  my condo that led to about half of the condo being torn apart to get rid of wet drywall and black mold. Is this the cause? I honestly don't know. The wet drywall was removed, the black mold mitigated and everything is now dry. Now to get everything put back together again, the world of boxes emptied and things put back in place. It seems the bugs took advantage as this is the worst infestation ever.

The next step for me was to try fancy electronics. They had some deals during Amazon Prime July Sales so I got what appeared to be tightly rated zappers that you can place inside your home. I have them in every room now. But, do they work?

Since the kitchen seemed to be the room most affected I put two, one on each side of the kitchen. They plug into any outlet and shine their blue ray of death to the

world, or so I hoped.

Hum, I saw a few fried corpses but not very many all considered that the kitchen is as dark as a cave (no windows) at night and their blue glow is clear for me to see and is supposed to be like a searchlight for bugs. In summation I would have to say, the light is still searching for victims.

As luck would happen, while I was going through my latest copy of CONSUMER REPORTS, there was a note on the best way to get rid of those pesky kitchen gnats that I had never heard before. They gave us three options: 1. leave a few drops of wine in a wine bottle and make a funnel so the bugs can get in but usually can't find their way out. They have a delicious death I guess. 2. was about the same with a beer bottle. 

However, it was number 3 that intrigued me. Get a small dish, pour in some fruit juice, I used orange juice, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and puncture it with small holes.

I used a toothpick to put the holes in and left this on the kitchen counter. Nothing. Then I took a fork and give the plastic a few more jabs. Within a few hours I saw a bug in there. Here is two days later! As I write this I haven't seen a bug flying around anywhere and trust me they had spread ... kitchen, dining room even as far as the destroyed master bedroom.

I discovered the best place to leave it was literally on the kitchen sink. No matter how hard you try, sinks and drains manage to attract bugs. By putting this mixture literally next to the controls seemed to have the strongest effect.

As a kid growing up on Portland, OR, I can remember when the snail population was getting out of control and eating everything in sight, we would get Dad to give us a bit of beer, put it in a dish and leave it outside. Within a day or two the dish was filled with drunk, dead snails. You have to wonder if we design things to overkill when a much simpler solution is at hand. This worked for me. Give it a try. It will cost you just about nothing! Remember, this is environmentally friendly - no toxins, no sprays just a little orange juice in a small reusable glass container with a little Saran wrap.

Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed!

 

Be sure to check my ETSY store ... KrugsStudio.etsy.com. I am adding many new and exciting, collectible birdhouses and craft items. Many of the items talked about here will be for sale there!

Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed!