You have been keeping a mental tally: one roach after a storm, two more since, maybe a smaller one that didn't look quite like the others.

Cockroaches don't lay individual eggs the way a fly or a beetle does. A female's body secretes a protein substance around a cluster of fertilized eggs, and that substance hardens into a single reddish-brown to blackish capsule called an ootheca.

You're on the lanai after sunset, the porch light comes on, and a small tan roach buzzes straight at it and lands on the screen.

Florida's American and German cockroaches are more than a nuisance. Discover the cockroach life cycle and the real hazards they bring, from Salmonella and E. coli to asthma-triggering allergens, and how to protect your home.