Cockroaches. Thursday 10 February, 2011

There is a song with the lyrics “I don’t like spiders and snakes,” which, according to Google was recorded in 1974 by Jim Stafford. I remember it well – I was a teenager at the time and because, I really don’t like spiders and snakes.

One of the first questions I ask whenever we go to a new country is “what is the situation regarding spiders and snakes?” So far I have been very lucky. Lots of mosquitoes, geckos and large looking flies, but nothing that resembles a snake or a large spider. Quite honestly it would probably finish me off.

Cockroaches on the other hand are all too common in hot climes. The first time I saw one of any size was when I opened a kitchen cupboard door in Manila and one flew out at me. It was large, about 2 inches (5 cm) in length and pretty revolting. The scream that emitted from me alerted the maids and the guards and it was hastily dispatched with a deft blow from a flip flop. I knew there was a good reason why everyone wears flip-flops. They make the perfect weapon in the battle against bugs. I have even seen them mounted on the end of sticks to give an extra pliable whack.

In the United States there are screens on all the windows and doors to keep the critters out and they are surprisingly successful. We really didn’t have a problem although I suspect in hotter parts of the country there would be. One reason why I have always been nervous about visiting Australia is that it is said that there are more natural creatures that can kill you there than any other place on the planet. Note to self – don’t retire to Australia.

So far in Brazil I have been unaffected. The only snake I have seen was dead in the middle of the road. And as for bugs, well, not too bad. Until, that is, the other day. Steve had gone to bed early not feeling too well so I was creeping in the bathroom trying to keep quiet when an enormous cockroach ran across the floor. Suppressing a scream, I watched it climb down the drain in the floor so I quickly dropped a few heavy magazines on top of the drain and ran to get the bug spray. Maddeningly it didn’t spray – obviously it had run out. In fact it hadn’t but I didn’t realize that the arrows had to be aligned and in the dark subdued light didn’t see what was needed.

The next day I asked Marcelo what I needed to get rid of cockroaches. “High-dge”, came the reply. What is “high-dge?” I asked. “Spray”, came the reply.

Okay, I have no idea what I am looking for but after a further discussion I established that this wonder product can be bought at Wal –Mart.

Off we set and I duly went looking for “High-dge”. I got to the aisle where the bug spray is kept and the penny dropped. “Raid” is what I needed – “high-dge” being the Portuguese pronunciation. Silly me.

Now, it seems that there must be a big cockroach problem in Sao Paulo because I can honestly say there were shelves after shelves stacked floor to above head height offering a huge variety of different sprays. There was “extra strong” “extra reach” “extra effective”. You name it there was a superlative for it.

I mentioned my cockroach to some friends a few days later and it seems that part of the problem is all those magazines I keep neatly stacked by the side if the loo. They have to go, even though they make a really good weight to cover the drains.

So, magazine free I hope that the problem goes away. But, in the same way that I have a dozen pairs of reading glasses in every strategic point of need, I have a dozen cans of Raid, close at hand, - just in case.