How to tell you have them
“Palmetto bug” is the Florida name for several large outdoor cockroaches. The American cockroach is reddish brown, about an inch and a half long, with a pale band behind the head, and it flies on hot nights. The smoky brown cockroach is a uniform dark brown and flies toward lights. The Florida woods roach is dark, slow and broad, and gives off a strong smell when disturbed. You usually meet them one at a time, in the garage, near a floor drain or by a door.
What they damage
They do not damage the house, but they come from sewers, storm drains, palm trees and compost, so they carry bacteria onto whatever they cross. One dead roach in a closet is an unpleasant surprise; a dozen means they have a way in.
What treatment looks like
Palmetto bugs live outdoors, so that is where we treat. Each visit includes a perimeter treatment at the foundation, doors, windows, weep holes and eaves, a granular bait in mulch beds, around palm trees and in the garage, and attention to the places they enter: missing door sweeps, gaps around pipes, dryer vents and garage door corners. Keeping mulch thin and away from the slab, and trimming palm fronds off the roof, takes away their favorite shelter.
How long it takes
Sightings inside usually drop within one to two weeks. Activity rises again with summer heat and rain, which is why the perimeter is refreshed every three months.
Florida notes
Palmetto bug activity peaks in July in our seasonal model. In Florida, a big roach indoors is not a sign of a dirty home; small roaches in the kitchen are a different story, covered on the German cockroach page. Palmetto bugs are covered on every plan, starting with Quarterly.