Occasionally, one will hear high-pitched screams from students in the hallways. As the students scamper away from a certain spot on the floor, the inch-long culprit stands alone. The students cry “cockroach!” but what they are really afraid of is known as a water bug.

Waters bugs have been discovered in many unexpected areas throughout Massapequa High School. For years, numerous students and teachers have been complaining and wondering why these insects have made their home in our school.

“Any building this size will have some sort of insect inhabiting it,” principal Dr. Williams said. Massapequa High School is located on a low-water table which makes it even more prone to water bugs.

Water bugs have appeared in the gym locker rooms, the basement, the hallways, and also in some of our classrooms. “Janitors should not remove the water bugs; the exterminator should report to the school on a regular basis to get rid of the bugs,” Sheila Mulligan said.

“These insects are attracted to water from the sewers and food that has been left on the floors. They appear when the sewers are dry and when there is no water,” school janitors Meira Farkas and Carlos Moses said. “An exterminator comes once a month to put out traps and to use safe pesticides.” The exterminator reports to Massapequa High School after school hours at around 2:30.

“The school district limits the extermination because of health issues among students and teachers,” said Dr. Williams.

To limit the amount of water bugs, students should be conscientious when eating and should dispose of their garbage properly instead of throwing it on the floor. Although it is the school’s job to eliminate pests, it is the students’ job as members of the school community to minimize the problem by acting responsibly.