Last night was hot and humid. I can't help but to turn the air-condition and set it even higher. Zaeb, my son was already soaking wet, and his hair were like corn silks, he even smelled like one! Even in the afternoon, when you walk around the block, you'll get a perfect tan!
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| Image from tvguide.com, Gupta Bollywood dancing |
As I grope for the light switch, I've felt that I was not alone...in the dark...full of moving curtains! And I can hear these sounds "fffffrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrft" all around as if I was watching a movie in surround sound DTS! The feeling was staggering. And when I pulled down the switch, what I've witnessed was truly ... horrifying! It was a display of distorted realization that there were no ghosts! They were horde of flying alien insects with elongated antennas and beady black eyes --- "Ipis!" (cockroach!). (When it was still dark, I thought they were fairies man!)
Going to the bathroom was a struggle. It was an obstacle! And while I hold a slipper as I staggered my way out, these little bastards prey on my innocent skin 'till I've managed to keep them down and quiet with the "WAPAAAK!" here, and a "SPLAAAAAKT!" there.
After I've steered my way and finally got myself fixed in front of the sink, I grab my toothbrush in the dispenser and to my surprise, there it was, the alien sanuffa...staring at me, mocking me, marking my every move, as if it knows what I'm gonna do next!
I slowly raise my slipper to gain momentum. The sanuffa-b's lookin' down on me! I was avoiding a sudden move to prevent it from flying. And when I was about to swing my slipper, to my utter surprise, it flew! The little bastard flew! And when it was about to land on my face, I said, "Gotcha!", "FFFFFFFFLAKPT!", "Home run!"
As I stood there, while looking down on the cockroach and keeping my baseball batter posture, I said, "Pu#@#6-!#@ kang IPIS KA! Pinahirapan mo ko dun ah!", "Fuc#@# Son of a B! You made me exhausted!". Okay, one down (slightly turn my head) hundred more to go! "Say hello to my little friend, the Baygon!" (that's me inadvertently endorsing the brand!) Moments later, after I've emptied the can, I could finally brush my teeth.
Wait a minute, I just remembered, that little bastard was in the dispenser a while ago. Then I looked at my toothbrush. "Did it or did it not?" That was the biggest question. Then I smelled it. And from the moment the aroma touched my senses, I knew something nasty has happened.
But before I continue, let me give you a brief insight of these little critters. According to my readings, these little s#!+s are widely misunderstood as household pests, when the truth is they aren't. (scoffs)
"People think that cockroaches are the only creatures that could survive nuclear war. That's not actually true," Beccaloni1 said. "They certainly are much more resistant than humans but far less resistant than many other insects."
They are among the hardiest insects on the planet. Notice why they would keep on running even when you would step on them, decapitate them as their inside sputters? When I was little, I used to torture them to death as the burning candle would trickle down to its vulnerable brittle body. (Nasty)
Here in the Philippines, notice how would they come out and swarm when it's hot? "Ahh, kaya kapag mainit, lumalabas sila!", ("So that's why they would always come out when it's humid"). That's not entirely true.
"The abnormal reversal of temperature in the troposphere caused by the entrapment of urban air pollution. Under normal circumstances, air in the troposphere is cold at high altitudes and warm at low altitudes, or near the earth's surface. When air pollutants, such as SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide) or NOx (Nitrogen Oxide), in urban areas get too concentrated, smog is produced. Since cold air underlies the warmer air at high altitudes, the air does not mix well."2 (Nose bleed? That's because it's based on the scientific point of view.)
Here's how it works. On sunny days with clear skies, there's nothing to prevent any moisture at the surface of the earth from being evaporated quickly and easily into the open air. But when it's about to rain, these heavy clouds prevents these air from circulating. Thus, humidity occurs as clouds trap the air.
Now are you following? It's because cockroaches can sense any hint of water (and based from my theory, they can sense it even in the air), and the sole reason why they would come out and swarm, not food. They can survive and remain active for a month without food but only for a week without water.
They are mainly nocturnal and will actually run away when exposed to light. So swarming only at night is not entirely true.
They can easily reproduced. Like ants, roaches produced chemical trails as well as emitting airborne pheromones. When they found each other, they'll mate and reproduce. And when they do, they'll swarm.
And in other country like Cambodia, they are treated as delicacies as well as rats and spiders. (Super nasty!)
And that brings us to our conclusion. Don't judge the cockroach by its ... err ... appearance. No matter how many times they crawl under your blankets, how they would devour your leftovers or your fingers, cockroaches are misunderstood creatures (scoffs). In fact, they are highly sensitive and very private ... uhhh ... insects. And whether you like it or not, they will always be part of our lives. Capice?!
And so once again the day was done, and it's time for my off. I'll strike again next time. So I say adieu, until then, adios! (BTW, about the nastiness? Ahhh, yes. The aroma was lingering! So I threw it away, and looked for another spare inside the cabinet. And as I grope for the brush ... there it was ... the deadliest, most horrible, your not-so-friendly creepy-crawler of all time ... the SPIDER!!! But that'll be another story.)
References:
1. http://www.livescience.com/4566-truth-cockroaches.html
2. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/555600.html
Other References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach
http://www.squidoo.com/cockroaches-facts-and-myths
After I've steered my way and finally got myself fixed in front of the sink, I grab my toothbrush in the dispenser and to my surprise, there it was, the alien sanuffa...staring at me, mocking me, marking my every move, as if it knows what I'm gonna do next!
I slowly raise my slipper to gain momentum. The sanuffa-b's lookin' down on me! I was avoiding a sudden move to prevent it from flying. And when I was about to swing my slipper, to my utter surprise, it flew! The little bastard flew! And when it was about to land on my face, I said, "Gotcha!", "FFFFFFFFLAKPT!", "Home run!"
As I stood there, while looking down on the cockroach and keeping my baseball batter posture, I said, "Pu#@#6-!#@ kang IPIS KA! Pinahirapan mo ko dun ah!", "Fuc#@# Son of a B! You made me exhausted!". Okay, one down (slightly turn my head) hundred more to go! "Say hello to my little friend, the Baygon!" (that's me inadvertently endorsing the brand!) Moments later, after I've emptied the can, I could finally brush my teeth.
Wait a minute, I just remembered, that little bastard was in the dispenser a while ago. Then I looked at my toothbrush. "Did it or did it not?" That was the biggest question. Then I smelled it. And from the moment the aroma touched my senses, I knew something nasty has happened.
But before I continue, let me give you a brief insight of these little critters. According to my readings, these little s#!+s are widely misunderstood as household pests, when the truth is they aren't. (scoffs)
 |
| Image from zidbits.com. Radioactive cockroach. |
They are among the hardiest insects on the planet. Notice why they would keep on running even when you would step on them, decapitate them as their inside sputters? When I was little, I used to torture them to death as the burning candle would trickle down to its vulnerable brittle body. (Nasty)
 |
| Image from iloilolove.wordpress.com |
"The abnormal reversal of temperature in the troposphere caused by the entrapment of urban air pollution. Under normal circumstances, air in the troposphere is cold at high altitudes and warm at low altitudes, or near the earth's surface. When air pollutants, such as SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide) or NOx (Nitrogen Oxide), in urban areas get too concentrated, smog is produced. Since cold air underlies the warmer air at high altitudes, the air does not mix well."2 (Nose bleed? That's because it's based on the scientific point of view.)
Here's how it works. On sunny days with clear skies, there's nothing to prevent any moisture at the surface of the earth from being evaporated quickly and easily into the open air. But when it's about to rain, these heavy clouds prevents these air from circulating. Thus, humidity occurs as clouds trap the air.
Now are you following? It's because cockroaches can sense any hint of water (and based from my theory, they can sense it even in the air), and the sole reason why they would come out and swarm, not food. They can survive and remain active for a month without food but only for a week without water.
They are mainly nocturnal and will actually run away when exposed to light. So swarming only at night is not entirely true.
They can easily reproduced. Like ants, roaches produced chemical trails as well as emitting airborne pheromones. When they found each other, they'll mate and reproduce. And when they do, they'll swarm.
And in other country like Cambodia, they are treated as delicacies as well as rats and spiders. (Super nasty!)
 |
| Image from http://2ngaw.deviantart.com Gokitomo (Cockroach my Friend) Original Pinoy Manga published monthly by Mangamania |
And so once again the day was done, and it's time for my off. I'll strike again next time. So I say adieu, until then, adios! (BTW, about the nastiness? Ahhh, yes. The aroma was lingering! So I threw it away, and looked for another spare inside the cabinet. And as I grope for the brush ... there it was ... the deadliest, most horrible, your not-so-friendly creepy-crawler of all time ... the SPIDER!!! But that'll be another story.)
References:
1. http://www.livescience.com/4566-truth-cockroaches.html
2. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/555600.html
Other References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach
http://www.squidoo.com/cockroaches-facts-and-myths
