Ages ago I blogged about my experiences with Parktown Prawns.
I have just approved a comment from Mike on that post that I couldn’t help but republishing.
We found out about parktown prawns the hard way. One morning, my father woke up one morning and opened his eyes to see the underneath of a large adult prawn sitting on his face. Well, let me just say that his head hit the light fitting.
Since then, I have had a few incidents. I put on shoes, tied the laces and only then did I feel something walking around on my foot. I’m so glad I wear socks with shoes.
A few days ago, I put on a pair of jeans and sat down to put my shoes on and felt a prick in the side of my leg, like a black jack or something. So I rubbed it a bit and the spikey feeling moved all the way down my leg as I prodded at it until a small parktown prawn popped out the bottom.
In the last two weeks, I have had at least one parktown prawn in my house every 2 days. I must have a nest in the garden and my stupid cats seem to enjoy bringing them in to play.
I think the best way to get rid of them is with a tennis racket, a container that can close and a brick. (This is a two man approach):
Step1:
Approach slowly with the tennis racket while your partner stands by with the container and lid.
Step 2:
Prod the prawn to make it jump.
Step 3:
When it jumps, take a full swing with the racket, if you hit it against the wall hard enough, you may knock it out temporarily.
Step 4:
Quickly, get the prawn in the container before it recovers, move fast, it does not take long.
Step 5:
Find a solid piece of ground outside, this is the messy part.
Step 6:
Shake the container rapidly to knock the prawn out and chuck it on the ground.
Step 7:
Flatten the prawn with the brick.
Step 8:
Clean up the mess before the other prawns find out.
Step 9:
Run inside and lock all the doors and windows.
Step 10:
Seek councelling..
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claudie 10:42 am on October 17, 2008 Permalink
I absolutely hate summer because of all the goggas that come out at thi time of the year, especially parktown prawns. Can someboby please tell me how to get rid of these gross creatures. I have tried snail bait, it worked for a while but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything anymore.
I don’t sleep at night because I fear waking up with one in my bed or on my pillow. I find that I am always tired because of not sleeping and all I hear all night is their constant noise from my garden. Please Help!!!!
Michelle 1:54 pm on October 28, 2008 Permalink
Hi. I had my first encounter with these disgusting!!!! alien-like!!!! yucky things two nights ago and EVERY night since then. I am a single mother with a son of 6years old!!! We hardly sleep at night either. I am so afraid TERRIFIED of being confronted by these things. I also found that the only way to kill these things is by throwing something hard on it and stomping on it!!! I’m a hefty girl and this morning not even my weight helped kill it!!!! I had to actually throw a brick on top of the thing to make sure that it was DEAD!!! All I know is - I want to move from where I am staying!!!!! they are horrible scarey creatures and anybody who hasn’t experienced it wouldn’t understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kim 1:59 pm on November 12, 2008 Permalink
Eeeiw! I had a 45 minute war with a Parkie this morning - horrible horrible !! Eventually, a whole tin of Doom ( a large tin) sprayed directly onto the parkie whilst it was in a small space (under the sewing table - so the gap was rather small..) and this helped kill this horrible creature! Anyone watching would have a classic for candid camera…. I dread going home - there are about 15 tupperware containers ( I don’t know why I bother with them because I cannot get close enought to put the container on top of the horrible creature!!), shoes, empty tims of Doom , Target and the like…. I can feel them all over my skin - they are my worst nightmare come true! I hate the rains because it brings these horrible things out…. I was all alone - no-one to even protect and be brave about…. so I screamed and sprayed the thing to death…… My worst nightmare may still come true - maybe when I get hiome, he is not under the sewing table… EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK !!
jenine 2:06 pm on November 24, 2008 Permalink
Eish.. Where exactly in Jhb are these horrid things prominent. I don’t live near Jhb nor do I want to.. I’m terrified of these insects! As Kim says… a nightmare come true.. It’s boiling hot today.. yet the mere thought of them sends shivers down my spine… Please someone tell me.. If I ever visit the Lovely city of Jozi.. what areas do I avoid???????? PLEEEEEEASE!!!!!
Dee 11:37 pm on February 3, 2009 Permalink
Hi there
I stay on the West Rand (Honeydew Area) and we have alot of these yukky park town prawns especially when it rains. I really want to move as I cannot handle them. If there is one around, I scream for my husband to get rid of it.(the only way that seems to work (without getting goo all over u) is to take a plastic packet inside out, grab them so that they are inside the packet. Tie it tightly and throw away. They are absolutely ghastly and scare me to bits…….(they also stink quite badly..they let off a smell when threatened)…i want to move because of them..they are like aliens or something..hideous creatures!!!!
I am going to move back to CT!!!!!!!!!! We have one in the house somewhere. They are extremely fast…one minute they are here and the next minute gone….never ever in my life have I seen such ugly things….well now u know.
VAUGHAN 12:58 pm on February 9, 2009 Permalink
Easiest way to kill a parktown prawn is to get sunlight liquid, throw a bit over its face and the thing will suffocate, trust me tried and tested