Aug 7, 2019
Heat shock even for cockroaches
Besides the crazy humid heat there is another thing, which stands for the Japanese summer: cockroaches! As soon the humid hot season starts, you can find them really everywhere. Especially in very old houses it is very hard not to be bothered by them, since they really go every small gap they can find. But also in new houses/apartment cockroaches can be a problem.
I live in a very new apartment building on the 4 th floor and still have to deal with those little bothering cockroaches. Luckily I never had one inside our apartment, but unfortunately regularly outside on our balcony in summer.
After a few years I´ve got used to see cockroaches and know how to deal with them. On the other side my Japanese husband still gets panic when he see them.
After all there is one thing I realized this summer. Since it is very hot every day in Tokyo (always over 35 degree), even cockroaches seems to struggle. Actually our balcony has sun most of the day and the temperature is getting up to 50-60 degree during the afternoon on the floor. It's really not a place to be for anyone.
When I´ve put out my laundry on the balcony yesterday, I was really surprised to see a cockroaches lying on the floor. Indeed it was not alive anymore. Lying upside down in the sun, it seems like it got a heat shock und was now melting on the amazing hot floor. Even I don´t like cockroaches I felt kind of sad for that small animal dying of such a cruel way, but luckily in that way there was not much to do for me except to throw it away.
How about you, any interesting experiences with cockroaches in your house?
I´m a german girl living in the center of Tokyo, but my true love belongs to the countryside of Japan (especially Chiba and Hokkaido). I love traveling in Japan and explore hidden areas.
I want to help people with my articles to get in touch with the Japanese culture and all the beautiful places you can explore.
Follow me on IG https://www.instagram.com/nihonbluebutterfly/?hl=de
Besides traveling around, I love trains, handcraft and my little rabbits.
1 Comment
TonetoEdo
on Aug 7
The heat is powerful this week. When it's this hot, even mosquitoes can't cope. I haven't seen any... The funniest moment with roaches I've had was one morning in an old two story apartment building I lived in, occupied by not terribly clean people. I glanced in the mirror in my genkan. Two long, black feelers were poking out from behind the mirror. And then they waved at me. It was a huge cockroach! I chased it out the front door. Another time, I found what I thought was a dead cockroach, belly up, on the kitchen floor. Dead? I rummaged for the dust pan and brush to clean it up, and returned....And it was gone! They're wily creatures.