How to tell you have them
Size is the quickest clue. A roach over an inch long that runs across the garage floor or flies toward a porch light is almost always an outdoor species: the American cockroach, the smoky brown cockroach or the Florida woods roach, all of which Floridians call palmetto bugs. A roach about half an inch long, light brown with two dark stripes behind the head, seen in the kitchen or bathroom at night, is a German cockroach. Seeing small ones in daylight usually means there are many more out of sight.
What they damage
Cockroaches do not damage the house. They contaminate it. They walk through drains and garbage and then over counters and dishes, and their droppings, shed skins and saliva are a well-known allergy and asthma trigger, especially for children.
What treatment looks like
The two groups are treated in opposite ways. Palmetto bugs live outside in mulch, palm trees, tree holes and storm drains, so we treat where they live: a perimeter treatment, bait in landscape beds, and door sweeps and gaps sealed so they stop wandering in. German cockroaches live entirely indoors, so treatment happens inside: gel baits in the cracks where they hide, an insect growth regulator so young roaches cannot mature and breed, and follow-up visits until there is no sign of them. Foggers scatter German cockroaches deeper into the walls, so we do not use them.
How long it takes
Palmetto bug sightings drop within a week or two of exterior treatment. A German cockroach infestation usually takes several visits over four to eight weeks, depending on how established it is.
Florida notes
Outdoor roach activity peaks in July in our seasonal model, when heat and rain drive them out of soaked mulch and into garages. On our plans, palmetto bugs and other outdoor roaches are covered on Quarterly, and German cockroaches on Complete, because clearing them takes repeat interior visits. See the separate pages for palmetto bugs and German cockroaches.