Florida Woods Cockroach Facts & Information

What You Can Do

Here are some tips for homeowners who wish to prevent Florida woods cockroach infestations:

Limit Food Sources & Habitats: Limit food sources and habitats that can deter these pests. Dispose of leaf litter and debris around houses to remove easy meals and hiding places.

Seal Entryways: Install well-fitting screens and weather stripping. Caulk any visible cracks in siding or foundations.

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.

Appearance

• Size: Florida woods cockroaches measure to about an inch and a half long and up to one inch wide.

• Color: They are reddish brown to black and do not have fully developed wings like many other species of cockroaches.

• Characteristics: This species appears wingless, but they have short vestigial wings.

Behavior

The Florida woods cockroach is sometimes called the palmetto bug, because they may be found hiding under palmetto leaves.

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.

Diet

The diet of a Florida woods cockroach consists of:

• Decaying plants

• Mold

• Moss

Habitat

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:

• Bathrooms

• Basements

• Leaf litters

• Leaking pipes

• Palmetto leaves

• Trees

• Woodpiles

Geographical Range

They are most common in humid, warm areas such as:

• Coastal Alabama

• Coastal Georgia

• Florida

• Mississippi

• West Indies

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.