Design: The Merry Men Interiors
It’s the year-end wet season once more when the monsoon season gives Singapore some wanted reduction from the new tropical warmth. However, though Covid-19 information nonetheless dominates the entrance pages, we should always not neglect that dengue nonetheless poses a critical risk to Singapore and dengue cases are expected to rise at year-end as Aedes mosquito population increases this year. Moreover, the moist and damp climate units the right situation for mosquitoes to breed and extra folks than ever are working from house. Subsequently, we’ve got far better publicity to the dengue mosquitoes throughout this era.
Since mosquitoes are one of many deadliest bugs on the earth as a consequence of their potential to unfold lethal illnesses to people, the easiest way of coping with mosquito-borne illness is to stop mosquitoes from breeding in your house proper from the beginning. You are able to do so by proactively planning to have a mosquito-proof house together with your renovation professionals earlier than the renovation begins. Right here is how we will do to make our house mosquito-proof to guard our family members!
Are you aware?
Ailments transmitted by mosquitoes embody dengue, malaria, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever,[1] filariasis, tularemia, dirofilariasis, Japanese encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis,[2] Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Ross River fever, Barmah Forest fever, La Crosse encephalitis, Zika fever,[2] in addition to newly detected Keystone virus and Rift Valley fever. – Wikipedia. It’s also possible to discover out whether or not if your private home is within the Dengue clusters by viewing this interactive map. As of Oct 2021, there are than 4,500 dengue circumstances and 12 energetic clusters in Singapore.
#1. Renovation planning must be aware of the highest 5 mosquito breeding habitats
* Home Containers (Pails);
* Flower pots, plates and trays;
* Decorative Containers (Vases);
* Vegetation (Hardened Soil and Plant Axils) and;
* Canvas and plastic sheets.
What does this imply to you?
Solely buy water pails that include covers in order that they are often simply lined whereas not in use. When designed customised flower planter pots on your balcony, you could take into account incorporating self watering anti mosquito mechanisms too. For furnishing, reduce using decorative containers and if potential, stick with glass vases so that you could monitor for any indicators of mosquito breeding grounds. Keep away from utilizing canvas or plastic sheets on your balcony screens and should you do, bear in mind to examine canvas and plastic sheets often to make sure that they don’t acquire stagnant water.
#2. Exchange the historically designed flooring traps, air-con trays and bamboo pole holders
Except for being a preferred breeding place for moth flies, the kitchen and toilet flooring traps are additionally breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The air-conditioner trays or receptacles, that are positioned beneath or on prime of any air-con unit, and bamboo pole holders acquire stagnant water which may lead to mosquito breeding.
Design: Ace Interior Design
What does this imply to you?
Exchange the lavatory flooring traps with those with covers . In any other case, you could cowl the ground traps which aren’t used with plastic container covers. Bear in mind to make sure that solely HDB patented air-con trays or receptacles, which is specifically designed with a gradient, needs to be put in to gather the condensate. In further, take into account changing the standard bamboo pole holders with an automatic laundry system, or putting in the pole holders with a bamboo pole cowl to stop stagnant from accumulating.
#3. Rethink the colors of your partitions and carpentry
Mosquitoes are interested in darkish colors akin to black, darkish gray and navy blue, and have a tendency to cover in darkish dingy corners. Therefore, portray the house interiors with gloomy colors and utilizing dark-coloured carpentry will do a poor job of deterring mosquitoes out of your property.
What does this imply to you?
You need to keep away from darkish colors on your partitions and use shiny colourful ones as a substitute. As well as, think about using particular paints such because the Nippon Paint MozzieGuard, which has a particular coating with insecticide encapsulated within the polymer for inside use. In accordance with Nippon Paint, “the energetic ingredient inside the paint enters the Aedes aegypti mosquito when it lands on the painted floor and disrupts the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes nervous system, resulting in paralysis and mortality. By masking extra surfaces with MozzieGuard, the likelihood of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes touchdown on the paint movie turns into greater, which will increase the possibility of knockdown on contact”.
#4. Set up insect screens for home windows, balcony and door gate
Open home windows, balcony and doorways are the right manner for annoying bugs and mosquitoes to invade your private home, particularly for owners who stay close to a park or forest.
What does this imply to you?
To maintain out any undesirable guests, insect meshes, also referred to as insect screens, are the easiest way to maintain you protected. Therefore, you may take into account putting in insect screens by masking the window, balcony and door openings with magnetic insect mesh covers. The wonderful mesh gaps will preserve out the mosquito with out blocking the airflow.
#5. Use door sweeps for all doorways
Though putting in the insect screens preserve out the nasty pests, they’ll nonetheless invade your property by the massive door gaps between the doorways and flooring. This often occurs at evening when the annoying undesirable intruders are interested in the intense mild escaping from the underside door openings.
What does this imply to you?
Seal up the openings by putting in door sweeps, that seal the gaps between the underside of the door and the ground. Except for preserving out the pests, in addition they assist to guard towards moisture, mud and preserve aircon air from escaping. A door sweep is an extended strip of metallic that holds a seal fabricated from a cloth akin to neoprene, silicone, or a nylon brush, mounted to the underside of the door.
#6. Reconsider the DIY flooring decking/interlocking tile challenge
DIY decking tiles have grown in recognition over time since it’s an reasonably priced possibility for owners to cowl outside and indoors flooring with the tiles of their alternative, by snapping the tiles collectively on their very own. However, water tends to build up under the tiles when such tiles are used outside.
What does this imply to you?
Be sure that the DIY flooring decking tiles don’t unintentionally lead to gaps for extra water to build up. As well as, bear in mind to take away the interlocking tile periodically to take away the stagnant water, which has seeped by the tiles.
#7. Discover different methods to mosquito-proof your house
A. Make the most of modern devices to maintain mosquitoes at bay
Except for the omnipresent digital ultrasonic mosquito repellents, you may think about using this specifically designed anti-mosquito pot, which attracts mosquitoes earlier than killing them! Attracted by the odour of carbon dioxide gasoline that the pot releases, there may be additionally a light-weight of wavelength 360-400nmm emitted by the UV lamp. As soon as mosquitoes hover close to the pot, they are going to be sucked into the fan which finally kills them.
Picture from Tuvie
B. Use dunks and sand granular insecticide
Mosquito dunks are a protected, non-toxic technique to kill mosquitoes as they’re fabricated from micro organism which is simply poisonous to mosquito larvae. They’re so efficient that the mosquito larvae shall be killed inside hours. Sand granule pesticides are chemical substances which might be designed to kill mosquito larvae, ants, fleas and different pests.
What does this imply to you?
Add Mosquito dunks and sand granular insecticide in locations the place there may be stagnant water, akin to vases with decorative vegetation, rest room bowls and sinks with U-shaped pipes. Mosquito dunks and sand granular insecticide may be discovered at main supermarkets and DIY shops. They’re additionally retaining on-line at main e-commerce shops.
C. Contemplate having anti-mosquito vegetation at house
A pure technique to make your private home inhospitable to the mosquitoes is to maintain mosquito-repelling vegetation at house. Mosquito-repelling vegetation work by blocking the mosquito’s sense of scent, and this makes it more durable for them to land on a human to feed.
What does this imply to you?
A number of the anti-mosquito vegetation which naturally releases aroma consists of, Basil, Lavender and Lemongrass. Go away these vegetation in locations close to home windows, balcony and doorways, the place the mosquitoes discover their manner into your private home.