Summer and fall are hurricane season for Floridians. And that brings a lot of daily downpours. The wet weather also means you may start seeing palmetto bugs and other cockroaches as they seek shelter in your home. Bugs like these love the warm, wet weather, which is why Florida is their ideal habitat.
In this article, we’ll look at one of the questions you may have had if you’ve seen palmetto bugs and other roaches in your home: do they lay eggs? Because the answer to that question will let you know whether the sight of a couple of bugs will soon turn into an infestation.
Yes, Palmetto bugs lay eggs
After one mating session, female palmetto bugs will lay eggs for the rest of their lives. Female palmetto bugs lay eggs in a casing called an ootheca. They can lay one ootheca each week for about four to five months. They will lay their eggs in areas that are secure, moist, and near food. If palmetto bugs are in your home, you will typically find them in areas like:
- Bathrooms
- Under sinks
- Attics
- Under refrigerators
You’ll also find them outdoors around your home where there is food and moisture. You may have seen them in and around:
- Trash cans
- Mulch
- Palm trees
Once an egg hatches, these roaches grow to about 1 to 1 ½ inches. American cockroaches and Smokybrown cockroaches are often referred to as palmetto bugs, so the size and look of the pests – and what you call them – isn’t as big of an issue as getting rid of them.
How to keep Palmetto bugs out of your home
Here are a few steps you can take to prevent palmetto bugs and cockroaches from entering your home.
- Keep your home dry. Because palmetto bugs like humidity and damp conditions, you can keep them away by fixing leaky pipes. Add extensions to your downspouts so that water flows away from your home. If you have puddles around your foundation after a rain, you have an environment that palmettos seek.
- Use rocks or gravel instead of mulch. Mulch keeps in moisture, so try to use it at least a couple of feet away from the foundation of your home.
- Keep your home clean. Left out food attracts all types of roaches and bugs. Secure your food tightly in containers – especially those you keep in your cabinets and pantry.
- Seal cracks and other spaces that offer access into your home. Fill in gaps around the pipes and doorway thresholds that lead into your house. And screen areas like your dryer vents. Also be sure to seal the area between your toilet base and the floor.
The bottom line: Because of the unsanitary places that these bugs tend to live, they bring diseases. Getting rid of them should be a top priority.
Call JD Smith to keep your home safe from palmetto bugs
If you’ve seen the signs of palmetto bugs — or any roaches — call us right away. You can rely on JD Smith Pest Control to keep your home free of palmetto bugs by using environmentally friendly solutions that keep your family safe. Our certified inspectors are ready to assess your situation and create a pest control plan that’s right for you.
