No abate in mosquitos

Following the installation of the first black-hole mosquito trap and the intermittent rains, the mosquito problem has escalated. The intermittent rains have made the situation worse by keeping the stagnant water levels in the drains optimal for mosquito breeding as opposed to torrential thunderstorms which was away mosquito eggs and larvae.

So I went out and bought 2 more photo-catalytic black hole traps. Thanks to my brother, who discovered another make at a cheaper price, I saved me quite a bit of money buying these ones. What's more this make even comes with 2 free replacement bulbs.





I've placed the traps in each likely corner and within just a couple of days, the number of mosquitos trapped is simply staggering. To think that without the traps, they would all have come into our living area. This time around, I shall remove all the beetles and moths and other non-mosquitos and weigh the vampires. Perhaps that statistic will lend some weight to the gravity of this pestilence plaguing Ara Damansara.

The drains, the drains, the drains around our houses need to be opened up and cleared of debris. When authorities, when?

Mosquito, Nyamuk, Kohsu, Mun (Pt2)

Well here it is. Undeniable proof that this BlackHole system is keeping over 90% of mosquitos aiming to get into my house, out.

The BlackHole was installed on Monday 22/June @ 6pm. I removed the glue-disc this morning 29/6 @ 10am so there's a weeks worth of trappings. I carefully emptied out the trap and if I had the patience of a research scientist, I would count the trapped population and present a bar chart of mosquito, moth, beetles etc. It would be overwhelmingly be mosquito, of that I am sure.

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Anyway, I am glad to know that since my article on the BlackHole, HomeFix guy now dubbed "The Mosquito Slayer" reported a couple of sales to Ara Damansara residents. Could you please post your comments in response to my article? It is so that we get a broad perspective of this trap's performance.

Speaking of responses, those who know me, know that when I find a good thing, I just can't wait to share it. So there I was blabbing away about the efficacy of the BlackHole to all and sundry. Funnily, I discovered a couple of pro-lifers who were actually sympathetic to the way the mosquitos were being trapped and modus of death. Now this was eye-opening to say the least. My jaw must have dropped a couple of inches in disbelief. Well, it does put vermin extermination in a different light that I never considered before. But hey, all I can say is that if you have never been swarmed by mosquitos it's easy to advocate mercy for this vermin.

I shared the pro-life response with another highly animated friend, who has suffered dengue 3 times, the final bout almost took her life. She reiterates my sentiment above, if you've never suffered the deadly effects of vermin, it is too easy to be humane about their extermination.

My home help while not being pro-life or humane in the extermination of our resident mosquito population, is disappointed with the efficacy of the BlackHole. Why? Her electric mosquito racquet no longer lights up like a Christmas tree as she plumps up the cushions or goes over the dogs with it. A simple joy that brought ecstasy to her chores. Oh well, you win some, you lose some!

Mosquito, Nyamuk, Kohsu, Mun

There I've said it in all the languages and dialects I know. I bought a "Black Hole" mosquito trap system yesterday after much convincing from the HomeFix guy that it really works. Not 100% of course, he said, but guaranteed at least 95% effective. I drew him a map of my home layout, where the drains and ground holes are etc and he helped me plot the position of my first "Black Hole" trap.

So I hooked it up and turned it on yesterday (22/Jun/09) at 6pm. Look at its bounty by 10am this morning (16 hours in operation). Mind you not all the mozzies in the trap are on that glue paper. There's still about 10 of them settled on the wire mesh, waiting to DIE...









HOMEFIX guy reinforced that plants DO NOT shelter female mosquitoes, only males. As everyone knows, male mozzies are vegetarian.

So the efficacy? Yes it is effective, I am ecstatically happy to say. Last night I could watch tv quite comfortably in my living room with only a couple of bites, mostly from mozzies already hiding inside. They do like soft pillows ~ have you noticed?

I swear the vampire mozzies are breeding and hiding in the drains surrounding our houses and they have a ready built conduit into our house by the rain-gutter ground drainage that goes straight into the surrounding drains. The designers of our houses have provided a SMART Tunnel for mosquitoes and vermin to enter our premises. I vehemently believe that if the drains around this precinct in Ara Damansara were either totally sealed or totally opened, the mosquito population will reduce drastically. When will someone take action?

Hedge planting has begun

I've started planting a hedge of "Pecah Beling" along 1A/20.

With the great help of my maid, who does the hole digging,



we extended the row of Pecah Beling from behind my house right up to the junction entrance of 1A/22. Really good exercise, sweat and perspiration was trickling into our eyes as we bent over to put the rooted cuttings into their new home.




Neighbours of this row who stand to benefit from this hedge, I have a simple request which is very obvious. Please water these cuttings everyday so that they will grow into robust shrubs, not only shielding your home from prying eyes and keeping unwanted persons out, but it is also such a beneficial plant.



I have blogged about Pecah Beling in an earlier post.



I would like our hedge to not just be decorative, but useful too. And when you read about Pecah Beling, you will really appreciate the treasure that is growing behind your home. Give it life, and one day when it is big and robust from your care and attention, it will return the good deed to you.

Just what are the CCTVs for?

Well the secret is out. For over a month, the trench digging all around Ara Damansara got everyone wondering what was going to be installed and worries of water shortage too cropped up.







Well they are finally installed ~ the CCTVs. Dreaded if solely for monitoring traffic violations, welcomed if to surveil crime.

Looking at the direction the cameras are facing, the benefit of these solar powered CCTVs is not for Ara Damansara residents for the some authorities to gain revenue from summonses.



When I first heard that CCTVs were going to be installed, I thought to myself "Wow, our neighbourhood must surely be one of the most progressive non-gated communities in the country". So after the CCTVs were installed someone stopped to ask me the purpose of the surveillance. Naive me said to the asker, surely it must be for crime watch. Who on earth would want to waste that amount of public funds to catch traffic offenders?

Regretfully, the "who on earth" guess is apparently true if you observe the orientation of the cameras. When the poles first went up, I was glad to see that there were CCTV poles at each of our padangs. The football field by Mutiara, the playfield in the center of Ara Impian etc each have a CCTV pole. But on careful observation on the location of the pole and orientation of the camera, I am utterly disappointed.



It would make better community sense for the CCTVs to aid crime watch instead of traffic watch. Where is the need to watch the traffic anyway?

While the benefit of placing cameras at each junction could also a good idea to capture felons making their escape, the cameras at the padangs should really point inwards to the main area of activity. It would deter undesirable behaviour and should there be a football fight, viewing footage of the incident would shed light on it.

I guess revenue from traffic summonses will help pay for these cameras. Any other benefit from these cameras is only secondary.

Embun & Bayu inherit guardhouse cabins

Finally after 3 months of neighbourhood security services, we applied to Sime Darby Property to inherit the cabins from Alyssa and Casarina. These enclaves have been running their security services very successfully and with that success comes recognition of a brick and mortar guardhouse.

Anyway, yesterday 28/Feb in Embun was guardhouse moving day. Our members got together as early as 9am but hit a technical glitch i.e. the crane-lorry had a breakdown that fortunately was repaired in an hour. That time was spent catching up with neighbours who volunteered to help in the moving and positioning of our adopted guardhouse.




Finally at about 11.30am, 5 of our guys jumped into a car to lead the crane-lorry to the 2 locations. The guys told of their learning experience in moving cabins with cranes, as they suddenly returned to collect a ladder to climb atop the roof of the cabin to afix the lifting hooks. Back at the Embun entrance, the rest of us were getting hungry and thirsty, biscuits and water appeared and after more sunshine we returned home to wait for THE CALL.

12.30pm the call to action came through, and those close to the PJU 1A/22 junction went there to attempt directing traffic. What a sight to see the approaching crane-lorry loaded with 2 x 12' cabins perched on its back. It deftly made the turn into PJU 1A/22 and skirted the low-hanging branches, pulling down a few along the way.










The unloading was tricky, compounded with incoming and outgoing traffic from Embun. Being a Saturday, neighbourhood traffic was a steady stream, but fortunately drivers were patient and obediently waited for directions to pass safely.

After a few turns of the cabin in mid-air and input of opinions on which way the cabin was to face, the cabin was set down on bricks donated by another member of the neighbourhood who has a stash of bricks, steadily dwindling through 'sedekahs' now and again.


















The next phase of course is to refurbish the weathered cabins up to liveable standards again.

My wish list for AraD's bird reservoir & sanctuary

Wonderful news! I've received word that Sime Darby Property will "coordinate with the landscape consultant to include the relevant design issue as highlighted in your attachment write-ups" (i.e. Bring Back The Birds report). Don't you just love a day that's filled with great news like that!

Anyway, since I walk the park in question daily, I constantly picture in my mind what it will look like when it's done. How it will serve both birdlife and our life in a comfortable co-existence.

I see in my mind's eye
1) the lakeside bank sloping down from Calarosa planted with tall reeds that will shelter the water/ground birds. There is no pedestrian traffic on the slopes so the nesting birds will be safe from disturbance. A hedge row could be planted along the top of the slope so the nesting birds will be safe from disturbance. A hedge-row could be planted along the top of the slope to hinder dogs from menacing the birds. I know my cocker-spaniel would have a field day chasing birds, given half the chance.

2) The upstream, innermost lake bordered by Calarosa, Ara Hill and AraVista ph.2 must have perch-poles for kingfishers and other fish-hunting birds. They are such a delight to behold as they are so beautifully coloured and the perch-pole is the perfect pedestal to view them in a most natural stance. And when they dive for their prey... a sight that's a gift from God. The lake could be populated with hardy fish like the local "lampan" (http://fish-lampan.blogspot.com/) which are cheap, breed easily and a delight to both fisherman and kingfishers; and not forgetting the ever popular tilapia.

3) The upstream lake should also have a couple of bird-watching hides on its banks to enable birding enthusiasts to appreciate their hobby, as well as cultivate others to appreciate this hobby. I imagine a hide to be no more than 10 sq meters, with a raised hard floor. Not having any bench in the hide will allow enthusiasts to set up their equipment like camera tripod etc comfortably according to their needs. Not having furniture in the hide makes it less appealing for love-birds to turn it into a lover's haunt at night too. The hide should only have it's 2 sides (left and right) and roof covered with the same material. I suggest that the L-R walls and roof be chain-link supported by poles. The chain-link will allow equipment and supplies to he hooked on for easy access. For camouflage, creepers / climbers can be grown to cover and cool the hide, blending in with the natural surrounding.