Insects and Mollusks: Natural Enemies of the Blind

You're sound asleep when suddenly you feel something wriggling on your leg, and it turns out to be a cockroach. What would you do? Option one: you'd scream and jump. Option two: you'd quickly get up and grab a spray or a swatter. Option three: you'd stay asleep and ignore it.
Of course, if you chose option three, your sanity would be questionable. Cockroaches are incredibly annoying and disgusting creatures. Now, try to imagine this situation from the perspective of a visually impaired person. While relaxing, if such an insect suddenly appeared, it's easy to imagine them jumping and running away in a panic because they can't see the culprit. But did you know that for a visually impaired person, the presence of insects is often detected first through other senses? Cockroaches, for example, have a distinctive smell. This fishy and pungent odor is very iconic and easily recognizable. The smell will even spread further and cling strongly when the cockroach feels threatened.
Besides smell, the sense of hearing becomes the primary radar. Of course, we might rarely or never hear the sound of a flying cockroach. However, try to imagine other sounds. The sharp buzzing of a large green fly circling erratically near your face, or the hum of a wasp from who knows where. Or, far more unsettling, the subtle rustling sound—kresek, kresek—on a pile of papers, cardboard, or a wooden floor as a centipede or large beetle slowly crawls across the room. These small sounds, which might be ignored by sighted people, become an incredibly loud and disturbing warning alarm for a visually impaired person.
Next, let's turn to the sense of touch. This is where the true horror lies. When the eyes cannot validate the form of a creature, the sensation of touch becomes doubly terrifying. Imagine lying down and suddenly feeling something crawling on your skin. The touch of dozens of sharp little legs from a centipede, or the itchy, stinging hairs of a caterpillar. You try to brush it off, and your fingers accidentally feel an odd, irregular, hairy shape, or touch the slimy, cold texture of snail mucus left on nearby objects. The horror of touching and feeling an unknown creature without knowing its true form can truly trigger extreme panic.
Let's discuss mollusks further. Who isn't squeamish or afraid of snails and similar creatures? Even sighted people often feel disgusted when they find a snail crawling inside their house. So, what happens if that snail enters a visually impaired person's room and slowly crawls onto their leg? Its wet, clinging mucus will leave a truly horrifying sensation.
Furthermore, there are far more dangerous threats, such as creatures like millipedes, centipedes, shell-less snails (leeches), and even scorpions. When these animals are near a visually impaired person, the risk is very high. Centipedes have venomous bites that can cause skin irritation and even severe infection. Scorpions possess venom that is highly lethal to humans. On the other hand, while snails may not be venomous, the sensation of touching a body covered in mucus can cause significant psychological trauma. Even a worm is frightening enough when touched unexpectedly, let alone a leech that can attach to the skin and suck blood without being easily removed.
So, what can a visually impaired person do to deal with the threat of insects and mollusks?
* Maintain Room Cleanliness: Ensure that rooms such as private bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms are cleaned regularly. If you cannot clean them alone, ask for help from others. If you have a partner, it will certainly be easier. You can also rely on parents, siblings, or good friends. Make sure the house remains sterile and clean so that insects, mollusks, and red ants are not attracted to enter.
* Prepare Insect Spray: This is an essential item for dealing with stray insects that enter the house. You simply spray this repellent liquid towards the target, guided by the sound source or the last place you felt it. But remember, be careful with the direction of the spray nozzle. It is very dangerous if you accidentally spray it on your own face.
* Use a Swatter and Gloves: Provide a swatter or rubber gloves to dispose of the carcasses of insects and mollusks that have been eliminated. If you are brave, you can indeed use your bare hands. However, if you feel disgusted by the smell of mucus or are afraid of unknown thorns and poisonous hairs, it is highly recommended to use tools to dispose of them far away.
Why are insects and mollusks so dangerous for visually impaired people? The main reason is that visually impaired individuals cannot visually perceive the physical form and movement direction of these animals, coupled with their generally small size. Even sighted people are often caught off guard by fire ant bites.
Here are some of the main dangers of insects and mollusks for visually impaired people:
* Venom and Poison: Extremely dangerous to health as they can cause poisoning, trigger illnesses, or lead to skin infections upon contact.
* Physical Form and the Horror of Touch: Animals like millipedes or caterpillars have textures that can pierce the skin and are difficult to remove. When touched, their shapes feel very unnatural. Just imagining touching the texture of such tiny creatures is horrifying, let alone imagining these animals being the size of land mammals.
* Entry into Body Openings: Insects or mollusks can infiltrate body parts such as ear canals, nostrils, or even the mouth when someone is sound asleep. It is truly terrifying if creatures like them enter the mouth.
* Causing Psychological Trauma: The presence of these animals can trigger anxiety and trauma. Even if the animal has been removed, a visually impaired person might repeatedly ask, "Are there still insects in my bed?" You answer no. Some time later, they will ask again. Even when wanting to shower, they will ask, "Please check, are there any animals in the bathroom?" and you have to answer by shouting, "No!" This situation seems to create a rather intriguing yet exhausting crisis of trust.
Therefore, the main key is to ensure home cleanliness. A visually impaired person, along with their family members and friends, must ensure that the house remains clean and sterile from bothersome animals. Always keep insect spray on hand as a precaution, as well as a swatter and gloves for disposing of carcasses. Remember, even though they are relatively small, insects and mollusks can not only physically harm the body but also terrorize one's senses and psychological state.