Florida Woods Cockroach Facts & Information
Protect your home or business from Florida woods cockroaches by learning techniques for identification and control.
Treatment
How do I get rid of Florida woods cockroaches?
How to Help Prevent Florida Woods Cockroaches
Here are some tips for homeowners who wish to prevent Florida woods cockroach infestations:
Eliminate Harborage Areas
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Remove leaf litter regularly.
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Store firewood away from structures.
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Reduce excess mulch depth.
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Clean up yard debris.
Reduce Moisture
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Repair leaking faucets.
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Improve drainage.
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Eliminate standing water.
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Address irrigation issues.
Seal Entry Points
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Install weather stripping.
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Repair damaged screens.
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Seal foundation cracks.
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Close gaps around utility lines.
Improve Exterior Maintenance
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Trim vegetation away from structures.
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Keep gutters clean.
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Maintain landscaping.
What Orkin Does
Your local Orkin Pro is trained to help manage Florida woods cockroaches and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your Orkin Pro will design a unique cockroach treatment program for your situation.
Orkin can provide the right solution to keep Florida woods cockroaches in their place and out of your home or business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Florida Woods Cockroaches
How to Identify a Florida Woods Cockroach
Florida woods cockroaches have several distinctive characteristics:
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Large, oval-shaped body
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Dark brown to nearly black coloration
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Short wings that do not support flight
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Shiny appearance
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Slow-moving compared to other roach species
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Strong defensive odor when disturbed
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Measure to about an inch and a half long and up to one inch wide.
Because of their size, they are often mistaken for American cockroaches or other large roach species.
Why are Florida woods cockroaches called palmetto bugs?
The Florida woods cockroach is sometimes called the palmetto bug, because they may be found hiding under palmetto leaves. In many southeastern states, the term “palmetto bug” is commonly used to describe several large outdoor cockroach species, including Florida woods cockroaches.
They are similar in appearance to oriental cockroaches. Adult oriental cockroaches usually are less than 3 cm and have more developed wings, though still not beyond the tip of the abdomen.
This pest is also commonly referred to as the stinking cockroach. To ward off predators, Florida woods cockroaches release harmful chemicals from a gland under their abdomens. This defense is vital to their survival, as the pests are slow moving compared to other species.
What do Florida woods cockroaches eat?
The diet of a Florida woods cockroach consists of:
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Decaying plants
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Mold
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Moss
Where do Florida woods cockroaches live?
The pests prefer to live in damp, dark places with a large food supply. Wooded areas provide a perfect habitat. They can be found outdoors or indoors in places including:
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Bathrooms
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Basements
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Leaf litters
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Leaking pipes
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Palmetto leaves
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Trees
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Woodpiles
They play a role in breaking down organic material and are considered beneficial decomposers in natural ecosystems.
Where can Florida Woods cockroaches be found?
They are most common in humid, warm areas such as:
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Coastal Alabama
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Coastal Georgia
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Florida
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Mississippi
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West Indies
What is the Florida woods cockroaches reproduction & life cycle?
Florida woods cockroaches can produce eggs with or without fertilization. Females lay ootheca, or egg cases, which hatch after about 50 days. They produce egg cases that contain an average of 20 to 24 eggs.
Nymphs undergo six to eight molts before becoming adults. This process usually takes several months. These cockroaches may live for over a year.