American Cockroaches (Palmetto Bugs) in Miami
The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is Miami's most commonly encountered large cockroach — the reddish-brown, 1.5–2 inch insect that appears in kitchens and bathrooms, typically at night. Unlike German cockroaches that live inside your home, American cockroaches are outdoor insects that enter from outside. They live in mulch beds, palm trees, under leaf litter, in storm drains, and in the sewer system — and enter homes through gaps, drains, and utility penetrations.
Miami's extensive storm drain and sewer infrastructure, combined with year-round warmth and widespread palm tree plantings, creates enormous populations of American cockroaches in the outdoor environment. This means perimeter pressure on Miami homes is constant — the goal of treatment is maintaining a reliable barrier that prevents entry, not eliminating the outdoor population (which is not feasible).
Treatment Approach
Liquid insecticide is applied as a treated zone around the full exterior foundation, creating a barrier that kills American cockroaches attempting to cross from landscaping into the structure. Reapplied monthly to maintain efficacy through Miami's rain and heat.
Floor drains are a major entry point for American cockroaches moving through the sewer system. We treat drains with appropriate products to kill cockroaches in drain trap areas and apply drain covers where appropriate.
Mulch beds, expansion joints, and palm tree bases adjacent to the structure are treated — the primary outdoor harborage areas adjacent to Miami homes.
Pipe penetrations through block walls, weep holes in CBS construction, gaps under doors, and other identified entry points are sealed to reduce cockroach access into the structure.