The Florida woods cockroach is a bug of many titles, ranging from the palmetto bug to some, the stinking cockroach to others, and skunk roach in other circles. This pest is notorious for being smelly, and this musk-inducing insect certainly lives up to its name, the “Florida stink roach.”
This article discusses all there is to know about a Florida woods roach, so continue reading for more!
What Are Florida Woods Cockroaches?
Florida woods cockroaches are an insect that prioritizes moist and dark environments, with a shell best suited for living in these areas. You can find it in greenhouses, storage areas, nearby pools, and even water pumps if the place is hospitable for them.
What Does the Florida Woods Cockroach Look Like?
The Florida woods cockroach is a roach that features a reddish brown, glossy shell. This causes the bug to be roughly 1.2 to 1.6 inches long, with underdeveloped wings being persistent in both the male and females of the species.
Instead of fully functional wings, the wing pads of the Florida woods cockroach are small pads known in the scientific community as “tegmina,” moving with this feature. The bottom half of the roach’s body shapes into a V in females to help create eggs and an oval shape in males.
Outwardly this unique exterior combined with the shiny shell has them commonly mistaken for beetles. Still, their longer antennae and thinner legs are the most significant discernable differences, and they are typically lighter as well.
As a nymph, only the bottom portion of the roach exudes the darker color that is more dominant in full adulthood, with the middle of them appearing a lighter brown, almost mimicking the appearance of a brown-banded cockroach, with small yellow markings dotting the bug’s exterior.
What Is the Florida Wood Roach’s Habitat?
The Florida woods roach’s habitat is mostly amongst leaf litter, with its reddish-brown hide weaving between fallen leaves and the like. Still, they are comfortable residing anywhere that grants them easy access to decaying plant matter, so compost piles and other organic materials that dot any landscape could be a home for them.
As they prefer damp places, you can find them inhabiting greenhouses, water pumps, or any other area that is likely to be wet year-round but also have enough vegetation for them to thrive on. If they could be warmer, that would make the location even more viable to them.
According to Cambridge University Press, the roaches’ favorite food sources include bark and leaves. Still, they will also partake in lichens, molds, mosses, and even soil microbes found most commonly in the dark, damp spaces they prefer to inhabit.
How Are You Likely to Meet a Florida Woods Roach?
You are likely to meet a Florida woods roach if you have piles of mulch or firewood nearby. However, if you spend a reasonable amount of time around the areas it typically inhabits, you are less likely to encounter them than you are other species. This is primarily due to this roach species preferring the outdoors more than an indoor locale.
The most significant chance you have of a cockroach getting into your home would boil down to them hitching a ride on your shoes, firewood, or something else you or a pet may have interacted with. In this case, you may happen to bring the bug inside with you.
If you do happen to sneak some into your home, the foul-smelling aromas they create with the glands near their bottoms will alert you to their presence, and these foul-smelling aromas double as a defensive measure against predators.
Are Florida Woods Roaches Dangerous?
Yes, Florida woods roaches can be dangerous. As with all cockroach species, the Florida stinkroach can be hazardous as it can transmit disease and bacteria by scuttling across surfaces and distributing whatever it comes into contact with all over your home.
In addition, the unique defensive chemicals it secretes can be damaging to your skin and eyes, as well as your pets.
This bug’s fecal matter can also cause allergic reactions and trigger asthma attacks. Be wary when approaching decaying logs, attempting to stack firewood, or going around wooded areas and damp locations. These can be sources that will allow you to not only come into contact with the insect but also open yourself up to the dangers they cause.
How to Avoid an Infestation
The best way to avoid an infestation from these pests would be to ensure you don’t have any dead trees, firewood, or other dense vegetation piling up outside your home.
Any decaying plants that the bug would target as food could cause the bug to wander into your home accidentally or hitch a ride inside on you or your animals.
Checking the perimeter of your home for cracks in the foundation and windows and doors that have been open are easy ways to keep these bugs out and your home secure from the wrath of the Florida stinkroach.
Thankfully pest control when it comes to the skunk cockroach is more about preventative measures than actively dealing with an infestation in most cases, as unlike many other cockroach species, this pest won’t willingly stroll indoors.
Another method to keep your interaction with the stinking cockroach is to be mindful of their preferred temperatures. As we noted earlier, they prefer warm areas, and because they are found outdoors most commonly, keeping them out is the ultimate defense against them.
Read More: Getting Rid Of Wood Cockroaches
Florida Woods Cockroach Facts
The reddish-brown shell of these insects is somewhat difficult to spot in large piles of plant matter, especially during fall when leaves match their shells. Extreme vigilance is required to keep you from bringing them in on accident.
The nymphs of this species are unique in that they will go through six to eight molts over a year-long period, allowing them to go through their entire life cycle. These same nymphs will also never have fully developed wings.
The egg case of this species remains attached to the female and will only detach if the young are ready to hatch or if the adult has been frightened, startled, or believes itself to be in danger.
As with most roaches, the nymphs of this species will always be creeping for food sources and can be commonly found at the bottom of trees, searching for their next meal, especially when creating their first ootheca.
Although most of the species is an inch wide, the infamous palmetto bug shares a lot of similarities to most other roaches found commonly throughout the southeastern United States, like scavenging compost piles or poorly developed wings.
Pest control professionals are hands down the most significant sources for information on how to not only get your home and landscape free of these bugs but also can offer tips on how to kill them should they become an active threat in your household.
Final Thoughts
Although the Florida woods cockroach does not pose much of a threat to your home, it is always safe to take extra precautions. Make sure you keep wood far away from your home and inspect anything you bring outside. If you wish to learn more about other cockroaches, check out our other posts!
