For those who have been past readers of my blog, one of my favorites that I posted was on bug checking in Israel. I still haven't figured out why Israel is so much more prone to bugs than anywhere else, but it pays to be prepared and to know how to bug check if necessary.
But, despite avid bug checking in food, summer time is the special time of year when all those wonderful 6/8/10/too many to count- legged creatures actually come out of the woodwork, literally.
So, summer time is usually the time for an annual 'Rissus'- or extermination. In Israel, some Israelis actually exterminate their entire house every single summer. They move out for a day or so, and let the poison do its work, coming back to a bug free home.
Or at least, to a dead bug home. You see, after an extermination is performed, one tends to come back to a home filled with dead jukim, cockroaches of the worst variety (Truthfully, I don't know any good varieties, but this is the worst of the worst.) and other sundry former inhabitants of the nooks and crannies of one's home.
We just performed a 'Rissus' in our new apartment, and thankfully, Mr. NMF kindly went over there when it was done, and cleaned up all the bugs before I could get a look at them and tell him I wouldn't be stepping in the apartment again.
Jukim have got to be the worst bug in existence. First of all, they are cockroaches, which (at least in my opinion) spread disease and are germy themselves. Secondly, they can fly in some part of their lifetime, leading to being able to launch themselves on unsuspecting people just sitting and reading calmly. Thirdly, they are huge. I've heard that in some New York apartments there are quite large cockroaches, but jukim take the cake in my opinion.
Mr. NMF and I went to another apartment for part of one summer, and every day I would wake up to find another dead juk (pronounced Jook) located somewhere in my apartment. Thank G-d they were dead- the owners had done a proper 'Rissus' before we moved in, but believe me, waking up to a pair of long antennas in your shower is not the best way to wake up.
Anyone else have bad bug stories to share?
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15 hours ago
17 comments:
I've mastered the art of killing jukim.
It used to be difficult, but over the years I've managed to master the skill with only one sandal.
Of course, when that doesn't work, I've squashed them with my bare feet.
Better them than me :-)
hmmm: word verification is wingsob
Jameel- Gross. I'm chalking the killing of the big bad bugs up to a guy's job. I'll be a frail defenseles damsel in distress if someone else will kill jukim for me.
And I'm not crying when they die, even if word verification says so.
That would be defenseless.
I don't know about bad bug stories, but I've met a few Israeli bugs in the past few days... Fun stuff.
I love killing jukim!
On another note, I don't think poison- even if you move out for the day or two that they put it down- is good for you. So...I won't use it, especially if I can beat the bug by feeling it go crunch under my feet, and picking up my foot to see all its cool guts on the floor.
Jukim! Yippee!
My personal bug-peeve is the misparayim. The things in the back that give the bug its name look like they can pinch, and laundry is the last place that I want to find bugs- besides food. And jukim, luckily, seem to be limited to the floor. Soo...you take my misparayim, and I'll take your jukim. Deal?
I think there are more bugs found in food there cuz of the climate. Apparently the combo of humidity/dryness+heat is prime for infestation. Yuck.
As for bugs, I don't mind them so much, as long as they're not stinging me or anything. In camp I was famous for being the fearless exterminator. My favorites were the daddylonglegs. I wouldn't kill them, though--I'd just pick 'em up and fling 'em outside.
Jukim, however, are another story.... anything that makes an audible crunch when you crush it is just plain gross. I have to scream very loud while stomping on them so I don't hear anything.
[shudder]
As for stories...I don't have anything special. I think I scored points on a date, though, through a cockroach. Passing by a garbage pile, I noticed a rather large cockroach scampering around. I pointed it out and said, "Hey, look! A friend!" The guy thought it was hilarious. Apparently his sister jumps on tables at any sign of even a tiny ant. Lol.
Seems that Tel Aviv has it even worse than Yerushalayim!
See here: 'Imaleh!' Mastering the Fear of Roaches in Tel Aviv
I was on one of the summer tours in high school and we were in a fairly decent hotel. We spotted a juk and screamed for awhile, and then we started hitting it. For almost an hour. At least 20 people, including the chovesh. Until it finally died.
(In the same hotel, we couldn't get the shower to drain. MAintenance came, flushed the toilet, and left.)
Inkstainedhands- Yup. That's a juk alright. And, gross. Althought it sounds like you had a great time in Israel so far!
Chanie- Great! You can come over any time I need something squished.
Scissor bugs are not fun either. I don't think I'll trade. Better the enemy that I know compared to a whole new species.
CP- OOH- daddy long legs. They tend to hang out in camp bungalows!
And hysterical date story! Although, why are cockroaches your friends?
Jameel- Too funny article- it actually exists- Imaleh, I mean?
And great name!
Staying Afloat- Nasty! How did it finally die- someone's shoe had a spike on it or something?
And- since when are showers and toilets connected- sounds like Goon to me.
I was just saying that as a joke. I call a lot of things my friends. Mostly things that are as far from friendly as could be, like huge barking dogs, drunk beggars on the street, and gross insects like my friend back there ;-)
If it doesn't make the other person laugh, at least I get one out of it!
nmf#7 -- I don't know; I thought it was kind of cute, waving its antennae at me.
Jameel -- That website is hilarious. I sent the link to my dad just because I thought it was very funny. But seriously, women would call an organization to send someone to kill a juk for them? That's ridiculous... Is that why men say shelo asani isha? Haha.
Word verification is louseing. :p
I was also the killer of Daddy Long Legs in camp, because someone had to. And they died on the first try.
I don't remember what killed the j'uk (who we named after a certain councelor/tour guide who wouldn't go away)- I guess if you hit it enough times, it eventually dies? And for the record, we laughed like crazy at the maintenance guy who flushed the toilet, until we realized that it actually worked- the shower went down.
I never killed the daddylonglegs!! I just took them outside where they could live again in peace.
[sniff] never hurt anyone, those gangly, cute things...
CP- :P
Inkstainedhands- It was cute, in an ugly bug sort of way.
Staying Afloat- Too funny.
CP- Well, they eat all the mosquitoes, so they are good for something!
when i was in israel we had a mouse in our room. so me and two guys surrounded the dresser that i was hiding under, at ready with brooms, bats, and hockey sticks. when we moved the dresser, i darted out at one of my friends, who jumped on the closest chair and started shrieking like a girl (sorry, its the expression).
Harry-er- So what happened to the mouse?
(the word was it, not i darted out-sorry for the typo)
anyhow it darted out at my friend, and found this impossibly small hole to the outside and escaped. i was laughing too hard at my friends reaction to chase it.
we were told by israelis that we should stuff the hole up with plastic bags this way they don't get back in.
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