Although the German cockroach could be designated as the national cockroach, it is much smaller than  local Florida species (better known as palmetto bugs or Periplaneta americana).  Compare the sizes:  a 2 inch long Florida palmetto bug  to 5/8th of an inch for the German cockroach.   And  the shell (exoskeleton) of a Florida cockroach is much denser and more resilient than that of a German cockroach. To make a kill, a Florida cockroach will require a swatting impact 10 times  greater than that of a German cockroach.

When a Florida palmetto bug lands on you, you’ll really know it.  And they fly too!