National Geographic – Critters in Jamaica

Just reading the title of this post still makes me laugh. For those of you who aren’t on my personal Facebook page you won’t know this story yet. When I lived in Jamaica there was a two-week period that I rented my own apartment to some travelers that I know and I moved out to accommodate them. My landlord had a vacant studio apartment next door so I just shifted myself over but stayed close to home. This was the most interesting two weeks I’ve ever spent in Jamaica where critters are concerned. I still find it hard to believe that I lived full time JUST NEXT DOOR and had never seen such a variety of wildlife in and out of my apartment.

First of all I have to tell you about the amount of roaches…yes I had the occasional one inside my own place but never paid them any mind because my place was big and they had lots of places to hide. Inside this tiny studio apartment there weren’t many places my eyes can’t see so I always noticed them scurrying into the closet. I hated that because the closet is where my clothing was. Remember I was temporary in this tiny place so my clothing was packed in bags and it freaked me out wondering if the roaches were in the bags too!

This next creature was the best though….the Praying Mantis (above)! It was late in the evening and I had fallen asleep while watching TV. When I woke up I noticed the ugliest, 4-inch long creature rocking back and forth on the grill of the front door! What’s up with the constant rocking of these things anyway? I had no idea if they could fly so I approached with caution but you know me – before killing or getting rid of anything I have to take pictures LOL. I don’t think I killed that creature but I knocked it senseless with my broom so I could open the front door and sweep it out and away from the place.

Another night I had a roach who could apparently teleport itself LOL! I usually had the front door open but the grill closed and one night while watching TV I saw it out the corner of my eye….a roach scurried in the front door but I had my broom handy again. I knocked it enough that it was stunned and was about to sweep it out the front door when it ran under the dresser. Damn I lost it, but I’m telling you guys the bathroom is clear on the other side of the apartment and this sucker made it there undetected. I saw it on the wall in there! I went to get the broom again and before I came back it disappeared again. Hmmmmm. Later on I ended up finding him disabled inside the shower. There was no way for me to sweep it out, so I called my neighbor and asked him how he felt about roaches. He came over, picked it up and tossed it outside. I saw where he tossed it and next morning when I went outside there was nothing but a shell left where the roach used to be….the ants consumed it!

Last but certainly not least, and the most unlikely thing I saw jump through the studio was a frog LOL!! He was the only one I had no desire to kill so I carefully directed him back out the door he came through and let him go home to mama.