LA?s high housing costs are not just a financial burden?for me, they were also dangerous The first time I saw a mouse in my apartment, I tweeted it. I caught the tiny creature in my dog?s food bowl, where it stood rigid, about as surprised to see me as I was to see it. I slid a plate over the top of the bowl and carried it outside, dumping the mouse and kibble into a dumpster behind my building. The photo on my timeline got a few likes and a couple shocked replies. Later, it became evidence.
For the past four years, I?ve lived in a rent-controlled, centrally located studio in a trendy Los Angeles neighborhood. It has hardwood flooring and an abundance of natural light, allows a dog of any size with no extra fees, and is in a walkable area where I can ditch my car on the weekends. At roughly 400 square feet, it?s cozy, but it?s perfect for a single, dog-loving, busy professional. Well, almost.
Since moving into the apartment, I?ve been caught in an everlasting tag-team match with pests. When one pest is eradicated, another type moves in. First, I dealt with a fruit fly invasion. When I went to toss away an orange peel, I lifted the lid to my trash can and panicked upon finding hundreds of maggots feasting on my leftovers. I was so overwhelmed that I threw my expensive Simplehuman receptacle away. Then there was the more traumatic German cockroach infestation that lasted for months, an era I?m reminded of daily due to the permanent dusting of diatomaceous earth on my k...