Stop the Critter Crisis: Cockroaches Invade School Restrooms

By Guadalupe Lopez Romero

Rialto High students have been seeing cockroaches in the boys' and girls' restrooms because of unclean conditions, which need to be addressed.

What attracts the attention of these cockroaches? Are the restrooms not cleaned well enough? Cockroaches are usually drawn to dirty places with food residues and warmth. 

An article, “Why are bugs attracted to my bathroom,” states, "…bathrooms are ideal breeding grounds for cockroaches… they’ll eat soap, human waste, and water.” 

The article describes several factors that could contribute to the critter crisis at Rialto. One factor is insufficient cleaning of soap, trash, or human waste residue, which can attract critters. Other factors are structural issues, cracks, leaks, or improper seals in the restroom, which allow critters to come in. 

The cockroaches have been seen in the boys' E & C building restrooms and the girls' G & E building restrooms. 

Nataly Sanchez, a freshman, says, “I don’t like having to see cockroaches in our school bathrooms. That is disgusting and makes me want to throw up because it means we don’t clean our bathrooms well enough to not have these issues.” Sanchez suggests the bathroom critter crisis should be fixed immediately. 

Ashley Sanchez, a senior, has seen not only cockroaches but also a rat. Sanchez states, “I think it’s very nasty, and the school does have nasty things. It cannot be that dirty for there to be a big fat rat; it's just disgusting to me.” Sanchez says every girl left the restroom running after seeing the rat. 

Ashley Nunez, a junior, says, “Thankfully, I haven’t seen one yet, but I wouldn’t doubt that there is, especially with the nasty stuff I’ve seen in there.” 

Not only the girls' restroom, but also the boys' restroom. Ricky Lemos, a senior, states, “I think it's very unsanitary, and I think Rialto High School has enough money to fix this problem. Kids should not have to ask to use the restroom, and when they sit down to go number two, they see a roach.” 

Hugo Sanchez, a freshman, adds to the topic, saying, “Why wouldn’t roaches be drawn to the restroom? There always is boys' urine on the floor.” Brayan Gonzalez, a freshman, also adds, “The boys' restroom is nasty, and seeing roaches is unsanitary and is just bad in general.” 

The restrooms at Rialto High School are not cleaned thoroughly enough, resulting in unwanted critters making it their home. The fact that Rialto High students cannot clean up after themselves worsens the situation. 

Luckily, the critter invasion issue can be fixed.

First, during summer break, the restrooms should be deep-cleaned. This includes scrubbing all surfaces, including sinks, toilets, and floors, and cleaning behind and under fixtures where food and grime can accumulate. According to teachers, thoroughly cleaning the campus, including classrooms, restrooms, and common areas, is standard practice during summer.

Another thing that can majorly fix our critter issue is cleaning the restrooms throughout the day, with chemicals such as boric acid or baking soda, which have been seen to eliminate cockroaches. Also, sealing entry points to prevent cockroaches from entering the bathroom, and inspecting the restroom for cracks, gaps, or holes around the pipes and walls. 

Along with educating students about maintaining hygiene, girls should not leave their trash on the floor of the restrooms, and boys should not leave their urine on the floor. Also, food and drinks should be limited in the restrooms to avoid drawing pests. 

The school restrooms can be critter-free by addressing the problem from the beginning and maintaining consistent cleanliness.