palmetto bugs
Florida's large roaches
Palmetto bugs are large flying cockroaches found in the southeastern United States, especially Florida and South Carolina.
The term usually refers to the American cockroach or smoky brown cockroach—outdoor species that sometimes invade homes.
The name comes from the palmetto palm, in whose fronds they often shelter.
Calling them palmetto bugs rather than cockroaches sounds less alarming: We don't have roaches here, just palmetto bugs.
- waterbugAquatic beetle or roach
- pestHarmful creature or nag
- cockroachesHardy household insect pests
- American cockroachLarge reddish household pest
- crawlingMoving on hands, knees
creepy crawly · infestation · pest control · Southern · Florida · scurry · insect · flying · arthropods · extermination · roaches · humid · warm climate · antennae · sanitation · tropics · creepy · nocturnal