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If you live anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line then you’re probably familiar with cockroach. They’re the (not so) small scourge of kitchens and bathrooms everywhere in the south. But down here in the sunshine state, we’re simply lousy with them. So today let’s touch on some of the cockroach species you may find in the state, prevention tactics, and signs on how to tell if you need the help of a Florida Cockroach Exterminator.
Florida Cockroach Exterminator: Why are there so many cockroaches in Florida?
Millions of cockroaches call our sunny peninsula home. But why is that? Well, the reasons are manifold, unfortunately. And to start off, it’s simply the perfect climate for them. Florida is the warm and humid home of low-lying forests and swamps. And if you take heavily wooded areas and you add the moisture of constant high humidity levels, you create the perfect environment for cockroaches. The high temperature and not needing to worry about water sources means that this pest family can reproduce almost completely without obstacles. And these days, the winters in Florida are so hot that you won’t even see frost on the ground once or twice a year like you used to, so this breeding and expanding frenzy can go on all year round.
Florida’s rainy season has a big hand in why they come inside as well. When the state gets rocked by a hurricane, or flooded by constant daytime storms like it does every summer, roaches will seek shelter. And when they do, nothing is quite as perfect as a human home. We provide them plenty of food, shelter, and water that wasn’t quite as available outdoors.
Human activity is a big part of it, too. One of the most prolific roaches in Florida is the German cockroach, which would have never made it to America’s shores if not for human travel. That, plus the opening of new hotels, motels, restaurants, and apartment complexes, all displace insects. And the trash receptacles that follow those buildings attract them close to the building and inside. It’s said that one in every three Tampa homes is dealing with an infestation at any time, so most will need help from the Florida Cockroach Exterminator.
What types of cockroaches will I need help from the Florida cockroach exterminator for?
Down in Florida, we have quite a few species. But there’s a few you’ll run into most of the time as a homeowner in the Sunshine State. Let’s start with the most dramatic member on the list.
The American Cockroach
Often mistaken for the Palmetto Bug, the American cockroach is the largest species of roach in the lower forty eight states. These are easily recognized by their size, dark mahogany coloration, and bright yellow half circle on the backs of their heads. Roaches of this species can regularly reach three inches in length, with most being between one and two and a half inches long.
This species is also known for having fully developed wings as adults. It’s not uncommon for American Cockroaches to fly through open windows. Lights attract this pest. So if you’re cooking in the kitchen at night, make sure to close those windows! This is a large and frankly tough pest to have in your home. They mostly prefer being outdoors, but will come inside if able and set up shop under sinks and in other moist, out of the way places.
German cockroaches
Next on our list is the German cockroach. This is an invasive pest to Florida. But it’s an invasive pest to everywhere else, German cockroaches, in fact, may not exist in the wild anymore. That’s how prolific of a human-adjacent pest it is. However, it can still be found on every continent except for Antarctica.
You can recognize German cockroaches by their unique coloration. These medium-sized roaches, usually under an inch in length, tend to have pale yellow shells, with two parallel black stripes that run down about midway down their backs.
But what will really have you running for the Florida cockroach exterminator is their breeding. A female of this species can have hundreds of offspring in her lifetime. But not only that, she only needs to mate once…ever. They then retain that seed from the male and have babies whenever the conditions are optimal for them to raise their young. Yuck!
Florida Cockroach Exterminator: How do I prevent cockroaches from coming into my home?
Have you ever heard the expression that cleanliness is close to godliness? Well, it’s also close to roachlessness. Cockroaches love a messy home, so keeping your home clean is one of the best ways to keep them out. Make sure any crumbs that make it onto a carpet or floor are swept or vacuumed. Spills, even water, must be cleaned immediately. Roaches need very little water to survive.
General prevention maintenance of your home will help significantly as well. Make sure to seal any areas where roaches can get into your home. That includes things like the rubber liners at the bottoms of your doors. Make sure they don’t rot out, and replace them if they do. Another way roaches can enter your home is through window screens that have started to come apart or get holes in them. And of course, utility pipes leading into the home should be sealed off around them, otherwise roaches can easily nest in your wall voids.
And finally, storing your food properly can really keep roach numbers down in your home as well. Make sure to not leave anything sitting in regular, naked cardboard. Roaches will actually eat through the cardboard to get the food inside, so resealable plastic containers can help greatly.
