# Gah. Cockroach in toilet bowl. Talk me down. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928 "2016-07-02T16:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/1 "2016-07-02T16:53:55Z")
Spouse and I returned from a one-week vacation and there was a cockroach (dead presumably, but I wasn’t about to check too closely) in the second-floor toilet bowl. The lid was down. So, I’m assuming it got in from the outside and didn’t come up through the pipes… however I do recall extensive discussion on this very site about how they like water and can survive just about anything. I can barely even type the word (the c-word, I’m talking about). The thought of one of those fucking little bastards crawling around my bathroom just about does me in. I’ve seen maybe two in this house since we moved in 25 years ago, in unlikely areas, so it’s not like there’s an infestation; on the other hand, don’t they say that for every one that you see there are dozens more hiding? I’m freaking out here. Did it indeed get in the toilet from the outside, and fucking climbed up the side of the bowl? (not that it matters I guess, I’m disturbed no matter what actually happened). ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/2 "2016-07-02T17:10:05Z")
Did you ever see the [X-Files?](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751259/) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/3 "2016-07-02T19:56:34Z")
You’re really freaking out from one dead roach? You’ve been spoiled. You should have seen my last NYC apartment when I moved in. I did manage to eradicate them eventually, but it was WAR! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/4 "2016-07-02T20:03:17Z")
Cockroaches are very thin, in terms of top to bottom. It’s possible the roach slipped between the lid and rim of your toilet. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/5 "2016-07-02T20:05:08Z")
Not sure if this will “talk you down”, but I’ll give it a shot: You can choose whether to be the kind of person to freak out over a dead bug, or to not worry about it. Either way, it’s up to you. Your life will not be appreciably different with the occasional dead bug than without it. Life is probably a lot easier when only a minuscule amount of effort and worry is expended over the occasional dead bug. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/6 "2016-07-02T20:06:41Z")
Just get a can of Raid and spray around your baseboards. You’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/7 "2016-07-02T20:07:24Z")
> [@drpepper](#): > > I’m freaking out here. Did it indeed get in the toilet from the outside, and fucking climbed up the side of the bowl? (not that it matters I guess, I’m disturbed no matter what actually happened). Take a deep breath and calm down. It’s just a bug and it’s dead. Flushed away and gone, right? From what you’ve written, you seem desperate to conclude that it came in from outside, and your house is totally bug free. Trust me, it’s not. Nobody’s home is completely bug free. Just not possible. Bugs are everywhere and they’re here to stay. Just keep an eye out, and if you notice more than usual, (say, one every other day for a week or so) you might want to shop for an exterminator. It’s not the end of the world. Or is it? Are there bugs in toilets in Revelation? ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/8 "2016-07-02T20:43:07Z")
Be glad it wasn’t a rat. That is the reason I always turn the light on. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/9 "2016-07-03T15:40:46Z")
Yes rats and snakes are what will come up the toilet bowl from the sewer. As for cockroaches, these will crawl around the house at night. I had one crawl up my nose while I was sleeping! Picture of sewer snake coming up in toilet… [![](https://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2011/09/29/hugo_chavez_caption_contest/snake_in_toilet.jpg.CROP.promovar-mediumlarge.jpg) ](https://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2011/09/29/hugo_chavez_caption_contest/snake_in_toilet.jpg.CROP.promovar-mediumlarge.jpg) Rat picture… [![](https://cdn-r1.unilad.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/4618022917.jpg) ](https://cdn-r1.unilad.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/4618022917.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/10 "2016-07-03T16:05:00Z")
Indeed in the whole scheme of things the incident is minor, particularly when viewed in light of an actual infestation, or a rat, or a snake; all points well-made. It was just, well, unsettling. ( **panache45** I can’t imagine the horror; glad you were ultimately victorious) ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-cockroach-in-toilet-bowl-talk-me-down/758928/11 "2016-07-03T16:30:13Z")
Cockroach? Pffft. This morning I got stung by a scorpion. In my bed. Twice. I’m going to burn the house down today.