Using a piece of wire, a car window sticker, an egg carton, and any inexpensive hardware store item, create something that would solve a problem. Tell us about your creating, but don't worry: we won't require proof that it works. (John Hopkins)
"Snap, snap!", or rather, "khachak, khachak." That's the sound I imagine myself hearing every time the egg carton snaps shut. Global warming, a lack of non-renewable resources and deforestation are problems that I think about quite regularly, but one problem that is closest to my heart is mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are a big problem. When living in a humid and not-so-clean city like Delhi, the constant buzzing in my ears is frustrating, even more at night. Thus, mosquitoes have made it on my hit list (which is surprisingly short). The only problem: my beliefs. I've been brought up learning that killing is bad, and that the only solution to getting rid of mosquitoes is to apply mosquito repellent (which never seems to work) or shoo the mosquito away with a book, which always turns out to be futile, because the mosquitoes seem to have a weird sixth sense that tells them when they can return.Unfortunately for them, I've solved the problem (or I'd like to believe so). If I'm not allowed to kill them, I can always catch them.
Using an egg carton as a venus flytrap-type device, the mosquito will only be trapped and not killed. Begin by cutting the (presumably) long wire in half. Pierce one into the top and the other into the bottom part of the carton. Once it penetrates the cardboard, turn the ends of the wire that are inside the box so that they create a small coil of metal that cannot go out through the hole again. Using the car window sticker (which I'm assuming is quite sticky), hold the wire in place by cutting the sticker into small pieces and sticking it around the place where the wire and the surface of the box meet and are perpendicular to each other. This will prevent the wire from moving. Then, buy a paint which is dark in color (preferably dark blue or black) and paint the inside of the egg carton. For this invention to work, the carton should be kept open by pulling the two protruding wires (from the top and the bottom of the carton) together. Dark shades are known to attract mosquitoes, so the mosquitoes will hopefully enter the carton. Once the mosquito seems to have entered deep inside the carton (or as much towards the inside as it can), snap the two ends of the carton shut by separating the wires (which you will be holding in your hand). The box can even close by just letting go of the top of the carton, as it will return to its original position (closed), trapping the mosquito inside. The trapped mosquito can then be let out outside or killed (preferably the former option).
This creation is very personal. It is personal to my beliefs and faith. I don't believe in deliberately killing living things, and as tempted as I would normally be to get a rid of the pest (mosquito) with just one quick reflex clap, I'd rather choose another option. This creation gives me the freedom to give or take a life, regardless of how small it might be considered. This mosquito catcher is a win-win situation for me, and to an extent, the mosquito. I can get rid of my problem without killing it, and the mosquito can escape and go find its next victim as I'm not going to kill it, but just release it far, very far from me.
I'm thinking, but more than that, hoping that this would remove mosquitoes from my hit list. Maybe it can remove them off of yours, too.
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