I keep a very clean apartment, especially since I’m working from home a lot. But last week, we saw our very first cockroach in the kitchen when the boyfriend’s parents came to visit. (What a time to make an appearance, seriously!) And then we saw another, running across our kitchen table.
And then another between the kitchen and the guest bedroom.
And then another in the guest bedroom last night.
!!!!!
They come out in the evenings when we’re out and this week I’ve been coming home this way: opening the door very quietly…..AND THEN TURNING ON ALL THE LIGHTS IN A FLURRY, SCREAMING AND YELLING “COCKROACH! COCKROACH!” AS I RUN THROUGH THE APARTMENT LOOKING FOR THEM.
Enough.
Today I went to the store.
But where did these roaches come from?
Our apartment is new and we rarely open windows during this summer heat.
I did some investigating and found out that the boyfriend had left the windows open that same Wednesday when his parents arrived. (It’s not his fault. Repeat, it’s not his fault.) They must have come through the window that night. The security guard downstairs also told us that the very same night a new resident moved in upstairs. It’s possible the roaches were stirring during the big move and migrated to our apartment during that time.
It’s not uncommon to have cockroaches in Hong Kong. But it’s something I’m not used to. Let’s see if this stuff from the store works. :/
4 comments
Patrick Ma says:
Aug 5, 2010
i know i am extremely lucky as i have yet to see a cockroach in my apartment unit in nyc yet. i’ve seen their carcasses in the basement by the laundry room, i know i would NOT like it one bit though if i saw one in my kitchen or living area. Our clean canadian home sheltered us
KT says:
Sep 1, 2010
Ohhh dear, I remember those things. I tried and tried – kept everything spotless, and honestly, bleached the crap out of my entire apartment in Beijing and they still kept coming back. There was this horrible thing you could buy – a cockroach bomb that you would actually light and then leave for a few hours and that seemed to be the only thing that really killed them all. Probably illegal in Canada but it worked!
Hope you kill the suckers!
K
Suzanne says:
Sep 2, 2010
Good news! I think I’ve killed the last of them. Haven’t seen a roach in 2 weeks — no infestation, it seems. Just some invaders from another apartment… fingers crossed!!
Peter says:
Sep 3, 2010
I had cockroaches in my apartment in Toronto! As my grandfather said “I’ve had worse roommates.”
Not to make you paranoid, but they often come up through the drain or in a hole under the sink etc so the open window may not be the culprit. Don’t blame him.