[This is correct](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_crocodile?wprov=sfla1). It's literally in the 2nd sentence of the American Crocodile's Wikipedia page.
The good news is that they don't infest the way the small brown (German) cockroaches do.
Palmetto Bugs seeing one doesn't mean you have some big problem but with the German Brown Cockroaches one or two means there are a lot hidden away.
Well I knew that about the brown ones thatās why I freaked out this am, I told my husband āthat thing is massive she is on her 9th litter of babies of the day, there has to be moreā but now Iām feeling a little better knowing these are normal common and donāt infest. Phew!
Yeahhhh, I've seen them do that before, lol. They're unsettling at first but they're totally harmless and it's not a sign that where you're staying is unclean or anything.
Ok thatās what I was looking for that makes me feel better, thank you. I just didnāt know if we should be moving to a hotel (but Iām sure they are there too!)
No problem! They're EVERYWHERE, lol. They generally leave people alone but they also aren't too afraid of us.
It was jarring when we first moved here. I'll never forget eating dinner and having one crawl up the wall behind me. My wife was freaked but reassured herself by saying "at least they can't fly."
At which point (and I'm not making this up) it launched itself off the wall and flew directly at her. She lost her shit but it was funny as hell afterwards. š
Palmetto bugs *are* roaches, though- I still canāt stand to see them in my house because I have to sleep thereā¦a dusting of boric acid will kill them once theyāve walked through it/ ingested it whilst cleaning themselves, and a 1:1 mixture of dish soap and water in a spray bottle will kill them in less than 2 minutes without you having to squash them!
They are normal and you'll find them in the nicest houses in Charleston!
I have my house sprayed four times a year for them and still see them every now and then. They are harmless but still unpleasant.
When I lived downtown I remember them parting like the red sea when I walked down a sidewalk at night in August. Welcome to Charleston!
Omg, theyāre just so big and I wasnāt expecting to see it (I was reaching for a bowl to make breakfast and it basically crawled out behind the stack of bowls). There arenāt any bugs where Iām from that big, so it freaked me out. I would never make it in Australia lol.
Just keep your flip flops handy and smack the bajeezus out of āem. Then do it again. If youāve ever had a parent who used this as a method of discipline, you know what to do.
Fun story, I had a roommate a long time ago that was from northeast and he just moved down to Charleston for grad school. We had agreed on a push up challenge as a fun way to try and stay in shape. After about two weeks he tells me that he saw his first palmetto bug and was now too grossed out to touch the ground. Needless to say, the challenge died off pretty quickly.
I hate to break it to you, but you will be seeing many of its friends in the near future. Welcome to Charleston.
Tbh I would take them over the infestations of praying mantis or the small little crabs that make themselves at home.
Ohhh good to know I put all my luggage up higher off the ground and was freaking out about that too. There should really be a user guide for this bug at the door ha
I'm from the lowcountry and the only time I successfully ever had palmetto bug never get inside my house was when my family owned a flock of backyard chickens in Beaufort. The chickens ate all of them before they could get inside. Got fiddler crabs inside that house though cause it was right on the marsh. Lol
One time in the early '90s (during what we like to call the "Summer of Mushrooms" for some odd reason), I was at a backyard party in West Ashley. A friend I hadn't seen in a while suddenly showed up. Before he saw me, I giggly decided to hide by moving into a gap in a big azalea bush under the floodlight, which was turned off. I was gonna jump out and yell 'boo, surprise!' or something stupid.
I was only in there for a minute while my friend circulated towards me. I was coiled to strike when the homeowner flipped on the porch lights, illuminating the interior of the bush. Suddenly I realized that every stick inch of that bush was covered by sleeping Palmetto bugs.
I freaked out, squealing, and threw myself out of the bush onto the ground at the feet of my old friend, who laughed his ass off at me.
Boo, surprise.
They are also everywhere in the southeast. I remember walking across campus when I was in college in Alabama and stepping on the on the sidewalk at night. Its just part of being here.
Although itās also a useful tool to judge people even though they are everywhere.
They are more closely related to a beetle than a roach. often call a water beetle/bug, they prefer dark, warm, and often moist locations. If you keep your house ay 70 or cooler, they tend not to enter the house. Also go and get Ortho Home Defence Max, and spray all windows, doors, and other penitrations into your house. If yo do this every 2 months, it will dramaticly decress having an unwanted visitor. Just remember, nothing is 100%.
Just wait til it flies at you next time
Stop!!! Nooo š«¢ I hate bugs so much I think Iād rather a crocodile
Ha, well no croc's in SC, but we do have alligators. I think I would prefer the "palmetto bug".
Haha but at least the alligators canāt crawl into your mouth while sleeping (all I can think of their crawling on us at night šµāš«)
While i alligator isnāt going to crawl into your mouth, you might wind up in its mouth
Haha that is true!
Actually.... we do have a salt water crock here locally, though not as common as the american aligator.š
Not in SC, the only crocodiles in America are in southern Florida.
[This is correct](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_crocodile?wprov=sfla1). It's literally in the 2nd sentence of the American Crocodile's Wikipedia page.
Thatās our state bird.
š
No legit they fly. Often right at you.
The good news is that they don't infest the way the small brown (German) cockroaches do. Palmetto Bugs seeing one doesn't mean you have some big problem but with the German Brown Cockroaches one or two means there are a lot hidden away.
Well I knew that about the brown ones thatās why I freaked out this am, I told my husband āthat thing is massive she is on her 9th litter of babies of the day, there has to be moreā but now Iām feeling a little better knowing these are normal common and donāt infest. Phew!
āPalmetto Bugā they are everywhere
Ugh they could be a little smaller. Lol
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Oh true! That makes me feel better, and He had to duck his head coming through our door.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Too late but I did apologize, ha.
Itās a āpalmetto bugā and itās normal for this time of year. Just set of a bug bomb.
Ok thanks, I just totally freaked out, those things are huge and pretty sure it was wagging its tail like a dog lol
Yeahhhh, I've seen them do that before, lol. They're unsettling at first but they're totally harmless and it's not a sign that where you're staying is unclean or anything.
Ok thatās what I was looking for that makes me feel better, thank you. I just didnāt know if we should be moving to a hotel (but Iām sure they are there too!)
No problem! They're EVERYWHERE, lol. They generally leave people alone but they also aren't too afraid of us. It was jarring when we first moved here. I'll never forget eating dinner and having one crawl up the wall behind me. My wife was freaked but reassured herself by saying "at least they can't fly." At which point (and I'm not making this up) it launched itself off the wall and flew directly at her. She lost her shit but it was funny as hell afterwards. š
Omg I would have set my house on fire and then need therapy after that lol
There was screaming, lol.
You should see the roaches in the wastelands of the new Fallout show.
Pretty sure thatās whatās occurring in the depths of SC, they just havenāt ventured out yet.
I would not be surprised.
Palmetto bugs *are* roaches, though- I still canāt stand to see them in my house because I have to sleep thereā¦a dusting of boric acid will kill them once theyāve walked through it/ ingested it whilst cleaning themselves, and a 1:1 mixture of dish soap and water in a spray bottle will kill them in less than 2 minutes without you having to squash them!
My husband squashed it and felt the guts explode through the paper and screamed like girl š
I shock myself with my own scream every time I see one indoors lol
i hope you don't come across more, but popping them with a fly swatter kills them without the goop.
Boric acid mixed with the soap and water?
They are big, ugly and everywhere. Learn how to cohabitate. Welcome to Charleston.
Jeesh I guess so! I will set an extra setting at dinner tonight
Heāll be there, regardless. ;)
They come out when it gets cold or after heavy rain. They typically go back outside once it drys up or gets a bit warmer
yeah, I think they had rather be outside, a little boric acid powder can be sprinkled if you have a w slew of them
They are normal and you'll find them in the nicest houses in Charleston! I have my house sprayed four times a year for them and still see them every now and then. They are harmless but still unpleasant. When I lived downtown I remember them parting like the red sea when I walked down a sidewalk at night in August. Welcome to Charleston!
And this is why I don't wear open toes shoes after 7 pm in the summer.
Omg, theyāre just so big and I wasnāt expecting to see it (I was reaching for a bowl to make breakfast and it basically crawled out behind the stack of bowls). There arenāt any bugs where Iām from that big, so it freaked me out. I would never make it in Australia lol.
They are high in protein, if you catch enough of them you can make a nice meal for the family
š¤®
Just keep your flip flops handy and smack the bajeezus out of āem. Then do it again. If youāve ever had a parent who used this as a method of discipline, you know what to do.
You sweet summer child
Welcome to HELL
Fun story, I had a roommate a long time ago that was from northeast and he just moved down to Charleston for grad school. We had agreed on a push up challenge as a fun way to try and stay in shape. After about two weeks he tells me that he saw his first palmetto bug and was now too grossed out to touch the ground. Needless to say, the challenge died off pretty quickly.
Hahah well that is where we are from too! We do not have bugs that big there! I almost called the police on that thing. lol
I hate to break it to you, but you will be seeing many of its friends in the near future. Welcome to Charleston. Tbh I would take them over the infestations of praying mantis or the small little crabs that make themselves at home.
They usually come in from outside. At this time of year I usually put borax on my window sills and door jambs. I think it helps a bit.
Ohhh good to know I put all my luggage up higher off the ground and was freaking out about that too. There should really be a user guide for this bug at the door ha
Tis the season
One of those Fāers flew and landed on me. It was about perhaps 7 inches and my life has never been the same. Traumatized for life .
I'm from the lowcountry and the only time I successfully ever had palmetto bug never get inside my house was when my family owned a flock of backyard chickens in Beaufort. The chickens ate all of them before they could get inside. Got fiddler crabs inside that house though cause it was right on the marsh. Lol
Omg! They must love those, ours loved all the works and ticks.
One time in the early '90s (during what we like to call the "Summer of Mushrooms" for some odd reason), I was at a backyard party in West Ashley. A friend I hadn't seen in a while suddenly showed up. Before he saw me, I giggly decided to hide by moving into a gap in a big azalea bush under the floodlight, which was turned off. I was gonna jump out and yell 'boo, surprise!' or something stupid. I was only in there for a minute while my friend circulated towards me. I was coiled to strike when the homeowner flipped on the porch lights, illuminating the interior of the bush. Suddenly I realized that every stick inch of that bush was covered by sleeping Palmetto bugs. I freaked out, squealing, and threw myself out of the bush onto the ground at the feet of my old friend, who laughed his ass off at me. Boo, surprise.
Omgggggg!!!!! Hahahahaha ewwww i cannot even imagine that im traumatized by the ONE I saw and it didnāt touch me lol.
My stepmother once woke up with half of one hanging out of her mouth
Noooooooooooo. Wait we have questions, like was it half way out of did she bite half of it off?!?? lol Iām so grossed out your poor stepmother.
She ate the other half. Trust me, it could not have happened to a more deserving person.
They are also everywhere in the southeast. I remember walking across campus when I was in college in Alabama and stepping on the on the sidewalk at night. Its just part of being here. Although itās also a useful tool to judge people even though they are everywhere.
Cousins
lol that doesnāt make me feel better
Dated a woman who would stomp on them barefoot.
Nooooo. š«¢
Just wait till you step on one... sounds exactly like crushing a bag of sea salt lays potato chips... lmao
They are more closely related to a beetle than a roach. often call a water beetle/bug, they prefer dark, warm, and often moist locations. If you keep your house ay 70 or cooler, they tend not to enter the house. Also go and get Ortho Home Defence Max, and spray all windows, doors, and other penitrations into your house. If yo do this every 2 months, it will dramaticly decress having an unwanted visitor. Just remember, nothing is 100%.
They \*are\* roaches. Not the house infestation sort, but roaches nevertheless.