Before we moved into our current home, we had the opportunity to speak with the tenants and ask if they had any problems with the unit. They were very honest and told us they had a roach problem. They recommended we have the house sprayed before we moved. Although they did not know what had caused the problem they suspected that it was choice of plants in the front garden.
If given the choice I would have chosen to live at a different location. I have an intense fear of roaches since early childhood. But, the house was everything else we wanted and I strongly felt it was a blessing from God.
Since moving in, I have seen a total of 4, according to my Wild Child, “You are over reacting it has been about one a month.”
My children think I am over reacting. They firmly believe that I am not being rational. “They are only roaches. Flies are dirty also and we do not see you trying to eradicate them.”
But, is that not true of fear. Most fears are by nature irrational.
We all have our ‘thing'. We all have some fear that might be viewed by another as irrational.
My Wild Child is an animal lover; he is one of those special people who sees the beauty of all creatures. It does cause my heart to faint that I am disappointing him. I am doing something he is against, something he thinks is evil.
He posed this question: “What have roaches done to you?”
I seized this opportunity to teach my children why we should not judge the choices of others. Each human life has a path the almighty has carved out for them. You cannot judge the choices of another unless you have walked their path on issues that are not clearly labeled in the Bible as sin.
I explained to my boys what roaches had done to me and why I am traumatized for life.
As a young girl, on one of the many trips my mother and I took, I had the unpleasant experience of awaking to the disgusting and creepy feeling of a roach crawling on my face. Since then I have struggled with even seeing one in pictures. Thinking about roaches make me shutter and emotional.
Every living creature has a right to live but not in my home. I would not invite a lion to dinner and I did not extend the welcome mat to the roaches.
I know that God has a lesson for me and my children here, as I set about finding out how to naturally evict my unwanted houseguest.
Roaches are not mentioned in the Bible, God had more important topics and graces to teach but I did find these two scriptures.
Leviticus 11:20
All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you.
And
Deuteronomy 14:19
Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you;they shall not be eaten.
In Leviticus 11:20 the words used in most transitions are abomination and detestable.
Abomination is a thing that causes disgust or hatred, while detestable means deserving intense dislike.
Thankfully they is nowhere in the Bible that requires me to love roaches and Deuteronomy 7:28 says
“Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.”
And that is what I am doing. I have set apart for destruction this repugnant, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, horrifying, awful, heinous, reprehensible, nauseating, offensive, contemptible roach.
My two natural alternatives for dealing with these creatures are:
- A mixture of soap, ammonia, and water to spray on sight
And
- A mixture of borax, sugar and water paste for them to take back to the nest and self-destruct
How would you choose to deal with these reprehensible insects? Please leave me some advise in the comments.
