Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Won't Miss #21 - cockroaches (reflection)


As I mentioned in my original post, there are roaches everywhere in the world, but the ones I encountered in Japan were bigger and more plentiful. Nothing in my experience since returning has changed that perception. In fact, since coming home, and living in three different places and two different states, I haven't seen one roach. Of course, I haven't hung out in many seedy dives or back alleys full of dumpsters, but there are dumpsters in my current apartment complex with nary a roach in sight. The fact that I have not seen roach motels or special roach killing spray prominently displayed in stores in the summer (which was always the case in Tokyo) supports the idea that it's just not that big a problem here.

The weather in Tokyo as well as the close proximity of people meant that roaches were something I was never going to escape no matter how clean I kept my place or how trash was managed. I absolutely am happy not to have to deal with them anymore. 
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

8 comments:

  1. ἈντισθένηςMay 7, 2013 at 4:38 PM

    Still remember taking a swipe at one with a paper in my kitchen almost twenty years ago, and the thing FLEW AWAY! They don't fly in Toronto, what few there are. Invested heavily in 'roach motels' and they nearly disappeared. My kids seem to have all their chromosomes...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Orchid64May 7, 2013 at 5:38 PM

    I don't think I ever saw them fly in America either, but I had so little experience with them that it probably isn't a fair judgment. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JustMeMay 7, 2013 at 6:48 PM

      The common American Cockroach, or waterbug, develops the ability to fly during the final stages of it's adult life. In the immature (nymph) stage, American cockroaches are wingless and incapable of flight. Adults have useful wings and can fly for short distances. If they start from a high place, such as a tree, they can glide for some distance. However, despite their ability to do so, American cockroaches aren’t regular fliers. They can run very fast and, when frightened, these insects more commonly scatter on foot.

      Delete
    2. JustMeMay 7, 2013 at 6:54 PM

      They are mostly prevalent in urban areas in the North during the summer time and pretty much all over the South from late spring to early winter depending on the climate.

      Delete
  3. UnknownMay 7, 2013 at 6:07 PM

    We have huge, flying roaches here in Georgia. I see them daily at my school (it's a very rundown, dirty place) and ugh, I hate them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JiyuuMay 7, 2013 at 8:31 PM

    Flying cockroaches -- in my experience, the only thing which can consistently make even the machoest of grown men scream, run and cower in fear.

    ReplyDelete
  5. PaulMay 7, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Cockroaches are really something I hate about living in Japan. Since I'm from the freezing state of Minnesota I had never seen one in my house before. Quite a shock the first time I saw one on the wall of my apartment here.

    Just moved to a new place though that was built this year so I'm hoping it will be a bit more roach-proof than the old previous apartment. Fingers crossed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BelthazarMay 9, 2013 at 4:13 PM

    I regularly see cockroaches here in Australia - they go skittering over the footpaths after dark. Ironically, even though they're the most unpleasant, it's the flying ones that you need to worry the LEAST about, because it's most likely they just flew in the window. The little ones are the ones to be concerned about, because they mean you've got an infestation.

    Conversely, I didn't see a single one when I was in Japan. But then, I was only there for two weeks, and I didn't exactly go looking for them. =P

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated and will not show up immediately. If you want to make sure that your comment survives moderation, be respectful. Pretend you're giving feedback to your boss and would like a raise when you're speaking. Comments that reflect anger or a bad attitude on the part of the poster will not be posted. I strongly recommend reading the posts "What This Blog Is and Is Not" and "Why There Were No Comments" (in the sidebar under "FYI") before commenting.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)