Sat on our new sofa, in our new place, Albie sat in-between us, glass of champagne in hand, we felt pretty relaxed.
It was fantastic to be in our own space, and re-united with the boy.
Good times!
It was fantastic to be in our own space, and re-united with the boy.
Good times!
I got up and went to the loo.
Closing the bathroom door, I saw something move around the door frame. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something else move the other side of the frame...
Closing the bathroom door, I saw something move around the door frame. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something else move the other side of the frame...
I stood fixed to the spot, trying to compute what it was. Slowly, my brain registered: the moving things were... a number of cockroaches, crawling over the door. As the realization dawned, I became aware of something moving underneath my right foot.
Lifting it up, another cockroach scuttled away.
I would say I screamed, but I don't scream, rather I make a weird, strangle yelp noise.
So I did that.
And ran into the sitting room.
Lifting it up, another cockroach scuttled away.
I would say I screamed, but I don't scream, rather I make a weird, strangle yelp noise.
So I did that.
And ran into the sitting room.
Jumping up and down and doing that strange noise in front of T, I eventually managed to get the word, "cockroach' out of my mouth. We both went back to the scene, and the more we peered, the more we saw...
We had laid down some cardboard boxes to protect the hall floor from all the deliveries that day, and we saw a cockroach scuttle across this, so pulled it back...and unearthed even more of the critters!!
Luckily, when we were shopping at the supermarket the previous day, T had thrown a can of bug spray into the trolley. We hadn't for an instant thought we would be putting it to good use quite as soon.
With Albie shut in the bedroom - much to his annoyance - this spray was used...and used....and used again. It worked, thankfully, and they were soon dead.
We swept up over 25 cockroaches, of various sizes.
With Albie shut in the bedroom - much to his annoyance - this spray was used...and used....and used again. It worked, thankfully, and they were soon dead.
We swept up over 25 cockroaches, of various sizes.
On going to bed, we checked the place and couldn't see any more, but the fact they were somewhere meant we didn't sleep very well, as every hair tickling our face or slight itch on our feet we thought was a cockroach.
We eventually fell asleep.
Not so long after we were woken up by Albie. He had been asleep on our bed, but had suddenly jumped down onto the floor and we could tell from the sound of the bell on his collar that he was playing with something.
Uh oh.
Yes he was playing with a cockroach. In the bedroom. It was a pretty big 'roach at that.
It scuttled under the suitcase, but was duly dispatched by T, who then went into the bathroom and killed anther ten or so.
We eventually fell asleep.
Not so long after we were woken up by Albie. He had been asleep on our bed, but had suddenly jumped down onto the floor and we could tell from the sound of the bell on his collar that he was playing with something.
Uh oh.
Yes he was playing with a cockroach. In the bedroom. It was a pretty big 'roach at that.
It scuttled under the suitcase, but was duly dispatched by T, who then went into the bathroom and killed anther ten or so.
A couple of hours later we woke up to hear Albie playing with something again, this time under the bed.
A feeling of dread rose up from our stomachs.
Armed with the torch on his phone, T took a deep breath and peered under the bed...
Albie was playing with...
...his rubber toy ball!
A feeling of dread rose up from our stomachs.
Armed with the torch on his phone, T took a deep breath and peered under the bed...
Albie was playing with...
...his rubber toy ball!
Pest control were swiftly called the next day, but as no one was allowed to walk on the path due to the work being done on it, we had to wait for them to come on Friday.
We waited anxiously for the evening to come.
There were a couple of open drains in the bathroom - one for the shower obviously, but another one in the middle of the floor. We taped them up, figuring the 'roaches came up from there - that was the only place we could think of.
That night there were about 8 or 9 of the critters, but compared to the heaving mass the night before, that was nothing!
We waited anxiously for the evening to come.
There were a couple of open drains in the bathroom - one for the shower obviously, but another one in the middle of the floor. We taped them up, figuring the 'roaches came up from there - that was the only place we could think of.
That night there were about 8 or 9 of the critters, but compared to the heaving mass the night before, that was nothing!
The pest control guy came out on Friday morning and sprayed the perimeter of the apartment (including the terrace). This was however, not before he had educated us about the different specious of cockroach.
Have you ever heard that cockroaches are the only animal which could survive an atomic bomb? Well, it's not just any cockroach that could do this, the bomb would kill most species of cockroach, apart from the German cockroach.
The German cockroach is a whole different deal.
When it feels danger it spreads it's eggs. They hatch, and when they feel danger, they shed their eggs, and so on and so on. Needless to say if they get on your apartment they are pretty hard to get rid of.
He didn't think we had German cockroaches though.
Needless to say: a humungous sigh of relief.
Have you ever heard that cockroaches are the only animal which could survive an atomic bomb? Well, it's not just any cockroach that could do this, the bomb would kill most species of cockroach, apart from the German cockroach.
The German cockroach is a whole different deal.
When it feels danger it spreads it's eggs. They hatch, and when they feel danger, they shed their eggs, and so on and so on. Needless to say if they get on your apartment they are pretty hard to get rid of.
He didn't think we had German cockroaches though.
Needless to say: a humungous sigh of relief.
That was a week ago (I know, bad blogger, sorry.) We have not been rid of the little critters though. They die, but not before having a run across the floor.
They have been in the cutlery drawer.
I found one in my boot.
There was a mad dash one night at the weekend just as we sat down to eat, one came zooming towards us. Cue food moved away, cushions flung off the sofa, the sofa been turned upside down as it proceeded to cling onto the underneath. Albie was trying to catch it, jumping when it got too close to him; I was trying to bat it with a shoe, jumping away when it got too close to me; all the while T holding the sofa up.
A little pandemonium ensued, but eventually it met it's end with the shoe..
They have been in the cutlery drawer.
I found one in my boot.
There was a mad dash one night at the weekend just as we sat down to eat, one came zooming towards us. Cue food moved away, cushions flung off the sofa, the sofa been turned upside down as it proceeded to cling onto the underneath. Albie was trying to catch it, jumping when it got too close to him; I was trying to bat it with a shoe, jumping away when it got too close to me; all the while T holding the sofa up.
A little pandemonium ensued, but eventually it met it's end with the shoe..
I didn't mind cockroaches that much beforehand; but in that quantity, running in every direction, at speed, has firmly put me off them. Now just the thought of the little critters makes me feel sick. However I get the feeling, especially living in this country, I will be seeing quite a few more.
Still, however unpleasant I think they are; we are all just glad they aren't spiders...