Now a Roach tracker for the city

I must have excellent luck when it comes to these particular pests - I've only ever lived in one NYC apartment that had a truly terrible roach problem. Since moving to Brooklyn, I haven't seen a one in my own home (knock on wood!). That's not to say that I haven't seen a mouse or two.

How unsurprising that that the roach map key ranges from "least" to "most," and there is no zero on the scale!

The data's so badly arranged - how am I supposed to find my own zip code on that list?

@BroadwayBK: You should be glad you don't have roaches. We are infested by them. I had to put traps down to catch them. And we have had our share of mice to.

@Uraniumfish I found mine at number 66 by scrolling down that list.. but this morning got a real shock. The company that is in charge on letting out our apartment sent us a note that the agent had found some dead roaches in it. I was hoping mad to hear that for I had left instructions with the building to carry out the weekly extermination treatments which are included in our charges now I don't know what the problem is. Did the building slip up because I am not around. When I lived in the apartment there were no roach infestations now this?? I can only guess that since the apartment has been vacant for over 7 months there has been a problem or maybe the agent wants us to lower our rental expectations. I so wish I could get on a plane and fly over pronto.I used to be totally paranoid about roaches when I lived there .

Sigh, keeping the roaches away is a full-time job. Thankfully seen none in the new apartment so far.

@uptowngirl That's awful. I can't imagine being that far away from a problem I was so longing to take care of immediately!

I mentioned earlier that I'd only ever lived in one apartment with a roach problem? The zip code of that apt is #2 on the list! I've since slipped down to #24, which is not exactly much better. But still no roaches to speak of in my current location.

@Uraniumfish You're right about the data arrangement - they should really make that map an interactive one.

@Everyone the link has disappeared now it generates a 404 error so much for the city's roach tracker

@uptowgirl It did that to me yesterday but loaded on the second try. Maybe the site is overwhelmed with surfers suffering from roaches.

@BroadwayBk Ha!

@Everybody: The main thing is that roaches are a problem and have to be dealt with. if you live in a roach-free building, congratulations. i wish we did. How ugly they are and they multiple like crazy.

@hhusted I second that comment , I absolutely abhor them .. they make my skin crawl even more than rats and other critters.. Earlier this year we were in a fancy restaurant in Phuket in Thailand . It was located on a beautiful setting on a cliff by the sea but as beautiful the restaurant was it seemed to attract cockroach like creatures who were crawling up from the sea. The other diners didnt seem too bothered but I couldn't stop yelping ( couldn't scream at the top of my lungs in a fancy restaurant) much to the disgust of my husband who said I should be used to cockroaches since I come from India -wanted to clunk him on the head for that comment.

@Uptowngirl: I can just imagine seeing you hit him over the head. He is trying to say there is an infestation of cockroaches in India. I know I've seen the two-legged kind in some places in NYC. :)

@uptowngirl In Florida we have issues with palmetto bugs (Yanks call them waterbugs) - they seem to thrive in the tropical climate no matter how hard you try to eradicate them!

@BroadwayBK I really can't tell the difference between cockroaches and waterbugs.. so hate them all..

I've only had one run-in with a waterbug but I don't know that I would scream that loud if I were being chased by an axe murderer. I almost passed out it was so big. It may as well have been drinking a cup of coffee.

@JenMac I can totally relate I usually scream my head off too whenever I espy a water-bug / cockroach.

Ahh they terrify me! Absolutely terrify me! Daddy-long-legs spiders live in my flat, so I have to cope with them, but roaches might just make me pass out in terror...

@Ajadedidealist: Daddy-long legs give me the chills. My father picked one up and placed it on his arm once. The head of it touched his skin. I asked him if the insect bit him. He said no. By the way, I pick roaches up and toss them down the toilet.

@uptowngirl Roaches are small and nasty. Palmetto bugs are huge and nasty. That's the difference.

@Uraniumfish Ha ha, yeah. Exactly.

@ajadedidealist Those daddy long legs must be eating something....

@Uraniumfish and BroadwayBK; Frankly, I don't particularly care too much for any kind of insect. Mice don't bother me but insects do.

Oh, by the way, I have a heartwarming story for you. This is for real folks. Two days ago, our female cat was chasing something in the apartment. I looked over and she got her tail stuck to a trap. And the trap had a mouse stuck to it. Poor think. I managed to free the mouse from the trap. Unfortunately, the mouse looked a worse for wear. Apparently, the cat got to the mouse and injured it enough. And then when I got the mouse off the trap, the right rear leg was caught. In my attempt to pull it off the trap, I accidentally snapped it. The mouse went about crawling on the floor for a while. It was sad. I tried to feed it some meet, but it wouldn't eat.

So I placed the mouse on the windowsill so it could get some air. It liked that by its response. Here is the sad part. As I turned away from the window and was proceeding back to my apartment door, the mouse leaned too far to the end of the windowsill and fell off. The windowsill was four stories up. I don't know what happened to the mouse. I asked my landlord if he saw a dead mouse on the ground in the area where the mouse fell and he said he saw nothing. So, I don't know if the mouse simply fell, shook it off, and eventually crawled away, or what. I cried when I saw the mouse fall off.

I tried to reach him, but unfortunately, there was a gate installed in the front of the window, which prevented me from reaching him. I felt so helpless.

@Uraniumfish no matter what size they both are pretty awful and terror inducing!

@Uptowngirl: Any kind of insect is nasty. The flying ones get in your hair and bite. The ones that crawl around also can get on your skin (that's a pun by the way).

@hhusted no arguments about the above we are in total agreement

@Uptowngirl: Yep, especially when we all itch from some kind of bite. Oh, the scratching.