Gokiburi

One of the joys about living in a heavily built-up metropolis is the wildlife. I am particularly blessed to be able to see some of it in my very own home. I'm talking about cockroaches.

Uggh, I hate them. They come out more actively in the rainy season and in summer - they like warm weather, garbage, and dark places, and they'll multiply when they find a dirty living area. My apartment is usually fairly clean (well, rather messy, but no mounds of unwashed dishes or rotting food), so I blame my neighbours.

Fortunately, there are various products available to kill them.

1: The direct method

If you see one and want its IMMEDIATE DEATH, bust out the bug spray. This is effective but not so good for preventing more cockroaches in the future.

2: Cockroach houses

These are little cardboard contraptions; basically can buy and assemble a little 'house', with a very sticky 'floor'. You put an attractant, which smells good to the cockroaches, on the 'floor', and then leave the house. In theory, cockroaches will be attracted to the house, come in, and then be unable to leave, as their feet stick to the ground. 

Perversely, the 'houses' I bought are emblazoned with cheery 'WELCOME!' messages. Welcome to your DEATH.

I put one in my cupboard and caught four of them. >_<

3: POISON the little sods

The third option is to buy these little round, plastic devices that contain an attractive-smelling (to a cockroach) poison. People emphatically tell me that these things WORK. I hope so. I bought some yesterday for the first time, and then came home to see TWO cockroaches, so I'm hoping this will get rid of them once and for all. 

Not only does the poison kill them, in theory they take some of it back to their nest, where they kill the whole family.