- Aloha!
A person who goes by the name of "Anonymous" posted
a question on the Affordable Paradise Blog about the possibility
of using sonic critter repellents to get relief from coqui. A
few years back, I did some extensive research on using sonic
devices on all sorts of small critters, and about 90% of the
reviews felt the whole thing was a hoax.
-
- Those who said
that they had no more problems after installing a device also
noted that the test was inconclusive in that the critters might
not have returned without the device.
-
- For the time
being, citric acid is about our only dependable weapon, but we
are finding that each new generation of frogs is becoming a bit
more resistant to the chemical. So now we're having to mix it
about 25% stronger, and at the same time, all of the suppliers
are busy raising their prices in reflection of the higher need.
Not a very aloha response from our business community, but that
also seems to be going by the wayside with many businesses here.
Even local businesses seem to finding it within their notion
of integrity to charge what the traffic will bear.
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- We have a near-nightly
ritual of spraying each new day's crop of frogs as they appear.
Sometimes, if the weather is cold or dry, we get a break for
a day or three, but they make up for it when it starts raining
again and they are everywhere.
-
- And yes, there
are lots of people hear who claim to not even hear the frogs,
although that is unfathomable to us. We could live with the millions
that are ensconced in the forest across the street from us. That
noise, now that there are literally millions of them, is such
a drone of sound that it kind of goes away. It's the individual
frogs, the ones in our yard, that drive us nuts.
-
- They are also
getting way harder to kill with each generation. If there's anyone
out there who does not believe in "the survival of the fittest,"
and how this plays out in the evolution of a species, then they
should observe these frogs. Two or three years ago we could walk
right up to a screeching frog and either grab him or spray him.
Now they are so extremely sensitive to our movements that there
can be one or two right outside our house, and all we need do
is quietly open the door and they stop. They will not start up
again until you are well gone. It's really frustrating to keep
them under control now.
-
- Oh, and they
are also getting bigger.
-
- I don't know
how typical we are in our efforts (among the minority who care
enough to do anything about their infestations), but we spend
about $70 a month on citric acid now, and some five to ten hours
a week trying to kill frogs. It's not even a little bit fun,
either.
-
- "Anonymous's"
solution was to move to Waimea. That would be one way to get
away from the noise, but then there are always trade-offs. Waimea
gets really cold, and I'm not sure I'd trade noise for cold .
. .
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- Waimea also
has the highest prices on the Island for just about everything.
Waimea is too far from the ocean for us, and it feels more like
Oregon than Hawaii. That's the "wet side" of Waimea;
the "dry side" feels like the Nevada desert, prickly-pear
cacti and all!
-
- Then again,
what Waimea does have going for it is that it is a great community
of community-minded people. The ambiance there is way different
from any other community on the Island. As I always recommend,
if you think you want to live here, spend some time in every
community or town that interests you. Each has its own distinctive
personality. Some will invite you; others will repel you. It's
not at all like moving from one town to another on the mainland.
More like moving from Memphis to Boston, or maybe San Francisco
to DeMoine.
- Much Aloha!
- Skip
-
- ________________________________________
- You are also
welcome to check in to the Affordable
Paradise Blog. and talk story about your concerns. You can read
some of the many postings there and learn from the conversations
of others, too. You can also go on konaweb.com and punaweb.org
and either participate in the discussions or just eavesdrop for
a while!
-
- We wish you
all the best, and never forget to
- ~~~~
- Please
Live Aloha!
-
-
- Mahalo for
"listening."
- Skip Thomsen
& Ohana
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