What are the chances of seeing a roach in Orlando?

[nelson84]

Has anyone ever had roaches in their hotel?

 

[Snoella]

We were sitting waiting for fireworks at Epcot in the UK and had roaches (MANY!!) crawl up out of a grate on the sidewalk. By that time too many people were around to change spots. My husband and I held our kids on our backs for the fireworks while we stomped on roaches that came up. DISGUSTING Even at Disney there are roaches.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

The worst roaches are the HUGE ones that live in the palm trees. Floridians call them "Palmetto bugs" just to make them sound more warm and fuzzy but they are GIANT ROACHES and on a windy day they get blown out of the trees and fall on you!
Face it, Florida has just the right climate to be a bug paradise!
Not much anyone can do about it...

 

[Alesia]

We were sitting waiting for fireworks at Epcot in the UK and had roaches (MANY!!) crawl up out of a grate on the sidewalk. By that time too many people were around to change spots. My husband and I held our kids on our backs for the fireworks while we stomped on roaches that came up. DIGUSTING Even at Disney there are roaches.

For future reference: Never, ever step on a roach if you can possibly avoid it. The eggs will get stuck in the treads of your shoes and you will take them home with you.

 

[taylor3297]

The Palmetto roaches are the kind that like to stay outside. It is the small ones that like to infest your house.

 

[Snoella]

Thanks for the advice about stepping on them. Someone else told us to pickup our backpacks because they will get inside and come home with us.

 

[SnowWtch]

We've only had it happen once and it was when we stayed at the Wyndham on I-Drive for an anime convention which is strange since we do several trips a year and never seen one. I'm not going to complain though. We did have a wasp in our room at AKL but that was b/c he got in through the patio door. However, we live in Florida and had a few small ones in our apartment this morning.

 

[r&kmommy]

Funny story... my dad lived in FL for years. The first time I went down to visit him I had the pleasure of seeing my first "palmetto bug" ... I was in the bathroom um, on the toilet reaching over for the toilet paper when something caught my eye running across the seam where the tub is grouted into the floor about 1 foot away from my leg.

I couldn't decide what to do first, take care of my business, scream for my dad to come help or throw up. I did things in that order /\ Dad came in and shooed the critter into a shoebox, put the lid on and took him outside and flung him over the patio railing.

OMG I was freaking MORTIFIED!!!! His bathroom is in his bedroom, adjacent to the patio door, and the thing just kinda moseyed in... and it happens often (hence the shoebox sitting in the corner!!)

Anyway, pp's are right about the "palmetto bugs" - they are nothing but huge freaking roaches. But they don't like to be in your house - they're outside bugs. It's the small ones that invest your home...

 

[litlpixie]

I saw one on the monorail a couple years ago and yes, by the time I started screeching, the critter was gone and everyone was staring at me like I was a nutcase,lol. He was a big'un too!!!

 

[Paulab]

the only ones I have seen were way back on our honeymoon in 1990, also at the Wyndham on Idrive (it was the Marriott then). We left the aircon switched off one night and could hear the critter scuttling in through the machine, it went back on straight away. Also one morning after the cleaner had been, there was a very dead one squashed completely flat on the floor. It looked like it had come out from under the mattress whilst the sheets were changed. Never stayed there again as you can see!!

Paula

 

[NaplesRI]

It's Florida... the bugs are there whether you see them or not. It's just the way it is. I hate them, but they come with the territory. Pest control is big business in Florida.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I've only seen one in Orlando after many visits. It was outdoors. I have seen them in hotel rooms in other FL towns several times. They are a part of FL life, but I think seeing them at WDW is fairly rare. Not saying it never happens, but WDW is pretty careful about pest control.

There are certain times of year that you'll see love bugs at WDW, - but I think they are a bit overhyped on the DIS myself. They look a bit like fireflies: black and red little beetles. They just fly and mate.

There have a been a few threads about bed bugs....now those, I would think, would be far worse to find.


Oh, and while again I think this is pretty rare - a family member of mine (Again not Orlando ) recently rented a car in FL this past winter where the pervious person must've had a flea covered pet. They got a number of bites until they figured out what the problem was. Then they had to tell the resort where they were staying.....

Last, thre have been a number of critter threads on the DIS...apparently gators are pretty common. Now I DID personally see a small one of those in Orlando once. and rabbits, lizards, LOTS of birds...

 

[Halbleib1]

We have never had any in our room. Thank goodness but we have seen them outside at POP. The large hissing variety. Roaches are not just found in Tropical locations. They are very adaptable that they live in cold climates of the northeast as well. Unfortunately we had roaches in our last apt. that no matter how much we tried to get rid of them we could not. Unfortunately the apt. manager would not spray the whole building so without that there was not much that we could do. Thank goodness when we moved we did not bring them with us. Just to be on the safe side we put down traps just in case and have not seen any in the three years we have lived here.

To assure as much as possible that you do not bring them into your home when you get home you may want to go through your luggage before bringing it into your home. Wash your clothes as soon as possible as well. The same basic stuff you would do to be sure you do not bring bed bugs home. If you see any in your room I would put down traps at home immediately. This way if any did make it in your luggage you have a better chance of getting them before they have time to infest your home.

 

[stevenpensacola]

We call them pets...

 

[LoodlesNoodles]

We had one in our room at what was the Best Western Plaza on IDrive, I didn't know what it was until recently (having never actually seen a roach before!) and we just called it the strange creepy croaky bug.
We must have looked like goons, two squealing girls opening the door in their pjs to usher a bug out. (we had a room right across from the pool bar)

 

[musclemouse]

Ah yes, flying cockroaches. Aren't they lovely, NOT. I lived in Florida for 8 years and found them in the home often. In my shoes, on the drapes, in the bathroom, kitchen. Among all the other cockroaches, spiders, snakes and other creepy crawlies.

I just made sure to wash every glass, cup, dish, bowl and silverware before I ate. Nasty.

However, the two times I had spent on Disney vacations I had never seen any of these creepy crawlies. Thank god. I think I was most concerned with snakes.

 

[Friendly Frog]

I think that they are the state bird....

 

[luckyprincess]

We lived in Miami Beach for a year or so and became well aquainted with Palmetto Bugs (nice way to say Giant flying cockroach!). The worst was because they are so big you can hear their little scuttling - it's like they wear tapshoes. Try sleeping after you hear that! We would run around with the vaccuum and switch off on who had to get close to put the hose near it and who got to hit the 'on' button!
The only thing that made me feel better was that they weren't the small, German roaches that infest. Palmetto Bugs are terriying looking but they are loners, thank God. In South Beach (which is not the paradise they pretend it is - at. all.) they actually just meander across the sidewalks on hot humid days!

 

[leanne11]

we got married at the poly and relatives had the screen dr open while sitting on the patio chair...well.... honeymoon night i see this thing at the tip of my suitcase.staring at me..we call and they sent housekeeping she got it and called it a water bug...ummm here in philly its a cockroach just huuuge..she said never in florida leave a dr open..and never put suitcases on floor thats what those luggage stands r for....so it happens even for $450 nite...now we know....

 

[northriver]

We stayed at a fabulous condo in Windsor Hills. Beautifully decorated, upgraded furnishings, spotlessly clean. Ground floor, near the pool. Early one morning I found a roach on the living room floor. Ick, yes, but really not that big of a deal, I just picked it up and flushed it, I fugure it came in from outside.

I live in Iowa, too far north for roaches so the occasional Florida roach doesn't bother me.