You wake up to grab a snack in the middle of the night and turn on the light, but the sight that meets your eyes is not what you anticipated. Roaches scramble to hide and you lose your appetite. But then you’re in Florida, where the climate is most conducive for the roaches to thrive.
There are many types of Florida roaches that are classified into two: outdoor and indoor roaches. Florida roach types include German roaches, Brown banded roaches, Florida woods roaches, American roaches, Australian roaches, and smoky brown roaches. Keep them away with home remedies, not chemicals.
This article explores the various types of Florida roaches and the distinct features that tell them apart.
Indoor Florida Roach types
The indoor Florida roaches prefer to live in the house, and most are small compared to the outdoor types. Indoor roaches are fond of living within enclosed habitats no matter the prevailing climate.
Some of the common indoor Florida roaches include:
1. German Cockroach
The German cockroach is one of the most common and causes havoc once it gets into your house. Physically, this roach has two dark parallel lines on the back. They are brown and have two long antennae.
Although they hardly fly, the German roaches have wings and six legs, three on each side.
Once inside the house, they are a menace as they feed on anything, including soap, food leftovers, and fabrics.
Unfortunately, the German roaches can move from one part of the house to the next through the electrical wiring connection or the plumbing works. In addition, they are good at hiding, so it becomes hard to spot them.
Purpose to eliminate these roaches once you identify them, as they reproduce fast. The female German roach can produce six generations in one year and only needs to mate once. Perspectively, an adult female can produce more than 20,000 roaches in a year.
2. Brown Banded Roaches
This type of Florida roach is smaller, measuring half an inch, and prefers dry areas as they can go longer without needing water.
The brown-banded roaches get their name from the bands conspicuous on their abdomen and wings. They are pale brown and have six legs and two long antennae. They mostly look like the German roaches, except that they are smaller and stout, and only the male can fly.
This breed is more nocturnal and will avoid light at all costs, so you’ll hardly spot them. Mostly they will hide in the top cabinets, shelves, and drawers.
In its lifetime, the female brown-banded roach can lay 200 eggs in batches of ten capsules that contain approximately fifteen eggs. If you suspect their presence in your home, inspect the highly placed fixtures, such as behind the picture frames, and check for their eggs and droppings.
Outdoor Florida Roach Types
Outdoor Florida roaches prefer to live outside in nature, where it’s moist and covered with vegetation, or in tree holes. You’ll also spot them between the mulch covering plants.
There are several types of these cockroaches, including:
1. Florida Woods Cockroach
This roach is also referred to as the palmetto bug. It’s black, and, unlike the common belief, the Woods cockroach has small wings, although it doesn’t fly.
The Florida Woods roach prefers a habitat with decomposing plant matter such as compost and litter. You can spot this roach on tree stumps and decaying matter.
Interestingly, the Florida wood roach protects itself from predators by releasing a stinking liquid.
These roaches will hardly infest your house unless they penetrate through firewood or cracks in your house. However, once in the house, you may spot them in the bathroom or moist points like under a leaking pipe.
They are low breeders given their feeding patterns, and it’s for this reason you’ll hardly spot them. They don’t require fertilization to lay eggs. Instead, the females produce the cases, which take 50 days for the eggs to hatch. Their lifespan is approximately over a year.
2. American Cockroach
American roaches are larger, measuring approximately two inches. They have long wings, but they can only jump a small distance.
Their appearance is brownish with light yellow edges, and they prefer to live outdoors. You’ll spot them on sewer lines feeding on the filth. Occasionally they could infest the house in search of water and food. They will scavenge for leftovers and pet food.
At its productive peak, the American roach will release two egg cases in a week, each containing sixteen eggs. Then, the rate decreases to one ootheca a month after a while.
Adult American cockroaches can live for a year, with the female producing over a hundred roaches in their lifetime.
3. Australian Cockroach
The Australian roaches resemble the American cockroach, the major difference being the size as they hardly grow beyond an inch.
They have wings that allow them to glide over a small distance. These roaches prefer living in dark and warm areas, so you’ll spot them on greenhouses or the barks of trees. You’ll spot them in the house around a firewood pile.
Australian roaches are heavy breeders as the female can lay an ootheca every ten days containing approximately 20 eggs. However, the adult has a small lifespan, between three and six months.
4. Smoky Brown Cockroach
The smoky brown cockroach is often mistaken for the American roach, but they differ in some aspects, such as size. This roach measures slightly above one inch.
They have long wings and will fly around often. In appearance, they are light black mahogany in color. Their preferred habitat is the outside under mulch, compost, leaf matter, and trees.
Smoky brown roaches will only get in the house if they can spot stagnant water or the weather outside becomes unfavorable for them. They feed mostly on decaying plant matter but occasionally will feed on feces, starch, and insects.
The females will produce ten oothecae with twenty eggs each in their lifetime. The smoky brown roach can live in ideal climate and conditions for almost two years.
How to get rid of cockroaches
Any of these Florida roaches can find their way to your house. As such, you need to learn the best and easy way to get rid of them.
Below are some ways you can get rid of cockroaches:
1. Peppermint Oil
Apply the oil generously on spots you’ve spotted the roaches. It will deter the cockroaches from further infesting your home. The method is friendly to pets and children in the house.
2. Washing Detergent
Mix a dishwashing detergent in a spray bottle and work on the area you observed the roaches. To have the right mixture, mix 4 tablespoons of the detergent for every liter of water.
The method is also harmless to your pets or children, so you don’t have to worry about poisoning.
3. Use Glue Traps
The method works effectively if you spot a common area along the surface where the roaches frequently pass.
Run the glue strips along the wall. The smell attracts the roaches, and they get stuck once they step. Remove the strips once they have trapped all roaches.
4. Borax
Mix borax with white sugar and spread it around your house. Allow the mixture to settle for the night. The roaches consume and get dehydrated, and die. The method is fast and effective as it eliminates adults and young roaches.
5. Citrus
Cut the citrus fruit into slices you can easily squeeze to get the juice. Then, add the liquid to the water you use to clean the house and the fixtures in your house.
The smell deters the roaches and will have them escaping your house in haste. Continue the practice until you can’t spot any roach around.
Conclusion
While there are roaches you can keep as feeder insects for your pets or for other purposes, these wild roaches are nothing more than a menace. If you choose to eliminate them, make sure the methods you use are environmentally friendly to avoid harm to plant and animal life.