this better work

this is the hole causing all the problems.... I hope...

So I've been killing the cockroaches all week. Not a billion, but enough that it really freaks me out. I've become quite nervous at home with them about. The exterminator came yesterday and I almost took his picture. I didn't though. I did ask him to marry me. He put gel all over the place in the kitchen and the bathroom and sprayed down the hole pictured above. He said "that should do the trick." Um, it didn't.

Sure enough I found a cockroach on my toothbrush early this morning and as I lay in my bed at 5 am, I saw one scuttle on the wall above my bed. It was then and there, I was just pissed. I couldn't get to the raid and back before I found it again. I hope it's dead. I hope it ate gel and now it's just dead.

Anyway... I escaped the heat of the day, went to Starbucks to study a bit, and worked on a plan. What else could I do? How could I block that huge hole? I decided to try a screen. I had seen it somewhere else on some other pipe or hole (now I know it was probably to keep varmits out.) So I went to Home Depot.

I asked in the plumbing section if they had anything special to use. No such luck, but the guy did tell me that cockroaches don't like steal wool. He suggested I fill the hole with steel wool before I do anything. Awesome.

So I went and bought mesh screen and caulk. I then had to babysit.... and I got home at 1220am. Decided to set to work...won't let those creatures of the night mess with me anymore.

1. I sprayed the hole with Raid.
2. I waited a bit, drank a bit of Lillet and then stuffed the hole with brillo pads. (BTW, when you break brillo pads apart...blue soap sprinkles everywhere....)

3. Gather the rest of my supplies.

4. Cut hole for pipe...2 inches wide.


5. Seal it up with caulk. The caulk will dry clear and hopefully it will work. The wall is VERY textured and I had a hard time working with it... but hopefully. The whole steal wool, plus screen will keep those grody little monsters out.



take that.