If you’ve lived for any amount of time down here, you’ve probably seen some roaches. Of course, by down here I mean Florida, the good old sunshine state. The tropics and warm weather year round. People love it! But, so do bugs. And wherever bugs are plentiful, roaches are some of the most plentiful of us all. In fact, there’s no other animal that’s evolved to be as good at living around humans as the roach. But, there are many different species of roach. Each one can take different methods of removal as well. That’s why today we’ll be identifying the different Florida Roach Species.
Florida Roach Species- American Cockroach
Forget about saving the best for last. Today we’re talking about the undisputed heavyweight champion of Florida Roach Species: The Palmetto Bug. More commonly known as the American Cockroach anywhere that ain’t down south. This is the largest of the common cockroach species, and gets bigger than two inches in length. These roaches are reddish brown and have a pale yellow border. The males and females both have wings, but the males have larger ones. Both can glide short distances but are overall weak fliers.
Their weak flying ability is why they’re so infamous. They have a reputation for being aggresive and downright horrifying, but that’s a bit overblown. If you ever had a roach fly in your face during the night, it’s likely that it was on accident. They just really can’t control where they end up flying.
American cockroaches are the most common cockroach species found in city sewer systems. While they prefer to live outside, American cockroaches enter homes to find water or food.They can easily pass under doors if the weather stripping is damaged. Basement windows and garages are also common entryways.
When American cockroaches enter homes, they often go to bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and basements. They will forage for crumbs, scraps, and spilled food, and will sometimes eat pet food that is left out.
Florida Woods Cockroach
Up next is probably our smelliest and unique Florida Roach Species. Also known as the stinking cockroach, is the Florida Woods Cockroach. When this species is threatened by predators, it releases a foul smelling liquid. It’s small, black, and looks wingless; but does have small wings. These wings are useless though, for this species is slow moving and flightless.
he Florida woods cockroach feeds primarily on decomposing plant matter and is effectively a detritivore. Because of these feeding habits, an infestation of this cockroach species is unlikely, but Florida woods cockroaches can be brought inside on firewood or may enter on their own through open windows and doors. Inside homes, these insects can be found in bathrooms or crawlspaces and are particularly attracted to leaking pipes.
German Cockroach
While the American Cockroach is the heavyweight champ of size, this is the champ of the numbers game. The German Cockroach is the most common species in the U.S.
n adult German cockroach is pale to medium-brown and has two, almost parallel, dark stripes on their backs behind their head. These roaches have long, almost-straight antennae and six legs with spines. And, they have wings, they don’t often fly.
Female German cockroaches only need to mate once to be able to produce eggs the rest of its life and can breed at a rate of up to six generations per year…that means a single egg-carrying German cockroach female in a home or building can lead to the generation of more than 30,000 offspring in a single year. Typically, these roaches are brought into a home inside boxes, bags, containers, used appliances, or other items. Once inside, they have no trouble moving from room to room, or between apartments, using pipes and plumbing.
German cockroaches will feed on almost anything, including soap, glue and toothpaste. They thrive in human structures and fit in tiny spaces, making it important to act as soon as you see one. This is the Florida Roach Species you’re most likely to have to deal with.
Smokey Brown Cockroach
Next up we have a cockroach that, honestly, is much less offensive in appearance than others. Well, at least to me, but I’m a big of a bug and animal nerd.
Smokey brown cockroaches are closely related to the American cockroach, but are slightly smaller in size at just over an inch long. These cockroaches have a shiny appearance and are uniformly a black, mahogany color. They are also strong fliers and have wings that extend beyond their body. So if one of these flies at you, it’s likely less accidental than the American Cockroach’s hazardous flightpath.
Around homes and structures, the smokey brown cockroach can be found in tree holes, beneath mulch beds and ground cover, and around soffits and eaves, or areas where moisture problems may exist because they dehydrate very quickly. The smokey brown cockroach can easily penetrate buildings through openings or gaps beneath siding, through attics or soffit vents, openings around utility and plumbing penetrations, and through open windows or doors.
While smoky brown cockroaches prefer to eat decaying plant matter, they will consume any food source available to them including animal feces, dead bodies, and even their own young.
Florida Roach Species: What To Do?
In general, cockroaches are opportunistic feeders, so it is best to get them out of your house as soon as possible. You can usually tell if you have an infestation by the presence of either adult cockroaches or nymphs and egg cases. If you see roaches or their droppings, it is important to contact a pest control service for identification and removal. And while an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, once an infestation happens they’re very hard to get rid of. And look into a pest control specialist that uses natural method, and won’t just rush to tent up and bug bomb your home as quickly as they can. Feel free to contact us at Earth’s Best for fair, reasonable, and safe treatment of your home.
