The most common large roaches in Florida homes are the American Cockroach and the Smoky Brown Cockroach. You will also run into Australian and Oriental cockroaches. All of them get lumped together under the term “palmetto bug,” which is just a local nickname Floridians use to make roaches sound a little less awful.

Moisture is almost always the main reason. Roaches are looking for water, food, and a warm dark place to hide, and Florida homes give them all three year-round. A clean house is not a protected house. Even the tidiest home in Brevard County can end up with roaches if there is a gap around a pipe, a humid crawl space, or heavy mulch against the foundation.

The most common entry points are gaps around plumbing and utility lines, cracks in the foundation, spaces under doors and garage doors, and sewer drains. They also hitch rides inside on cardboard boxes, grocery bags, secondhand furniture, and luggage. Once one finds a way in and establishes a harborage, others follow the scent trail.

The clearest sign is seeing a roach during the day. Large roaches are nocturnal, so daytime sightings usually mean the population has grown large enough that they are getting pushed out of hiding. Other signs include small dark droppings that look like ground pepper, egg casings in dark corners or behind appliances, and a faint musty odor in areas where they are concentrated.

Fast. A single female American cockroach can produce hundreds of offspring in her lifetime, and under Florida’s conditions she has plenty of time to do it. A small problem that gets ignored for a few months can turn into a serious infestation that requires significantly more effort to eliminate.

Some of them can. American, Smoky Brown, and Australian cockroaches all have wings and will fly or glide short distances, especially when startled or when moving toward light. The Smoky Brown is the strongest flier of the group and is the species most likely to drop in through attic vents or roofline gaps. Oriental cockroaches cannot fly at all.

They can, and it does hurt. That said, they are not aggressive and do not go looking for a fight. Biting becomes more of a concern when the population inside a home is large enough that they are competing for food and running out of space.

Yes, in a practical sense. They contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria they pick up crawling through drains, sewers, and rotting organic matter. They also shed skin and leave droppings that trigger allergic reactions and can worsen asthma, particularly in children.

No. Florida roaches are opportunists. A clean home with a gap around a pipe or a humid attic is just as attractive to them as any other. Poor sanitation can make an existing problem worse, but it is rarely the root cause.

Cardboard holds moisture, provides warmth, and is actually a food source for roaches. It is also a perfect hiding spot. Storing cardboard boxes in garages, attics, or closets, especially in Florida’s humidity, is one of the more reliable ways to give roaches exactly what they want. Plastic bins with lids are a much better option.

Most homes under 2,000 square feet are treated for $199, flat. No hidden fees, no salesperson showing up with a tiered pricing sheet. You get a clear number before I arrive and that is what you pay. Seniors and active military receive 10% off.

I apply a precise liquid treatment to the exterior of the home, focusing on entry points, the foundation, and harborage areas. Inside, I target the areas where large roaches are most active. I also use Insect Growth Regulators, or IGRs, which disrupt the roach life cycle and prevent juveniles from maturing and reproducing. The colony collapses from within rather than just getting knocked back temporarily. For severe infestations, I offer attic dusting, which is the only professional service of its kind in this area and the most effective way to deal with Smoky Brown cockroaches nesting above the living space.

Most customers see a noticeable drop in activity within the first day. By the end of the first week, roaches are typically gone. The IGR treatment continues working in the background for up to nine months after the initial service.

For an exterior-only treatment, no. If I am treating inside as well, I will need access to the home. Either way, you do not need to leave during the service.

Yes. I use EPA-registered products and follow all safety guidelines. The IGRs I rely on are low-toxicity and work by targeting roach biology specifically. I will let you know if there is anything specific to watch for based on what I apply, but in general there is no need to keep people or pets out of treated areas for more than a short window after application.

For an active infestation, a single treatment is very effective and most customers do not need a follow-up. That said, Florida is Florida, and regular maintenance treatments are a smart investment for long-term prevention, especially for homes near water, in older neighborhoods, or with recurring pressure from surrounding vegetation.

It may reduce ant activity temporarily, but a large roach treatment is not designed to solve an ant infestation. Ants require their own targeted approach. I offer specialized treatments for a wide range of ant species including Fire, Carpenter, Ghost, Argentine, Crazy, Rover, and White-Footed ants. If you have both roaches and ants, I can treat for both in the same visit.

Partially. German cockroaches are a completely different problem that requires a dedicated treatment. If you have both species, I can treat for both at the same time, and that often qualifies for a reduced rate. See the German Cockroach Treatment page for more detail.

Yes. My routine pest control service covers large roaches along with other common household pests. If you are already on a maintenance plan, large roach pressure is part of what gets addressed at each visit.

Yes. Roaches in vehicles are more common in Florida than most people realize. They get in through groceries, fast food bags, and just being parked near an infestation. I treat cars with products specifically suited for enclosed spaces. See the Auto Cockroach Treatment page for details.

Please do not. Store-bought sprays are primarily repellants, not killers. They scatter roaches deeper into walls and other areas of the home, which makes them significantly harder to treat effectively. If you have seen roaches, hold off and let me deal with it the right way from the start.

A few things make a real difference. Fix any leaking pipes or dripping AC drain lines, since moisture is the biggest draw. Keep food in sealed containers and do not leave pet food out overnight. Pull mulch, firewood, and leaf debris back at least six inches from your foundation. Seal gaps around pipes, utility lines, and the base of doors. Turn off exterior lights when you are not using them, since light draws roaches and the insects they feed on. Avoid storing cardboard boxes in garages, attics, or closets.

Dense vegetation close to the house, thick mulch, and wood debris stacked against the foundation create ideal roach habitat right at your doorstep. Keeping plants trimmed back from the structure and maintaining a dry zone around the foundation makes a meaningful difference in how much pressure your home is under between treatments.

IPM is a long-term approach that combines professional treatment with targeted prevention to address the root cause of the problem rather than just the symptoms. Instead of repeatedly treating for the same issue, we identify why roaches are getting in or why they are thriving and address that directly. After every service I walk customers through the specific conditions on their property that are contributing to the problem.