Cockroaches in Bermuda
 

Hello! I live in Western Europe, and I'm considering applying for a job in Bermuda. Seems like a lovely place with weather that suits me perfectly. However, there is one issue that worries me: According to what I've read on the web, and also from personal discussions with Bermudian residents I've e-mailed with, cockroaches seem to be a huge issue on this small island.

It's difficult for me to judge whether people are generally exaggerating about this or not. I get the feeling that the more people are afraid of them (like me), the more of them they see. Basically what I want to know is, if I have a clean apartment in what is considered to be a building with a good and modern standard, can I expect to find roaches in my apartment regularly or not?

I have been to Trinidad & Tobago and Florida and never seen a single roach. However on some places on for example Big Hawaii Island and in Australia, the place was crawling with them.

We encountered HUGE cockroaches in Bermudea while staying in a very nice upscale resort. Like in Florida, they tend to call them Palmetto bugs. One was in our room and totally freaked me out. We also saw them walking around the pool and the grounds in general. It is a warm weather/humidity issue.

They are called palmetto Beetles.
Although they look like giant cockroaches, they are different in that
Roaches multiply and are hard to get rid of
Roaches love anywhere there's food
Roaches love inside
Roaches require professional bug removal

Palmetto Beetles:
Only come out after long periods of rain
Very rarely seen inside, and by the time you do they're usually dead
After about 2-3 days (at most) they disappear
You never see more than a couple

If it stays dry, you won't see them for months at a time

They are very common in any tropical climate. When you live there, you'll see they are different

I lived there for 5 years. Whatever you choose to call them, I did not consider them a huge issue. A few bait traps scattered around under the furniture and we rarely saw them. And we lived in a older cottage that wasn't well-sealed.
Personally I struggled more with ant control. That meant meticulous cleaning up after food and keeping things sealed in jars or plastic zipper bags.
It's just like anything else when you move to a new place, pest control becomes part of your life.
I highly recommed seeing if you can get ahold of a book called "Tea with Tracey". It's written by a someone who moved to Bermuda and struggled with culture and climate shock. Basically he wrote down all the things he wished someone had told him BEFORE he moved there. If you can't find it on the web, maybe someone you know who lives there/lived there can get you a copy.
Good luck!

There are cockroaches everywhere...including Western Europe. There are over 5000 species of them worldwide, including Western Europe.

On the bright side in forty plus years of traveling to Bermuda I have never once seen a snake.

;) cmcfong- no skunks either!

I agree with txgirl...ants are more of a nuisance indoors.

There's a big difference between city cochroaches (which are typically smaller but can literally swarm apartments by the hundreds) and palmetto bugs (which are pretty darn huge but most often appear solo).

Slightly off topic, but, I'll mention it anyway....

Another good read for anyone considering a move to an island is Herman Wouk's "Don't Stop the Carnival".

Although it's a bit dated, it's a great read. I realize Bermuda is far more 'civilized' then the fictitious island in the book, but, some things still ring true.

we saw a few cockroaches when staying @ a decent place. It was the last night we were there, thank goodness....didn't sleep a wink after we saw them!

I think any climate that has humidity issues will ecounter these pests. Roaches or palmettos who wants them. I lived in Okinawa Japan many years ago. They would actualy be inside your car. Forget Bermuda think about Florida--known for bugs. The diffence is control. How are they controled in terms of pesticides etc. That is the question. Floridians are often on a schedule with the "bug man" who sprays the home monthly or whatever. I would want to know if Bermuda has any type of program if it is a concern.

Bermuda is a beautiful island. We have traveled there many times and in the 8 or 9 times there, I saw a huge palmetto bug once in a very nice hotel on the wall outside our room.

I think in any warm climate, there are more bugs.

I would not worry about bugs, but would think long and hard about living on an island only 13 miles long. It is a beautiful paradise, but some may get antsy being in a place only 13 miles in length on a permenant basis. I would love to spend a few months there, but not a full time living spot. But that is me.