There are few things quite as repulsive as a cockroach. And I’m a pretty extreme lover of animals. But there really is nothing like seeing a roach skitter to shelter when you turn your lights on at night. I don’t know if that’s worse, or opening a trashcan lid and seeing them skittering out or digging down. That’s why today, we’re going to talk about a few common species in Florida. On top of that, we’ll discuss whether or not it’s time for you to think about getting a Brandon Cockroach Exterminator.
Brandon Cockroach Exterminator: Overview
Cockroaches are one of the most common pests infesting homes and apartments in Florida. They’re worse still where food is prepared and sanitation is less than stellar. Not only is this pest repulsive and, frankly, embarrassing to have in your home, it can also be dangerous. They can contaminate food, utensils, and plenty of other household items.
Roaches do this by freely moving from filth to food, and back again. They can transfer microbes when doing this that can cause food poisoning and other illnesses. Many people, including myself, are allergic to roach poop and their shed skins. Reactions to these can be fatal, but also include reactions like sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, and coughs.
The pest enters the building in multiple ways. Some of the most common infesters are introduced in infested grocery bags, cartons, or furniture. Other species, however, can also gain entry through windows, doors, vents, and utility openings as well as holes in your walls or gaps underneath your doors.
Description
I’m sure you’ve seen a cockroach before. But just in case you haven’t, roaches are flat, brown, and surprisingly quick insects. They have long, skinny antennae and multi-jointed legs with noticeable spines. Roaches have three main life stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
The female cockroach produces small, brown, bean-shaped egg cases that are deposited in out-of-the-way places. Several nymphs emerge from each egg case (up to 40 with the German cockroach, 15-20 with other varieties). The nymphs resemble adults except that they are smaller and lack wings. The nymphs gradually become larger and inhabit the same places as the adults. Cockroaches are prolific breeders. Species such as the German cockroach are capable of producing several thousand offspring in less than a year.
Cockroaches do not live in centralized nests or colonies like ants, bees, and termites. However, cockroaches do congregate in distinct areas, in response to aggregating odors in their feces. The droppings appear as pepper-like specks in areas of current or former activity. The spotting is similar in appearance to that of bed bugs, but can usually be distinguished by location, or by other signs of infestation. (Cockroaches seldom congregate on beds in the manner of bed bugs.)
Brandon Cockroach Exterminator: The Species
Alright, there are different kinds of roaches with various infesting habits. Let’s go through some of the worst and most common. There are sixty-nine total species in North America that we know of, but we’re not going to cover all of them here today. Just the infesters.
German Cockroach
If you’re going to need a Brandon cockroach exterminator, it’s likely going to be for this species. By far the most common roach when it comes to infesting human abodes, this pest thrives in our presence. In fact, they cannot even survive outdoors in North America. These are entirely human-infesting pests.
Adults are light brown and about half an inch long. They have two dark, noticeable stripes that run along their back starting at the head. They also have a darker stripe down the center of their back. German roaches reproduce extremely quickly, which is one of the main reasons that controlling these pests is difficult. A single female can have over a thousand offspring over the course of a year. So when these guys get inside, they infest fast.
These pests love moisture and warmth, which I’m sure you can understand means they’re a big problem in Florida. They’re most commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms. They prefer small, sheltered hiding places like cracks and crevices, but they are more than fast enough to outrun you if they need to get away. They can also be found in bedrooms, closets, and other dark areas of the home. Most times, they travel between rooms or adjoining apartments via the walls, ceilings, and pipes.
American cockroach or “Palmetto Bug”
The largest roach you’ll commonly find indoors is the almost legendary palmetto bug. Also known simply as the American cockroach, these brutes can grow up to nearly two inches in length when fully grown. More of a reddish-brown than dark brown in color, they’re easily identified by not only their size but the yellow band around the back of their head. American cockroaches reproduce more slowly than other species but are more noticeable due to their size.
Palmetto bugs prefer dark, moist areas like basements and crawl spaces. They congregate around floor drains, laundry areas, steam tunnels, and boiler rooms. During the summer, they can more often be found outdoors in yards and trashcans. They travel long distances from their aggregation sites, so control may involve finding the source.
Oriental cockroach
Immediately distinguishable from other roach species is the oriental cockroach. Another invader like the German, these roaches are shiny black, and the adult is about one inch long. They don’t fly, as their wings are underdeveloped. This roach loves cool, dark, and damp spaces. Basements, cellars, crawlspaces, etc. The nymphs and adults are sluggish and slow-moving and are poor climbers. So you’ll more often find this species crawling around on the ground.
Often oriental cockroaches gain entry into buildings through poorly maintained door thresholds, vents, and other openings to the outdoors. And since this species is invasive, they often appear after infested material enters the home like the German species.
This species is considered especially filthy due to their feeding habits, so if you see them make sure to get in contact with a Brandon cockroach exterminator as soon as you possibly can. They feed on organic waste, human/animal waste, garbage, and other decaying matter.