The palmetto bug: big, outdoor, occasional
The American cockroach — Florida's infamous palmetto bug — is over an inch long, reddish-brown, and mostly lives outside in mulch beds, tree holes, sewers, and leaf litter. It wanders indoors through gaps, especially after heavy rain floods its harborages. Seeing one every few weeks is a perimeter and exclusion problem, not an infestation. They are startling, not subtle.
The German roach: small, indoor, serious
The German cockroach is half an inch, light brown with two dark stripes behind its head, and it lives and breeds indoors — behind refrigerators, inside cabinet hinges, under sinks, around dishwashers. It is nocturnal, fast, and prolific: one egg case holds dozens of nymphs. Seeing German roaches in daylight means the population is large enough to spill into the open. This is an infestation problem requiring an indoor program.
Why the distinction matters
Treating German roaches like palmetto bugs — a perimeter spray and sealed gaps — wastes time and money while the indoor population doubles. Treating palmetto bugs like German roaches — intensive indoor baiting — is overkill for what is essentially a visitor problem. Identification first, plan second. Every time.
The quick ID test
Big (1+ inch), occasional, near doors and garages after rain? Palmetto bug. Small (half inch), in the kitchen at night, behind appliances? German roach. Still unsure? Send us a photo — we identify them free.