To begin, Earth’s Best wishes everyone in the path of Hurricane Idalia safety and luck as it impacts the panhandle. But every hurricane season, the same question is asked: will hurricanes make my pest problems worse? And the answer, unfortunately, is almost always yes. That’s why today we’re going to talk about Florida hurricane cockroaches and what you can expect to see from these pests if you’re in one’s path.
After that, we’ll touch on a few basic roach prevention tips. We’ll also discuss what species are common in the Sunshine State.
Florida Hurricane Cockroaches: Why are cockroaches worse after a hurricane?
Due to the nature of Hurricanes, pest populations tend to boom after they run through an area. And that goes for anywhere it hits. Be it southern California, New York, or a typhoon in Asia. But when one happens in Tampa, it’s even worse than many of those places. And that’s because central Florida is the biggest pest-management market in America.
Florida is a subtropical state with swampy lowlands that incline very slightly into low-lying forests that hold tons of moisture. It’s sunny year round, and the temperature rarely drops below fifty degrees, even in the winter. Because of that, the state is already home to the biggest pest issues in the entire country. And then you throw a hurricane on top of that, and things get much worse.
Strong winds from hurricane bands knock down tree limbs and disturb the natural habitat of insects and rodents. This sends those various species scrambling and scurrying for shelter. And then the inches of rain and storm surge that get dumped onto the state stagnate. This attracts all sorts of flying parasitic pests. Everything from mosquitoes to biting fly species. Pests also love the woody, decaying biomass of fallen trees or damaged structures as well.
And when hundreds of miles of an ecosystem is altered by a storm, the animals and insects that live in those ecosystems have to go out and find food, leading to increased interactions with human beings and their homes. So you can see how these Florida hurricane cockroaches can spread, thrive, and infest.
Tips for keeping Cockroaches out of your home
Now, even if you’re a victim of hurricane damage, there are steps you can take to make your home less appealing to these disgusting pest insects. In the pest control world, an ounce of prevention is always worth pounds and pounds of cure. So, let’s get started with a simple tip.
Inspect items that you bring into your home
People don’t think of this one often, but cockroaches are expert hitch-hikers and often carry their eggs with them on their bodies. Storage boxes, packages, groceries, and even food delivery bags can harbor roaches who are on the move and looking for a new place to live. When bringing boxes into your home, even from your own garage, make sure to inspect them thoroughly. After that, flatten and either store or dispose of the container as soon as possible. This goes for plastic packages as well, including grocery bags from the store. If it’s a reusable bag, make sure to clean and store them the moment they’re unused. It only takes a few seconds for a roach to dash from an infested container to under your counters or sinks. And then you have Florida hurricane cockroaches all through your home!
Clean well, clean often.
There are three main things that cockroaches are looking for when invading a home. These are, kind of obviously, food, water, and shelter. All three of these things can be greatly minimized for roaches with proper cleaning steps. For once, water is the most important thing for any living creature on earth.
So, the first thing you’re going to want to do is keep them from having access to water. That means dealing with things like leaky pipes underneath your kitchen sink. Clean any spills you create immediately, and mop up sugar with moist rags. Even puddles left behind after you step out of a shower can sustain a number of roaches.
Next is food. Keeping your food centralized and in containers that roaches can’t easily chew through, like cardboard and paper, can help immensely. For example, keeping the cereal in a reusable plastic container is much better than the cardboard box for roach exclusion.
Florida Hurricane Cockroaches: Common Species
Now, after the hurricane comes through and you’re left holding the bag, there are a few species that you’ll likely run into. They’re the two most common in Central Florida when it comes to home invaders. And the first one is often misidentified as a palmetto bug, but it’s really known as the American Cockroach.
The American cockroach is the largest species in the United States. These guys can reach up to three inches in length and have wings, so they can clumsily fly through the air. You can identify these roaches by their sheer size, mahogany to reddish-brown coloration, and the yellow band that outlines their head around the base.
Then you have the German cockroach species. This is the most common home invading cockroach species on the planet. One female can lay up to three hundred thousand eggs throughout her life. And the kicker for that? She only needs to mate one time, ever. She keeps a sperm bank to make kids whenever she needs to after that! So just one of these can lead to an invasion of hundreds of thousands.
Earth’s Best Natural Pest Control: In service for over thirty years!
Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence in Pest Management: As we look forward to our milestone 30th anniversary in 2024, Earth’s Best Natural Pest Management remains at the forefront of innovative pest control solutions. Since our founding in 1994, our mission has been to offer a cutting-edge and eco-friendly approach to safeguarding your loved ones, furry friends, and the environment. With three decades of hands-on expertise, we are committed to providing you with the latest and most comprehensive range of services and information to ensure a pest-free world. Join us in celebrating 30 years of excellence and discover how Earth’s Best can protect what matters most to you.
