The quick ID test
Palmetto bugs (American cockroaches) are big — 1.5 to 2 inches, reddish-brown, and they often show up one or two at a time, usually at night, near doors, garages, or bathrooms. They live outdoors in mulch, sewers, and tree holes and wander in. They can glide short distances, which is why one flying across the living room causes so much screaming.
German roaches are small — about half an inch, light brown with two dark stripes behind the head. You rarely see just one. They cluster in kitchens and bathrooms: under the fridge, behind the dishwasher, inside cabinet hinges, around the coffee maker. If you see several small roaches scattering when you turn on the kitchen light, that's German roaches, and there's a nest nearby.
Why the difference matters
Palmetto bugs are an exclusion and perimeter problem — seal entry points, treat the outside, and the indoor sightings drop. German roaches are an indoor infestation problem — they breed inside your home, and perimeter spray won't touch the nest behind your dishwasher. Treating a German roach problem like a palmetto bug problem wastes months.
What works for each
Palmetto bugs: seal gaps under doors and around pipes, fix door sweeps, treat mulch beds and the foundation perimeter, and reduce moisture near the house. Indoor sightings after that are usually stragglers.
German roaches: baiting programs, insect growth regulators, and crack-and-crevice treatment — plus sanitation changes (no dirty dishes overnight, sealed food, fixed leaks). It takes multiple visits because you have to outlast the egg cycle. Spraying them with over-the-counter repellent sprays just scatters them deeper into the walls.
Not sure which one you're seeing? Send a photo on the form — we'll ID it and tell you the right plan. Our full roach control page covers treatment in detail.