FLORIDIANS! Needing Advice About a Palmetto Bug!!

HouseCat

HouseCat

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I could really use some guidance, and I'm guessing at least one Floridian has dealt with this situation before:

There's a "palmetto bug" (also called a water bug, also called a giant disgusting cockroach) inside my car! I spotted it just after I parked, went to squash it, but it escaped and darted beneath the passenger seat. 😭😭😭

Yeah, I'm from New York and technically shouldn't be bothered by these things, but they absolutely TERRIFY me. That 20 minute drive home is going to be the most frightening car trip I've ever taken. My job involves a bit of travel and I've got loads and loads of gear stashed in there.

What I'm thinking is to pull EVERYTHING out of the car, leave it sitting in the yard, then bring it to a car wash for an interior detail and a really thorough vacuuming. Does anyone have other suggestions or advice? Surely this has happened to somebody at some point in FL (most NYers don't own cars) and I'd be grateful for any and all help!!

(They aren't in our house, though I do encounter them at my workplace. Normally I try to store all my personal stuff in a big Tupperware bin, but today I wasn't careful about it.)
 
Wow, that's crazy — I've spent my entire life in Florida, and not me or anybody I know has ever had one of those get inside their car lol. Sounds like maybe somebody's got it out for you 😅😂?

If your stored gear isn't too fragile, a small bug bomb only runs a few bucks. My roommate once had some spiderants coming out of his AC vents, figured they were baby spiders, and nuked tf out of them. You pull the pin, leave, and when you come back a couple of hours later the car has zero insects left. Leftover toxicity shouldn't be a problem since these things are designed for indoor use, but you might want to drive with the windows down anyway.
 
HouseCat said:

I could really use some guidance, and I'm guessing at least one Floridian has dealt with this situation before:

There's a "palmetto bug" (also called a water bug, also called a giant disgusting cockroach) inside my car! I spotted it just after I parked, went to squash it, but it escaped and darted beneath the passenger seat. 😭😭😭

Yeah, I'm from New York and technically shouldn't be bothered by these things, but they absolutely TERRIFY me. That 20 minute drive home is going to be the most frightening car trip I've ever taken. My job involves a bit of travel and I've got loads and loads of gear stashed in there.

What I'm thinking is to pull EVERYTHING out of the car, leave it sitting in the yard, then bring it to a car wash for an interior detail and a really thorough vacuuming. Does anyone have other suggestions or advice? Surely this has happened to somebody at some point in FL (most NYers don't own cars) and I'd be grateful for any and all help!!

(They aren't in our house, though I do encounter them at my workplace. Normally I try to store all my personal stuff in a big Tupperware bin, but today I wasn't careful about it.)
Click to expand...

Another report coming in from Bayou City...

If you're able to, blast your AC — that should help

What makes them enter a home only to die?

Warm, humid outdoor spots such as trees, mulch, and leaf litter are where these insects flourish. If they happen to crawl in through gaps or plumbing, the dry, climate-controlled indoor air pulls moisture out of them fast, and they die in a short time.

What's a safe way to kill them without poison?

When palmetto bugs walk through or eat boric acid, it throws their digestive and nervous systems out of whack, making this powder an effective and long-lasting killer. [1, 2, 3]

DIY Boric Acid Trap: How to Put One Together

    • Combine the bait: In a small bowl, stir together equal amounts of boric acid powder and a sweet or fatty attractant such as white sugar, peanut butter, or jelly.
    • Fill the stations: Put a small pinch of the mix into disposable bottle caps, or onto little pieces of cardboard or plastic.
    • Position them wisely: Put the caps in dark, damp, out-of-sight places where palmetto bugs move around — behind the fridge, beneath the kitchen sink, close to bathroom plumbing, and along baseboards
 
LOL, boric acid doesn't do the job. At least, it's never done anything for me. I even trapped one and left it sitting in a tupperware container full of boric acid powder for a while, purely to test whether it would work, and it made zero difference to the thing.

Also, rather than paging Floridians, my suggestion would be to ask folks from South Carolina. When it comes to Palmetto bugs, they're the ones with the real expertise!

Edit: One more thing worth mentioning, in case you didn't know — Palmetto bugs are capable of flight. People usually get freaked out the first time they find this out, but with one hiding somewhere in your car, there's an upside to knowing it: it means the bug could fly off on its own once it gets tired of lurking under your seat. Then again, if it does that while you're behind the wheel and it ends up flying right into your line of sight, you might not feel so grateful for the information. And you're welcome for that lovely mental image. 🙂

Most likely (assuming there isn't a pile of food for it down there under your seats), it will eventually leave on its own, since it does have to eat in order to stay alive.

Another route you could take: begin putting food out for it under the seats and just keep it as a pet.
 
Bruce Campbell said:

Wow, that's crazy — I've spent my entire life in Florida, and not me or anybody I know has ever had one of those get inside their car lol. Sounds like maybe somebody's got it out for you 😅😂?

If your stored gear isn't too fragile, a small bug bomb only runs a few bucks. My roommate once had some spiderants coming out of his AC vents, figured they were baby spiders, and nuked tf out of them. You pull the pin, leave, and when you come back a couple of hours later the car has zero insects left. Leftover toxicity shouldn't be a problem since these things are designed for indoor use, but you might want to drive with the windows down anyway.
Click to expand...
What a great thought!!! On my drive home I'll grab one! Nothing in my setup is delicate—there's no electronics or anything like that. That motherf*cker is gonna DIE!!!

Skidude said:

Another report coming in from Bayou City...

If you're able to, blast your AC — that should help

What makes them enter a home only to die?

Warm, humid outdoor spots such as trees, mulch, and leaf litter are where these insects flourish. If they happen to crawl in through gaps or plumbing, the dry, climate-controlled indoor air pulls moisture out of them fast, and they die in a short time.

What's a safe way to kill them without poison?

When palmetto bugs walk through or eat boric acid, it throws their digestive and nervous systems out of whack, making this powder an effective and long-lasting killer. [1, 2, 3]

DIY Boric Acid Trap: How to Put One Together

    • Combine the bait: In a small bowl, stir together equal amounts of boric acid powder and a sweet or fatty attractant such as white sugar, peanut butter, or jelly.
    • Fill the stations: Put a small pinch of the mix into disposable bottle caps, or onto little pieces of cardboard or plastic.
    • Position them wisely: Put the caps in dark, damp, out-of-sight places where palmetto bugs move around — behind the fridge, beneath the kitchen sink, close to bathroom plumbing, and along baseboards
Click to expand...
I will!

Skidude said:

Another report coming in from Bayou City...

If you're able to, blast your AC — that should help

What makes them enter a home only to die?

Warm, humid outdoor spots such as trees, mulch, and leaf litter are where these insects flourish. If they happen to crawl in through gaps or plumbing, the dry, climate-controlled indoor air pulls moisture out of them fast, and they die in a short time.

What's a safe way to kill them without poison?

When palmetto bugs walk through or eat boric acid, it throws their digestive and nervous systems out of whack, making this powder an effective and long-lasting killer. [1, 2, 3]

DIY Boric Acid Trap: How to Put One Together

    • Combine the bait: In a small bowl, stir together equal amounts of boric acid powder and a sweet or fatty attractant such as white sugar, peanut butter, or jelly.
    • Fill the stations: Put a small pinch of the mix into disposable bottle caps, or onto little pieces of cardboard or plastic.
    • Position them wisely: Put the caps in dark, damp, out-of-sight places where palmetto bugs move around — behind the fridge, beneath the kitchen sink, close to bathroom plumbing, and along baseboards
Click to expand...
While I'm there picking up the bug bomb, I can likely grab some of this at the hardware store too!

tubby said:

LOL, boric acid doesn't do the job. At least, it's never done anything for me. I even trapped one and left it sitting in a tupperware container full of boric acid powder for a while, purely to test whether it would work, and it made zero difference to the thing.

Also, rather than paging Floridians, my suggestion would be to ask folks from South Carolina. When it comes to Palmetto bugs, they're the ones with the real expertise!

Edit: One more thing worth mentioning, in case you didn't know — Palmetto bugs are capable of flight. People usually get freaked out the first time they find this out, but with one hiding somewhere in your car, there's an upside to knowing it: it means the bug could fly off on its own once it gets tired of lurking under your seat. Then again, if it does that while you're behind the wheel and it ends up flying right into your line of sight, you might not feel so grateful for the information. And you're welcome for that lovely mental image. 🙂

Most likely (assuming there isn't a pile of food for it down there under your seats), it will eventually leave on its own, since it does have to eat in order to stay alive.

Another route you could take: begin putting food out for it under the seats and just keep it as a pet.
Click to expand...
For ants it's worked well for me, and right after my husband—then boyfriend—moved in and SWORE up and down that he hadn't brought those nasty little f*ckers along (which of course he had), I picked up some boric acid tablets for the little German roaches.😡🤣 The big palmetto / American cockroaches have never been a problem for me, and yes, hearing that your experiment didn't end in death has me a bit discouraged. After the bomb, it'll be my 2nd line of defense.

About a pet…yeahNOOOOOOO! 🤣 If my life were too easy and pleasant and I just wanted a daily thrill by scaring myself, maybe, but yeahNO!

Ugh! During my drive, this little d-bag had better stay flight-less, or I'm likely to cause a wreck! “No officer, I haven't been drinking. It was just a huge flying cockroach that scared the living daylights out of me!”

Thank you all! My very first instinct was to just set the car on fire ! 😂
 
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Bug bombs are pretty much useless, but Bifenthrin actually gets the job done. It's easy to find — big box stores, hardware shops, garden centers all carry it. Put it in a spray bottle, dilute it, and soak the interior of your car with it. The effect lasts a long time; anything that touches it, even after several weeks, will end up dead, and it's safe to use around the house, pets, and children. For a long time I was dealing with Box Elder Bugs coming from a neighbor's trees, until I came across this product. How well it works is honestly amazing.
 
HouseCat said:

I could really use some guidance, and I'm guessing at least one Floridian has dealt with this situation before:

There's a "palmetto bug" (also called a water bug, also called a giant disgusting cockroach) inside my car! I spotted it just after I parked, went to squash it, but it escaped and darted beneath the passenger seat. 😭😭😭

Yeah, I'm from New York and technically shouldn't be bothered by these things, but they absolutely TERRIFY me. That 20 minute drive home is going to be the most frightening car trip I've ever taken. My job involves a bit of travel and I've got loads and loads of gear stashed in there.

What I'm thinking is to pull EVERYTHING out of the car, leave it sitting in the yard, then bring it to a car wash for an interior detail and a really thorough vacuuming. Does anyone have other suggestions or advice? Surely this has happened to somebody at some point in FL (most NYers don't own cars) and I'd be grateful for any and all help!!

(They aren't in our house, though I do encounter them at my workplace. Normally I try to store all my personal stuff in a big Tupperware bin, but today I wasn't careful about it.)
Click to expand...
I can't stop laughing, and I feel terrible for you at the same time, because I'm picturing you speeding home like a maniac. If I were in your shoes, I'd take care of it myself- bugs don't bother me much- honestly, I find them kind of neat. So I've got nothing useful to offer!!
 
bamagirl26 said:

I can't stop laughing, and I feel terrible for you at the same time, because I'm picturing you speeding home like a maniac. If I were in your shoes, I'd take care of it myself- bugs don't bother me much- honestly, I find them kind of neat. So I've got nothing useful to offer!!
Click to expand...
I'd be wearing a complete beekeeper outfit just so it couldn't land on me. Aaaaack! 😵
 
Lifer here. Pick up some Ortho Home Defense meant for indoor use and apply it to the carpets. It won't harm you and the odor doesn't stick around. Roughly every 2 months I do the baseboards throughout the inside of my house with it; you can get it at Amazon, Home Desperate and Lowes. FYI< they don't eat much, but they do have offspring.
 
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