Cockroach Control in Century, FL

Updated September 2026

Cockroach Control in Century

Century is the northernmost town in Escambia County, sitting right on the Alabama state line along U.S. 29 and the Escambia River, about 45 miles north of Pensacola. It was built in the early 1900s as a sawmill town for the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company, and its older neighborhoods of wood-frame mill houses reflect that history. Today it's a small, rural town of a couple thousand people, surrounded by pine timberland, farms and the Escambia River's floodplain swamps. In 2016, a strong tornado damaged many homes in town, and rebuilding brought some newer construction.

The western Panhandle has hot, very humid summers with heavy storms and occasional hurricanes, and winters with regular frosts and hard freezes. River swamps, creeks and dense pine forest keep shade and moisture high. Smokybrowns and palmetto bugs are the most common complaints, along with woods roaches on wooded lots.

The Cockroaches Century Residents Report Most

Notes by Type of Property

Sawmill-Era Houses

Century's oldest homes were built for sawmill workers a century ago, wood-frame houses on piers with crawlspaces, heart-pine floors and siding, and plumbing added later through the floor. After many decades, gaps open around floors, windows and siding, and crawlspaces stay damp. Palmetto bugs, woods roaches and occasionally Oriental cockroaches use the crawlspace, and smokybrowns come in from the canopy. Screening crawlspace vents, sealing floor penetrations from inside, replacing sweeps and trimming limbs protect these homes without changing their character.

• Crawlspace vents and access doors
• Floor penetrations around added plumbing
• Siding and trim joints
• Original windows

Pine Forests and Smokybrowns

Smokybrowns are the most common roach in the western Panhandle, and Century's pines and oaks suit them perfectly. They live in tree holes and gutters and fly to roofs, soffits and attics. Trimming limbs so they don't touch the house, cleaning gutters of needles and screening soffit and attic vents are the most effective steps. Raking pine straw back from foundations keeps woods roaches from settling right against the house.

Hard Freezes and Indoor Sightings

Century's winters bring hard freezes. Outdoor roaches shelter in crawlspaces, wall voids, attics and sheds, and some end up indoors on the first cold nights of fall. Sealing gaps and screening vents in early fall is especially effective here.

The Escambia River Floodplain

The Escambia River's floodplain runs along Century's eastern edge. Heavy rain and hurricanes can flood low areas, driving roaches toward dry structures. Keeping ditches clear, grading soil away from foundations and drying out quickly after floods help.

Rebuilt Homes After the 2016 Tornado

The 2016 tornado damaged or destroyed many homes in Century, and some were replaced with newer construction. Newer homes are tighter, but garage doors, sliding doors and utility penetrations still need attention, and debris or stored materials left from rebuilding can shelter roaches.

Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes are common in north Escambia County. Skirting gaps, damp ground underneath and oversized floor penetrations let outdoor roaches settle close to and inside the home. Repairing skirting, keeping the ground underneath dry and sealing openings under sinks help.

Farms and Outbuildings

Farms and rural lots around Century have barns, sheds and equipment buildings that shelter outdoor roaches. Storing feed sealed, keeping items off damp floors and moving woodpiles away from the house help.

A Year of Cockroach Activity in Century

After Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Hurricanes such as Ivan and Sally, and severe spring storms, have brought wind and flood damage to northern Escambia County. Downed trees, wet debris and damaged roofs and screens give roaches shelter and entry. Clearing debris, drying crawlspaces and repairing damage quickly help.

Smaller Details Around Century

An Old Mill-Town History

Older mill-era homes and buildings around Century can carry aging structures worth checking closely for entry points.

Surrounding Rural Terrain

Wooded and farmland surroundings keep outdoor species a regular presence near tree lines and fields around this Panhandle town.

A Small, Spread-Out Town

Century is a small community, so confirming your road helps route the right technician quickly.

Pump Houses and Septic

Rural homes outside town use wells and septic systems. Pump houses stay damp and shaded; check them for leaks and roaches.

Prevention Steps That Fit Century

• Screen crawlspace vents on mill-era homes.
• Trim pine and oak limbs away from roofs and clean gutters.
• Rake pine straw back from the foundation.
• Seal gaps in early fall before cold weather.
• Repair skirting on manufactured homes.
• Keep ditches clear near the river.

Which Roach Is It?

Reasonable First Steps

Check under sinks and behind appliances after dark, look in the crawlspace, note what you see, and take a photo. Skip foggers. They scatter German cockroaches deeper into walls. A clear photo usually identifies the species.

What to Expect When You Call

Tell us whether you're in an older mill house, a newer home, a manufactured home or on a farm, and whether the home has a crawlspace. We'll connect you with an independent specialist who covers northern Escambia County, and pricing is discussed directly before any work begins.

Right on the Alabama Line

Century's location on the state line means many residents shop, work and move between Florida and Alabama. Used furniture and appliances bought from yard sales and secondhand stores on either side of the line are a common way German cockroaches arrive. Checking hollow furniture and appliances before bringing them inside helps.

Start here

Which One Did You See?

Small and indoors: German cockroach

• About half an inch, tan to light brown
• Found in kitchens and bathrooms

Large and mostly outdoors: palmetto bug

• 1 to 1.5 inches, reddish-brown
• Also called the American cockroach

Full identification guide →

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