Cockroach Season

While the Northeastern United States has been battling torrential downpours, Tel Aviv residents have had a fight of there own- the cockroaches. Cockroaches, or “jukim*” as they are called here, make their presence known in every household, restaurant and shop at the onset of hot (and humid) weather. These creatures come in all shapes and sizes. The ones that I have encountered in Tel Aviv tend to be quite large, about the length of my index finger, with antennas just as long. Some breeds have wings and fly around the apartment, which make them much more difficult to kill, although this year I have not been privy to meeting those…yet.

One would think that living in a 3rd story apartment and having sprayed for bugs just one month ago, I might be “exempt” from this round of infestation, although the jukim do not agree with me. I have actually had conversations with friends and co-workers about whether or not to turn on the light when you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night because you don’t know if you would rather see the jukim and search for a shoe to kill it, or just use the restroom and return to bed without ever knowing.

You may be thinking “my goodness, what kind of dump does she live in?” Let me assure you that in this city jukim are not only found in dilapidated apartments where the roof is caved in and there is no running water. Jukim are a part of life here and can be found everywhere. Do not worry, I have yet to find a juke floating in my soup, but I have seen them climbing up the sides of buildings, scurrying across floors, and occasionally flying from one wall to another.

Let the summer begin!

* The word “jukim” actually refers to all bugs, but is most often used to describe cockroaches.