Students fed up with infestation create Instagram account for school's roaches

DAMASCUS, Md. - Students frustrated by an apparent cockroach infestation at their high school are airing their grievances the way most high schoolers do in 2019: on social media. An Instagram account called “Cockroaches Of DamascusHS MCPS” has comically displayed more than 65 posts of cockroaches seen in the Maryland high school. 

The posts are submissions of images and videos of the pests photographed by students at Damascus High School in Damascus, Maryland. Each post’s description ends with the tagline, “Keep those roaches coming!” Many of the roaches are even given names and sometimes a story. 

“This is Jimmy, who was found in the science room,” one of the posts said. “We love you Jimmy.”

“This is Rufus, who was found shriveled up behind a door by the girl’s locker room,” another post said. 

“Phil was found in the math hallway, ‘Trying to get his math on.’ Luckily we don’t have to do that today,” another post read.

Jennifer Zaranis’ daughter Kaitlyn attends the high school and is one of the students who submitted a cockroach photo to be featured on the Instagram account. 

“Cockroaches have been an ongoing issue at the school for many years,” the mother said, citing a recent incident in which a “huge” cockroach was spotted in her daughter's classroom. Zaranis said her daughter first saw a cockroach in the school months ago, in December.

Zaranis said her daughter feels that the cockroach infestation is creating an unhealthy learning environment for students.

Another student agrees with that assessment. 

"Our school is practically falling apart," said Ashley Chamberlain, a student who also submitted a photo. "We definitely need attention on this issue."

Alex Li, a former student at the high school who submitted a roach photo on Instagram, said the cockroaches scared a lot of his classmates. 

He said the Instagram profile “gave us a place to express our frustration with the cockroach problem at our high school.” 

Aside from sending a message, Li, Zaranis and her daughter do think the “Cockroaches Of DamascusHS MCPS” account provides comic relief. 

It was not immediately clear who is running the account. 

When contacted, a secretary at Damascus High School declined to comment regarding the Instagram profile.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.