My Dream Home@bk

[Ely1 0]

bro does this plant really helps? easy to maintain?

i'm getting some xiao qiangs at my place recently and we highly suspect they're from our upstairs/downstairs neighbours. i can be armed with baygon or what not but there's no way i can storm into their homes to hunt down the cockroach nests~

Never knew catnip could deter cockroaches. Used to grow them for the kitties in Australia, and unsure if they had any effect.

Very easy to maintain, Marshy. I find Catgrass less hardy (had to keep replacing those, but the Catnip grew and grew). The one with the leaves (non-lalang) are Catnip - hard to tell from the pic but there were newly bought. They did eventually grow into quite a nice bunch.

There are those liners from Daiso you can use for all the drainage traps that prevents the roaches from being able to crawl out of there. Also, having a flat fixed rubbish chute eliminates the probability of them using the chute to enter your home.

Maxey and Bondi tag-teams to gently render the intruder roach paralytic so I simply scoop up and flush away. UGH. They leave it still alive so I spray on it first. Gross, gross, gross.

- Ely

Edited May 25, 2011 by Ely1

[marshmallow 0]

Never knew catnip could deter cockroaches. Used to grow them for the kitties in Australia, and unsure if they had any effect.

Very easy to maintain, Marshy. I find Catgrass less hardy (had to keep replacing those, but the Catnip grew and grew). The one with the leaves (non-lalang) are Catnip - hard to tell from the pic but there were newly bought. They did eventually grow into quite a nice bunch.

There are those liners from Daiso you can use for all the drainage traps that prevents the roaches from being able to crawl out of there. Also, having a flat fixed rubbish chute eliminates the probability of them using the chute to enter your home.

Maxey and Bondi tag-teams to gently render the intruder roach paralytic so I simply scoop up and flush away. UGH. They leave it still alive so I spray on it first. Gross, gross, gross.

- Ely

Thanks for the tips Ely i'll see if i should grow some catnips at home

i'm already using a flat rubbish chute but still doesn't stop them from coming in, esp after chute fogging, despite all the necessary measures taken (seal chute with masking tapes, closed windows, etc)

actually i'm not scare of cockroaches... i can even handle them alive with my bare hand it's the *whisper* hubby that is very scared. Shhhhhh... don't let him know i talk about this part of him here....

looks like have to visit Daiso again soon. sometimes i have headache after going Daiso, cos the place is so big, with so many stuff and i often am just there to look for 1 or 2 items........ > <

[Kobelala 8]

I am considering growing Catnip plant (Nepeta) at my rubbish chute area since its pretty open because it is a natural insect repellant.

Years ago, I was chasing and spraying at a cockroach running to the sink/cabinet over chute in my mum's place. It turn out to be the 'home base' for all the cockroaches infesting our home!

There must be at least 30 over cockroaches - black, green and whites - some double the size of an adult that came pouring out.

Felt like I was playing Space Invader, spraying and lacing the entire kitchen floor while retreating to the living room against some that just refuses to die...lol

Morale of the story: find their nest and you will have peace for at least a year...

Hi Seth, yes, confirm CatNip can be a good "xiao qiang" repellant.... 1 of my friend who is doing landscaping told me so, also read from internet... we're going to squash all the "xiao qiang"

[sethho 0]

I just started researching on possible options...

Here are some links:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5384759_flowering-plants-repel-insects.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepeta

I rather have a plant to help cultivate my personality and beautify my house, rather than running around with an insecticide.

I remember once my sis was trapped in the bathroom with a FLYING cockroach when bathing... I dunno to cringe or to laugh hearing her scream and spraying water all around

If it is specifically to repel cockroaches, best solution is still Pandan plant if you can find it. Not exactly a nice looking plant, but you can definitely use the leaves for cooking Asian dishes or home made kaya.

Edited May 25, 2011 by sethho

[marshmallow 0]

If it is specifically to repel cockroaches, best solution is still Pandan plant if you can find it. Not exactly a nice looking plant, but you can definitely use the leaves for cooking Asian dishes or home made kaya.

May's home should be very safe since she has so many pandan plants downstairs........

[AderKong 0]

I was not being descriptive.... i didn't say anything about her sexy poses, the lifting of sexy legs, raising of her toned arms and twisting of her waist. I was just saying she was NOT mild....

you are even more suggestive about the sound effect.... hahaha.....

WoW! That is really sexy & enticing! Ely must have had a lot of practices in front her hubby even tho she claimed "The Husband is too zoned out watching the TV to even notice her Girls Gone Wild version" Must start finding whose house reno include a pole or bar top, then Ely can do pole/bar top sexy dance

Hi Seth, yes, confirm CatNip can be a good "xiao qiang" repellant.... 1 of my friend who is doing landscaping told me so, also read from internet... we're going to squash all the "xiao qiang"

YES! Catnip! Catnip! Catnip! We MUST get Catnip! XiaoQiang is my achilles heel I can really go all crazy & hysterical when I see one. I ever had a whole sleptless night with adrenaline pump after trying to kill one & at the same time dodging it in extreme fear

[May_dream1 14]

May's home should be very safe since she has so many pandan plants downstairs........

That's the problem!! All scared to stay downstairs so will climb/fly upstairs.

Must get some to put at home liao... Who willing to help me steal? Haha....

[May_dream1 14]

WoW! That is really sexy & enticing! Ely must have had a lot of practices in front her hubby even tho she claimed "The Husband is too zoned out watching the TV to even notice her Girls Gone Wild version" Must start finding whose house reno include a pole or bar top, then Ely can do pole/bar top sexy dance

oh I forgot to mention, my mirror for living room will arrive this sat. On top of that, I also have a pole to be installed on my island. The purpose of the pole is for my surround sound system. Then we can party at my long island with music and Ely can perform her pole cum island top dancing!!!

[yumiko 0]

wow no walls and door! sis you're GOOD~

moisture can be a real concern like what May mentioned. guess i'd share what i saw in fellow forumer Yumiko's place~

you can see her floor plan here. she has a L-shape wardrobe covering the length of the MBR bathroom. the wardrobe is very close to the bathroom so moisture is surely an issue.

what she did was - she installed a ventilation fan in the bathroom. the result was surprising pleasant and the bathroom can be dried very fast. she doesn't have a dehumidifier at the wardrobe. so far the wardrobe has been good (but it's other parts of her house that had mold problem~ )

the downside is - the bathroom only has one window, so with the ventilation fan, she can't open the window. but if sleek's bathroom is like mine, there should be 2 window panes, so 1 can be closed for installation of ventilation fan and the other can be kept opened~

so sis you may wanna consider this idea~ dehumidifier can be bought anytime, but it's better to install ventilation fan during reno if one wants to~

Oh yeah...the ventilation fan really helps. I like to take hot shower, even when the weather is HOT. When I switch on the fan, the vanity mirror doesnt turn foggy. No issue for the next person to go in straight after hot shower too.

marsh, is ur moldy cabinet resolved with borax?

[marshmallow 0]

WoW! That is really sexy & enticing! Ely must have had a lot of practices in front her hubby even tho she claimed "The Husband is too zoned out watching the TV to even notice her Girls Gone Wild version" Must start finding whose house reno include a pole or bar top, then Ely can do pole/bar top sexy dance

can the vanity top be double-up as a bar top?

YES! Catnip! Catnip! Catnip! We MUST get Catnip! XiaoQiang is my achilles heel I can really go all crazy & hysterical when I see one. I ever had a whole sleptless night with adrenaline pump after trying to kill one & at the same time dodging it in extreme fear

wahahaha seth gotta be the super hero to catch all the xiao qiangs....

That's the problem!! All scared to stay downstairs so will climb/fly upstairs.

Must get some to put at home liao... Who willing to help me steal? Haha....

hmmmmm go down late at night and get some when no one is around... remember to wear all black and be quick.......

is it possible to just cut some pandan leaves and bring home to grow in pot, just like how money plant works?

[marshmallow 0]

Oh yeah...the ventilation fan really helps. I like to take hot shower, even when the weather is HOT. When I switch on the fan, the vanity mirror doesnt turn foggy. No issue for the next person to go in straight after hot shower too.

marsh, is ur moldy cabinet resolved with borax?

hey yumiko! long time no talk! yea thanks for your borax! i'm still "monitoring" so yet to conclude when will the next mold attack strike... so far it's been about a month... praying hard that the irritating molds won't be back so soon!

[manutd1972 1]

the downside is - the bathroom only has one window, so with the ventilation fan, she can't open the window. but if sleek's bathroom is like mine, there should be 2 window panes, so 1 can be closed for installation of ventilation fan and the other can be kept opened~

so sis you may wanna consider this idea~ dehumidifier can be bought anytime, but it's better to install ventilation fan during reno if one wants to~

still can install ventilation fan and yet, open window even if there's only 1 window pane. my ID did that for me.

The window pane is casement type, hinged at the top, so it swings open and upwards. Instead of glass, they use opaque perspex so that they can cut a hole in the centre to fit the ventilation fan.

So when not using fan, can open the window for natural ventilation.

[manutd1972 1]

hmmmmm go down late at night and get some when no one is around... remember to wear all black and be quick.......

is it possible to just cut some pandan leaves and bring home to grow in pot, just like how money plant works?

no, not possible. must have at least some bits of the root. and must place in an area where there is direct sunlight for the plant.

i tried with those that we buy from market or NTUC, typically with the roots cut off, didn't work. My neighbour has 2 pots along the corridor, 1 placed on a stool so that it stands almost at the same height of the parapet, while the other is sitting on the corridor floor, less reachable by direct sunlight. over the course of a couple of months, i witness the lower pot literally die a slow death, from green pandan leaves, wither to brown, leaves. While the higher pot still thriving.

[May_dream1 14]

Bro manutd1972, long time didn't see you online. Thanks for visiting my blog....

[manutd1972 1]

I just started researching on possible options...

Here are some links:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5384759_flowering-plants-repel-insects.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepeta

I rather have a plant to help cultivate my personality and beautify my house, rather than running around with an insecticide.

I remember once my sis was trapped in the bathroom with a FLYING cockroach when bathing... I dunno to cringe or to laugh hearing her scream and spraying water all around

If it is specifically to repel cockroaches, best solution is still Pandan plant if you can find it. Not exactly a nice looking plant, but you can definitely use the leaves for cooking Asian dishes or home made kaya.

my fren shared a solution wif me recently.

she got pandan leaves and folded them into clumps like those you sometimes see in some taxis, den tie them up, and hang them in the rubbish chute. the roaches will avoid your chute. replace the pandan leaves as and when required.