There’s no denying that roaches are yucky. They are indiscriminate, to put it mildly, in their toileting habits. They defile your food. Their shed skins and waste can create serious problems for allergy and asthma sufferers. They breed like crazy. There’s not much we humans like about this little pest control problem.
We might not like roaches. We might even loathe them with a seething rage. But, roaches sure like us. These bugs have adapted to human living conditions with appalling ease. Just about everything in our homes is something they’d like to eat – even the stuff that’s clearly not food. Wallpaper paste is one of their favorite foods as is bookbinding glue and drywall paper.
There are thousands and thousands of species of roaches around the globe. One that tends to plague us is the Florida woods cockroach. Often mistaken for another of Florida’s gems, the palmetto bug, the Florida woods cockroach is one big bug. They can be 40 mm long and 24 mm wide. Seeing one in your tub is a rather disturbing experience.
The Florida woods cockroach isn’t quite like the usual household roach. (Those are most often German cockroaches.) Aside from the staggering size difference, they have a different diet. These roaches prefer organic matter from mulch and moss to cardboard. They usually live where they have easy access to food, like in wooded areas or landscaping. However, they will invade your home if the weather is cool and your place looks inviting.
To get rid of this pest, you must first identify it. If you aren’t sure what species has staked a claim on your house, take a sample to your Brevard County Pest Control service company or call them for an inspection. Then you’ll need to figure out why it’s in your house.
Most wood cockroaches would rather be outside but they aren’t very cold-tolerant. That’s not a problem for most of the year here in Florida but a cold snap will send them scuttling inside. They like warm, moist places so if you’ve got a dripping pipe somewhere the woods cockroach might just stay a while. If you find what they like, get rid of it. Then you need to figure out how they got inside. You’ll probably need to buy some caulk!
Your exterminator can help you find green pest control methods to keep these big roaches from getting inside in the first place. Ask your pest control pro about exclusion methods to keep the Florida woods cockroach and any other pest from invading your home.