What not to invest in

In a not so subtle attempt to compete with Trini and Susannah, we are thinking of starting our own version of "What not to wear", only we're giving (probably bad) advice on "What not to invest in". And really, this just applies to New Zealand.

This post advises not to invest in window screens.

Given that most of the windows in NZ are casement windows, opening from the bottom, screens would be hard to fit on the windows here. At first we thought it was just that we were living in older homes, but no, these windows are in Brand New Homes too. This may partly explain why this business will not thrive.

Everyone seems to have these windows. No one has window screens. Everyone has flies in their house. Or do they?

We wonder if maybe we aren't just the odd ones in the neighborhood. Maybe Americans attract flies? Maybe Abby is breeding flies in the yard? Maybe we don't know the tricks? In pursuit of the tricks, I've asked around and the two solutions I've been offered are (1) fly swats (these are the same thing as what we call fly swatTERS) and (2) Robocans (3) residual sprays.

Robocans, now there's a product with investment potential. But, in keeping with NZ's 'clean and green' theme, remember that these are natural pyrethrins.

"The type I pyrethroids /including pyrethrin I/ produce the simplest poisoning syndrome and produce sodium tail currents with relatively short time constants. Poisoning closely resembles that produced by DDT and involves a progressive development of fine whole-body tremor, exaggerated startle response, incoordinated twitching of the dorsal muscles, hyperexcitability, and death. The tremor is associated with a large increase in metabolic rate and leads to hyperthermia, which, with metabolic exhaustion, is the usual cause of death. Respiration and blood pressure are well sustained but plasma noradrenaline, lactate, and to a lesser extent adrenaline are greatly increased. [Hayes, W.J.,
Jr., E.R. Laws, Jr., (eds.). Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology. Volume 2. Classes
of Pesticides. New York, NY: Academic Press, Inc., 1991., p. 589]"

Bring on the Robocan!

For more like this, check out the NIH Hazardous Substances Data Bank . Of course, this only applies if you are poisoned, but according to the rest of the info in the data bank it can happen.

Robocans work by periodically emitting a spray of natural pyrethrins into the air. You mount the gizmo high in a room, add a replaceable aerosol can, and you can get poison sprayed on you and yours automatically, at whatever intensity level makes you happy.

I'd like to be called green, and say that we didn't buy a Robocan because we didn't want to poison ourselves and add another aerosol can to the landfill. But it isn't true. We didn't buy the Robocan because it was $70! So we are now saving money and being healthy, and maybe being a little green by mistake.

Except that, the other day we saw a group of Greens on TV protesting something or other at Parliament. They were wearing frog costumes and hopping around the steps. These were not children, they were adults. So, in an attempt to maintain a little self respect, we don't want to be TOO green.

Thus, we opted to only save money. We've got the fly swat, and I'm getting pretty good at getting them on the fly (!). And we've got the regular, not Robo, can for when things get out of control.

We have not had a problem with any mosquitoes, which is wonderful. We had some insect issues when we were on vacationing on the wetter coasts (west and north), getting bit by sand flies (black flies). And the only place that had even a few magnetic screens was the cottage at the farmstay, which had a huge blowfly problem. One afternoon, we left the door open and of course, we were inundated. It was so loud inside, that Bob had to go on a fly-swatting rampage before we could go to sleep.

But those little old house flies are what's driving me berserk. We have a security screen on one of the sliding doors, and if we can take the heat, that is the only door or window we open. If it gets hotter, we open the windows that have lace curtains on them, in the hope that the flies won't recognize the glass is missing and will stay OUTSIDE. It helps. But oh, even one fly buzzing around my head can lead to ARRGGGHHH! And if there are 2 or 3? Well, I'm clearly headed for the straightjacket.

Idea number (3), from EmigrateNZ
A lot of folks get really annoyed with the houseflies, which we do have plenty of, and expecially in the summer months the darn blue-bottles and paspalu flies. To keep these out, especiallyin rural areas where they are especially prevalent, most folks get their houses sprayed once a year with an industrial strength residual pesticide (eg:Ripcord) There are no human complaint, but it keeps flies etc that get in to the house dying for about 6 months, as soon as they land on a windowsill or whatever, they kark it."

Well, maybe so, but if they 'kark it', what will it do to me? Ripcord contains an artificial pyrethrin, designed to last longer in the environment. It is highly toxic to bees, water insects, and fish. So don't pour it in your stream. Apparently, however, it's OK to spray it up your nose (NOT).

Why, then, do Kiwis not use window screens? Because they LIKE natural pyrethrins? Because they are SO GOOD with the fly swat that flies avoid their houses? Because summer is SO SHORT that they can live with the inconvenience for a few weeks (it's been 8 long weeks I've been battling flies. Eight Long Weeks!) Or maybe the flies just don't bother everyone like they bother me.