A roach in the bathroom is enough to make anyone screech, but when it’s more than an inch long, it’s certainly enough to turn some heads. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the size of a Florida Woods cockroach, and getting rid of cockroaches like these is fairly difficult.
About Florida Woods Cockroaches
What is the Florida Woods cockroach? This rather large cockroach can be up to an inch and a half in length and more than an inch wide. They’re reddish-brown or black, and they tend not to have wings that are fully developed. They live an incredibly long life, which is usually a year on average. They also tend not to scatter like other kinds of roaches do. The Florida Woods cockroach also sprays a chemical when they’re being attacked, which can be harmful to eyes and skin. It has a foul-smelling scent as well, which has given rise to a nickname – the Florida Stink Roach.
Cockroach Control In Your House
There are a number of things you can do to prevent cockroaches like these. They’re looking for dark, humid areas, so make certain that you keep that to a minimum in your home. If you have a leak or another problem, be sure to fix it immediately.
Outside, you can avoid using ground covers or planting heavy vegetation in the beds next to your home. You may also want to keep your home’s firewood as far away from the house as possible. Tight-fitting screens on the doors and windows can also help keep them out, as can sealing potential points of entry. Roaches like these actually prefer to live outside, so steps like this can keep them there.
If you’re already infested, though, your best bet is to call in the professionals. Grabbing a cockroach spray off the shelf of your local hardware store simply isn’t going to cut it. You can’t eliminate the problem with a simple spray. Instead, the infestation (once begun) is far too deep to reach with a spray. Professional help is really the only way to go.
Need help getting rid of cockroaches? Contact us today. We’ll come out, evaluate the problem, and help you decide on the perfect next step.
Photo Credit: Lateral-dorsal view of an adult Florida woods cockroach, Eurycotis floridana(Walker). Photograph by Christopher S. Bibbs, University of Florida.