Oku kungenxa yobushushu behlobo obuphezulu kunobuqhelekileyo (obukhokelele ekwandeni kwenani leempukane, ezithi ke zona zibe ngumthombo wokutya kwezigcawu), kunye neemvula zakuqala ezingaqhelekanga kwinyanga ephelileyo, ezibuyisele izigcawu emakhayeni ethu. Imvula ikwabangele ukuba amaxhoba ezigcawu abanjiswe kwiintambo zazo, nto leyo ekhokelele ekwandeni kwenani lezigcawu.
Abanye abemi basemantla baxela ukuba babona izigcawu ezifikelela kwiisentimitha eziyi-7.5 ubude zingena emakhayeni abo—ngokwaneleyo ukubangela ukungcangcazela emqolo kwabantu abaninzi.
Ezi meko zemozulu zikhokelele kwiindaba eziphambili ezifana nezithi “Izigcawu Ezinkulu Nezilambileyo Ezinokubangela Ii-Alarm Zokugqekeza Zingena Emakhayeni Ethu.”
Oku kubhekisa kuisilingo sezigcawu zendlu ezingamadoda (ezikuhlobo lweTegenaria) ukuze zingene kwizakhiwo zifuna ubushushu, indawo yokuhlala kunye namaqabane.
Kakade ke, uninzi lweentlobo zezigcawu ezingaphezu kwama-670 ezivela e-UK azihlali zingena emakhayeni ethu. Uninzi lwazo luhlala endle, njengee-hedgerows kunye namahlathi, ngelixa izigcawu ze-raft zihlala phantsi kwamanzi.
Kodwa ukuba uyifumana ekhayeni lakho, ungoyiki. Nangona ezi zidalwa zinoboya zinokubonakala zisoyikisa kancinci, zinomdla kakhulu kunokuba zoyikise.
Kodwa zama ukuthetha nomfazi wam, okanye nezigidi zabantu abanengxaki ye-arachnophobia engenangqondo (ekwaziwa ngokuba yi-arachnophobia).
Olu loyiko ludla ngokudluliselwa kubazali ukuya ebantwaneni. Nangona abantwana bethanda ukuthabatha izigcawu baze bazibonise abazali babo, bebuza uluvo lwabo, ukuba impendulo yokuqala yabantu abadala kukukhwaza ngoloyiko, kusenokwenzeka ukuba abasayi kuphinda bachukumise isigcawu.
Abanye bathi ukoyika kwabantu izigcawu kungenxa yokuba abantu bamandulo, ngexesha lokuvela kwezinto, bafunda ukuqaphela naziphi na izidalwa ezingaziwayo.
Nangona kunjalo, njengoko ingcali yesigcawu uHelen Smith esitsho, izigcawu ziyahlonitshwa kunokuba zithiywe kwiinkcubeko ezininzi, nangona zihlala phakathi kweentlobo ezibulalayo nezinobuthi.
Esinye isizathu sokuba izigcawu zisoyikeka sisantya sazo. Enyanisweni, zihamba malunga nekhilomitha enye ngeyure kuphela. Kodwa xa kuthelekiswa nobukhulu bazo, ukuba isigcawu sasekhaya besilingana nomntu, ngokuqinisekileyo besiya kubaleka sidlule u-Usain Bolt!
Enyanisweni, ukuvela kwezinto kwenze izigcawu zikhawuleze kwaye zingalindelwanga ukuba ziphephe izilwanyana ezizingelayo ezifana neekati neentaka. Musa ukoyika xa ubona isigcawu; endaweni yoko, ncoma ubomi bazo obumangalisayo.
UHelen Smith uthi: “Ukufunda ukuqaphela amabhinqa (amakhulu) kukuqala kokuqonda amabali awo obomi angaqhelekanga kwaye kunceda ukuguqula uloyiko lube ngumdla.”
Izigcawu ezingamabhinqa zihlala zifikelela kubude obuziisentimitha ezintandathu, umlenze ngamnye ufikelela kubude obuziisentimitha enye, ubude obuziisentimitha ezintathu. Izigcawu ezingamaduna zincinci kwaye zinemilenze emide.
Enye indlela yokuzahlula kukujonga "iintente" zenkunzi: iiprojektha ezimbini ezincinci ezisuka entloko kwaye zisetyenziselwa ukuva izinto.
Ezi tentacles zidlala indima ebalulekileyo ekuzaleni. Ngaphambi kokuba ifumane imazi, isigcawu esiyindoda sikhupha ithontsi lesidoda size silifunxe kwi-tentacles yaso nganye. Isenokungabi yinto yothando, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo iyasebenza. Izigcawu eziziimazi ziphila ixesha elide—iminyaka emibini nangaphezulu—kodwa zihlala zifihla kwiinwebu zazo, ezihlala zifumaneka kwiikona ezimnyama zeegaraji okanye kwiishedi, nangona zinokuvela ekhayeni lakho.
Ngaphandle kwezigcawu zasekhaya, ungadibana nezigcawu ezinemilenze emide, ezithiywe ngegama lazo ngenxa yokufana kwazo neempukane ezinemilenze emide (okanye ii-centipedes), ezikwayizinambuzane eziqhelekileyo ekwindla.
Abemi bezinye iindawo ezisemantla baxela ukuba babona izigcawu ezifikelela kwiisentimitha eziyi-7.5 ubude zingena emakhayeni abo.
Nangona esi sigcawu sithathwa njengesinobuthi obuyingozi kakhulu kunaso nasiphi na isidalwa eBritane, ngethamsanqa, umlomo waso mncinci kakhulu ukuba ungagqobhoza ulusu lomntu. Njengezinye izinto ezininzi ezibizwa ngokuba “ziinyani” ngezigcawu, ibango lokuba ziyingozi ebantwini liyintsomi nje yasezidolophini. Liyinyaniso elokuba esi sigcawu sibonakala sibuthathaka sinokubulala ixhoba elikhulu kakhulu (kuquka nezigcawu zasekhaya) ngesibetho saso, kodwa akukho mfuneko yokukhathazeka.
Izicabucabu ezinemilenze emide zaziswa e-UK zivela eYurophu ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20 kwaye ukususela ngoko ziye zasasazeka kumantla eNgilani, eWales naseScotland, ikakhulu ngokukhwela ifenitshala kwiiveni zokuhambisa.
Kwiminyaka emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi yesiBini, ingcali yezigcawu uBill Bristol yahambahamba kweli lizwe, ihlola amagumbi eendwendwe kwaye ifunda uluhlu lwezigcawu.
Ungabona ukuba isigcawu sihlala ekhayeni lakho ngokujonga kwiikona zesilingi, ingakumbi kumagumbi apholileyo anje ngegumbi lokuhlambela. Ukuba ubona iwebu ebhityileyo, egeleza inendawo yesigcawu ngaphakathi, ungayibhoboza kancinci ngepensile—isigcawu siya kushukuma ngokukhawuleza umzimba waso wonke, esiwusebenzisela ukuphepha izilwanyana ezidla ezinye kunye nokuphazamisa amaxhoba.
Esi sigcawu sisenokubonakala singabonakali, kodwa imilenze yaso emide iyasivumela ukuba sikhuphe iintambo ezinamathelayo size sibambe naliphi na ixhoba elidlulayo.
Esi sinambuzane ngoku sixhaphakile kumazantsi eNgilane, kwaye ukulunywa kwaso kunokuba buhlungu kakhulu - kufana nokulunywa yinyosi - kodwa njengezinye izilwanyana ezirhubuluzayo, asinabundlongondlongo; kufuneka sivuselelwe ukuze sihlasele.
Kodwa oko kwaba yeyona nto imbi kakhulu ababenokuyenza. Ngethamsanqa, iingxelo zeqela lezigcawu ezibulalayo ezihlasela abantu abadlulayo zajika zaba yintsomi nje.
Izigcawu kufuneka zikhuthazwe: zintle, zinceda ekubulaleni izinambuzane, kwaye zichitha ixesha elininzi nathi kunokuba ucinga.
Ndiyavumelana naye. Kodwa ndicela ungamxeleli umfazi wam ukuba ndimema izigcawu endlwini, kungenjalo ndiza kuba nengxaki enkulu.
Ngelishwa, xa ukhulula isigcawu, ukuhamba komoya akunakutshintshwa - unokushukunyiswa kuphela uphume kwisixhobo, nto leyo engelula kangako.
Le yi-vacuum straw esebenza ngebhetri ye-9-volt. Ubude bufanelekile ukubamba isigcawu ngobude bengalo, kodwa ububanzi baso babubonakala buncinci kum. Ndiyizamile kwisigcawu esiphakathi esasinyuke eludongeni kwaye sizimele emva kwesakhelo somfanekiso. Nangona ukufunxa kwakungaqinanga kangako, ukucinezela nje isigcawu kumphezulu wesigcawu kwakwanele ukuyikhupha ngaphandle kokubangela monakalo.
Ngelishwa, xa ukhulula isigcawu, awunakutshintsha indlela umoya ohamba ngayo—endaweni yoko, kufuneka usishukumise uphume kwisixhobo, nto leyo engeyonkqubo ikhawulezayo.
Isebenza ngendlela efanayo nokugquma ikhadi leposi ngeglasi, kodwa isiphatho esingama-intshi angama-24 sigcina ezo zinambuzane zincinci zikhathazayo zingafikeleleki.
Ukubamba isigcawu phantsi kulula. Gquma nje isigcawu ngesiciko seplastiki esicacileyo uze utyibilize ucango olusezantsi ngaphantsi. Isiciko seplastiki esincinci asiyi konakalisa imilenze yesigcawu xa sivalwa. Nangona kunjalo, khumbula ukuba ucango lubuthathaka kwaye ngamanye amaxesha alubambeki ngokukhuselekileyo, ngoko isigcawu sinokuzama ukubaleka.
Le ndlela iyasebenza logama nje isigcawu singashukumi; kungenjalo, unokuthi usinqumle imilenze yaso okanye usityumze.
Esi sisixhobo esiqinileyo nesincinci esikwaziyo ukubamba izilwanyana ezirhubuluzayo ezincinci ukuya kweziphakathi. Sisebenza kakuhle ukuba isigcawu asisebenzi kakhulu, kungenjalo unokuthi usinqumle imilenze yaso okanye usityumze. Nje ukuba isigcawu sivaleleke, ucango lweplastiki eluhlaza luphakama lula, lubambe isigcawu ngaphakathi ukuze sikhululeke ngokukhuselekileyo.
Esi sithintelo sezinambuzane sifana nesibhamu sakudala se-flintlock kwaye sisebenzisa inkqubo yokufunxa. Siza nethotshi ye-LED eluncedo ukukunceda ufumane kwaye ubambe ezi zidalwa zincinci kwiikona ezimnyama. Sisebenza ngeebhetri ezimbini ze-AA, kwaye nangona ukufunxa kungenamandla kangako, siphumelele ekukhupheni isicabucabu esiphakathi kwikhabhathi yam. Esi sithintelo sinomatshini wokutshixa ukuthintela izinambuzane ukuba zingaphumi. Nangona kunjalo, ngenxa yokuba ububanzi bombhobho buyi-1.5 intshi kuphela, ndixhalabile ukuba izicabucabu ezikhulu zisenokungakwazi ukungena ngaphakathi.
Le mveliso iqulethe i-permethrin kunye ne-tetrafluoroethylene, ezibulala kungekuphela nje izigcawu kodwa nezinye izinambuzane, kuquka iinyosi. Ingasetyenziswa ngaphakathi nangaphandle kwaye ayishiyi ntsalela, intsalela enamathelayo, okanye ivumba elibi, kodwa andikwazi ukubulala izigcawu ezingenabungozi.
Nje ukuba isinambuzane sibanjwe, kuyacetyiswa ukuba “sityumze”. Ndiyifumana le ndlela iyasebenza, kodwa andiyithandi.
Le mithi yezinambuzane inemigibe emithathu enamathelayo egoqeka ibe “ziindlu” ezincinci ezizinxantathu ukuze ibambe kungekuphela nje izigcawu kodwa neembovane, iintwala zomthi, iiphela, iibhungane, kunye nezinye izinambuzane ezirhubuluzayo. Le migibe ayinabungozi kwaye ikhuselekile kubantwana nakwizilwanyana zasekhaya. Nangona kunjalo, ndiyisebenzise eyam iveki yonke kwaye andizange ndibambe nanye inambuzane.
Ngoko ke, zeziphi ezinye iindlela zendalo zokususa izigcawu endlwini? Kuthiwa ii-chestnut zamahashe ezibekwe efestileni ziyazigxotha izigcawu. Abathengisi be-eBay abanomdla sele beqaphele oku: ii-chestnut zamahashe zingabiza ukuya kuthi ga kwi-£20 ngekhilogram.
Ixesha leposi: Novemba-21-2025