Gerald Hanks
Houston is known as “H-town” for several reasons. Heat. Humidity. Hustle. And Huge Cockroaches.
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While science shows that Houston’s roaches can only grow up to three inches long, most native Houstonians maintain that these insidious insects can dwarf a full-size car, fly at supersonic speeds, and can carry off small children in the night to their dank, dark lairs.
In the 1982 film “The Terminator,” Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) describes the titular terror as something that can’t be reasoned with, can’t be stopped, and can’t be killed. Many Houstonians will claim that writer/director James Cameron’s inspiration for the killer android came directly from a chance encounter with a Houston cockroach.
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In 2011, a family told the tale of roaches who ate their food faster than they could. The roaches would also crawl into their beds for a post-dinner cuddle session. Despite the best efforts of pest control workers, and all the toxic chemicals that a refinery city can brew up, these roaches withstood a pesticide that would wipe out a less hardy strain of the bothersome bugs.
A 2015 study showed that Houston has the highest incidence of roach infestation in residences of any city in Texas and the third highest in the country (behind Tampa and Miami). A survey found that about one-third of all Houston homes reported having roaches.
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One method that some people have found successful in curtailing the roach population is by sharing a cold one with them. Home improvement expert Bob Vila recommends using a simple trap to catch roaches, with beer as the lure. Unlike some Houstonians, the roaches have less discriminating palates, so save your expensive craft brews and use the cheaper national brands as your roach bait.
