Cockroach Season In Florida
Many insects and wildlife have specific seasons when you can expect them to show up. Bees, wasps, and mosquitos show up the most during spring and summer, and people tend to find rodents sheltering in their homes during winter.
Cockroaches don’t have a typical mating season, but you will find that their invasions increase during certain parts of the year.
Does Florida Have a Cockroach Season?
Florida has moderate temperature changes throughout the year, creating ideal conditions for cockroaches to thrive. Like other types of insects, cockroaches tend to slow down during the cooler months of the year, and certain species don’t tolerate cold very well.
Since the temperature doesn’t tend to dip too low in Florida, the majority of cockroach activity tends to be influenced by the rain. When storms begin to roll through the area, you can expect to see more cockroaches using buildings as a shelter from rising water that could cause them to drown.
Roaches also can’t handle extremely high heat. As the summer months hit full swing, they’ll seek out air-conditioned spaces that help them stay cooler.
While you won’t necessarily see a defined cockroach season in Florida, it can often seem like one happens in the late summer months when rainy weather and higher temperatures create the perfect storm for roaches seeking shelter.
Which Roach Species Live In Florida?
Florida is home to several roach species that often have different behaviors. The American roach, or palmetto bug, is often the most surprising type of roach for people to encounter due to its size.
Palmetto bugs (American Cockroach) prefer to live outside but often make their way into a building to escape harsh weather conditions. They can also crawl through plumbing lines and get into indoor areas on accident as they wander through populated urban and suburban areas.
German, Asian and brown-banded roaches tend to be much smaller than Palmetto bugs. These smaller roaches thrive in indoor areas, provided they can find a steady source of food and water.
The different species can be identified by their egg cases‘ colors, size and appearance. However, it is fairly common to have multiple species living in a building at any time.
Typically, the same conditions that attract roaches to your home or commercial building will bring more. The control methods are also usually the same, regardless of the type of roach you are dealing with.
Although a single Palmetto bug might be able to be removed if you just caught it in your home, most roach infestations require a broader effort to eliminate the pests.
Is It Normal to Have Roaches In Your House In Florida?
People tend to react to roach infestations with fear, shame, and embarrassment. Yet, dealing with roaches is a fairly common part of life in Florida. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted a study that found that the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area had the third-highest roach infestation rate in the United States.
Given the high number of roaches in Florida and the proximity of many homes and commercial buildings, it is generally safe to assume that roaches may exist in any indoor area. Discovering roaches in your living space may be upsetting initially, but it might help to remember that it is a common problem.
In addition to the heat and rainy weather, Florida has a humid environment that creates conditions that allow roaches to thrive. Even if you don’t see them indoors, you may still discover them lurking around moist soil near the exterior walls of your home or beneath piles of wood or leaves.
Roaches can also easily travel between one building and another. If your neighbor has roaches in their house, you may find them in yours. It is also possible for roaches to hitch a ride on groceries, in luggage, and other items that you bring into your home.
If you operate a short-term rental home, your houseguests could inadvertently bring them in their luggage. This is why you’ll sometimes hear of the tourist season referred to as cockroach season. The inflow of additional people to the area increases the odds of roaches being transferred to neighborhood homes.
Although roaches may be common in Florida homes and offices, you still don’t want to allow an infestation to flourish. Cockroaches breed rapidly, which means that a small invasion can quickly become an unsafe environment that puts you and other people’s health and safety at risk.
Getting Rid of Florida Roaches
You can’t change the climate in Florida, but you can change the environment around your property that allows infestations to flourish.
These steps can help you prepare for an upcoming increase in roaches during seasonal changes.
Clear Out the Clutter
Roaches love to find hiding spaces that they can use to shelter from bad weather and the potential of being caught by a property owner. One thing that you can start doing right away is clearing out old boxes, piles of clothes in your closet, and other forms of clutter that roaches can use for safe havens.
As you take this step, remember to do the same outside your property. Roaches often hide in piles of mulch, leaves, and other debris that you don’t need sitting along the walls of your house.
Fix Entry Points
Most roach problems occur when the bugs squeeze their way into buildings to avoid harsh weather. Making sure your home has as few cracks and crevices as possible reduces the chances of them getting inside. Replacing the weatherstripping around doors and windows is a great place to start with shoring up your property.
Reduce Moisture Levels
Drying out your property might seem impossible in such a humid climate, but you can take steps to avoid having excessive moisture in and around your property. For instance, you can fix small plumbing leaks that provide roaches with a water source.
During the rainy season, you can ensure that water doesn’t pool around your home by installing and maintaining drainage systems. Keeping the roof on your property in good repair also prevents roaches from coming inside.
Implement a Regular Spraying Plan
Roaches can slip through tiny cracks; you may bring them inside with your groceries or outdoor gear. Spraying for roaches regularly is the most effective way to prevent them from getting out of control.
Today’s sprays are safe to use in your house around pets and vulnerable people. Depending upon your property’s risk of seasonal roach invasions, you may arrange for monthly or quarterly spraying services with residual effects so that a stray roach or two doesn’t get far with reproducing on your property.
You can also try using some these DIY traps that other home owners have found to be effective:
Borax For Roaches: Sugar Bait Recipe
Homemade Roach Killer With Borax: Easy Recipes
Cockroach season can sometimes seem like it happens all year long in Florida, but you may see an increase in infestations anytime the weather takes a drastic turn.
Staying vigilant is critical for keeping roach populations down. Year-round pest control measures work well to ensure that your home or commercial building space is safe from roach swarms during every season.
