Florida is often described as a tropical paradise. When in reality, it’s actually a subtropical state. We have plenty of beaches and nature. Warm weather year-round. And a population that’s absolutely booming out of the seams. And you know who else loves conditions like this? It’s not just the tourists! Nope, pests love it! But it’s not just mosquitoes and ants you have to look for. That’s why today we’re going to discuss Florida cockroaches and whether or not you need help from a Tampa cockroach exterminator.
Tampa Cockroach Exterminator: Why are there so many cockroaches in Florida?
Unfortunately, the reason there are so many cockroaches in this state is manifold. The most pressing issue is the climate. Roaches from all over the world hitch rides in cars, busses, planes, trains, and boats. And when they arrive on Florida’s shores, they start to thrive and expand. That’s because Florida is perfect for beetles. It’s a warm, humid climate with year-round sunshine and MAYBE one cold snap a year anymore. When I was a young man, there would be frost on the ground in the winter. Now, no more. Instead, the roaches get to breed, spread, and feed year-round with no die back at the end of the year.
And on top of that, you have the population boom the state is currently experiencing. With nearly a thousand new permanent residents a day, the state’s nature is being mowed flat and houses are being built on lands that were wild for centuries. Because of this, and the expansion of invasive species and tourism based industries, cockroaches are one of the few insect species that can survive and thrive in Florida’s brave new overcrowded world.
So picture this. A new restaurant is built on a section of land that was recently cleared of an old patch of woods. The new restaurant has a large dumpster out back, and some of the boxes they had shipped in had German cockroach eggs in them without anyone realizing it. A female German cockroach needs to mate only once in her life to produce viable offspring for as long as she lives. And now she has a nearly infinite source of food, water, and room to expand. I think you get the picture now.
Tampa Cockroach Control: Cockroach species
Now, I mentioned the German cockroaches above. But this state is absolutely inundated with various species of roach. So let’s touch on a few of them that you’re likely to see here. And we’ll start with a famous one.
The American Cockroach
First, we’ll touch on a bug often misidentified as the palmetto bug. That is the American cockroach. This species of pest is the largest house infesting roach in the united states. People from other states have a few names for it, such as the Bombay canary or the palmetto bug. However, that’s a misunderstanding. The palmetto name actually refers to another species we will touch on in this list. These guys, due to their sheer size, may just send you running for the Tampa Cockroach Exterminator.
American cockroaches are reddish-brown and have a yellow figure 8 pattern on the backs of their heads. They have six legs and an oval shaped body. The real kicker is their sheer size. Adults of this species are quick moving, capable of (rather clumsy) flight, and can reach three inches in length. Thankfully, they’re not really prolific home infesters. You’ll find these giants usually after they accidentally wander in through a crack in the walls or an open window they were attracted through by lights.
Florida woods roach
Now, we’ll touch briefly onto the actual palmetto bug. More for education than anything, as these guys aren’t common home infesters. These roaches are about an inch and a half long in size but oddly wide at up to one inch wide. They’re reddish brown to black in coloration and do not have fully developed wings, making them unable to fly. They have wings; they’re just too small actually to use.
They’re known as the palmetto bug because their favorite hangout spot is the palmetto plants. They’ll gather in number in hide under the leaves. They’re also known as stinking cockroaches. I’m sure you can guess why. But I’ll explain anyway. To ward off predators, palmetto bugs release chemicals from glands under their abdomens. This is due to the slow moving nature of this roach species, as they have no real other forms of defense.
German cockroaches
Now, this is a pest that you need to run for a Tampa cockroach exterminator asap if you see them. In fact, it’s the most infesting species of roach on this list and on the planet. It’s believed that these roaches have become so good at surviving off of human waste and homes that they can no longer survive in many places in the wild.
These roaches are light brown to tan in color, with two dark parallel stripes that run down their backs and make them easy to identify.
Tampa Cockroach Exterminator: What to do when you’re infested
The issue with cockroach infestations is their sheer breeding ability. Once you have a handful of roaches in your home, things tend to get out of hand very quickly. They lay massive clutches of eggs, are experts at hiding in the dark, and are brutally resistant to poisons and chemical methods of control. The first thing you should do is start cleaning up your home immediately. Make sure there are no leaky pipes in areas where roaches can hide during the day. This mostly means under your sinks in your kitchen and bathroom, but it’s good practice to check around your water heater and other areas of the home as well.
But once you’ve moved into a full on infestation, it’s better to get in contact with a pest control specialist in your area. Especially one that focuses on natural methods of control. Chemical pesticides can lead to populations of fast breeding insects that are resistant to those methods of control due to their ability to have so many generations in such a short amount of time.
