We’ve all been there. You’ve had a long day at work but just as you turn the lights out and your head hits the pillow, you’re immediately pestered by a mind-numbingly irritating ‘bzzzzz’-ing noise.
Your room has been infiltrated by the enemy of sleep: the blood-sucking mosquito.
You have a range of options:
- Kill the bastard.
- Hide under the covers and overheat in your own self-made doona hotbox.
- Resign yourself to the fact you’re going to be feasted upon in your sleep.
Now, while two and three are the easiest options, they’re also much less attractive. And anyone who’s tried the first option can relate to just how ineffective and demoralising it is to hunt for a teeny tiny bug in the wee hours of the morning wearing minimum clothing while armed with just a pillow.
So how can you actually catch the bugger effectively, and return to your sweet, sweet slumber?
One dreary-eyed Google search later and there are two acclaimed methods recommended by forums the world over.
The first involves turning off all the lights in your room and switching on a single lamp. Then you’re supposed to stand near the lamp and breathe heavily.
The logic behind this weird seance-style ritual is that mosquitoes are attracted to light, carbon dioxide and body heat.
When you hear the mozzie is near, turn on your phone’s torch and hold it flush against the nearby wall. As soon as the mozzie inevitably lands on said wall, the light will hit them and cast a huge scary shadow, helping you instantly locate and eliminate the threat.
If, however, you can’t be bothered getting out of bed, you can set up a similar trap using your sheets.
All you’ve got to do is get under the blanket, lie on your back and then lift you knees so that your thighs are perpendicular to the mattress.
Then, switch your phone or tablet light on and place it on your chest facing upwards. Then exhale deep breaths onto the blanket covering your thighs to lure in the mozzie, then SPLAT.
Granted, these are both kind of waiting games, but apparently they work. So next time you’re being tormented by a blood sucking pest, give ’em a crack. Godspeed, friends.
