Cockroach Control in Long Key, FL

Updated September 2026

Cockroach Control in Long Key

Long Key is a small island in the middle Florida Keys, between Islamorada's Lower Matecumbe Key and the Long Key Viaduct leading to Conch Key and Marathon. It was once home to Henry Flagler's Long Key Fishing Camp, a famous resort for anglers including author Zane Grey, until the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane destroyed it. Today Long Key includes the small community of Layton, Long Key State Park, a few resorts, RV parks and waterfront homes, much of it now part of the Village of Islamorada.

Surrounded by the Atlantic, Florida Bay, mangroves and seagrass flats, Long Key is hot and humid year-round. American, German and Australian cockroaches are the most common species.

The Cockroaches Long Key Residents Report Most

Notes by Type of Property

Flagler's Fishing Camp

From 1906 until 1935, Long Key was home to Flagler's Long Key Fishing Camp, a railroad resort that made the island famous among sport fishermen. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane destroyed the camp and the railroad. Today Long Key State Park preserves much of the island's natural shoreline, where mangroves and tropical hammock support palmetto bugs that drift toward homes and campsites at night.

Long Key State Park

The state park's campground, beach and nature trails see steady use. Campsites, picnic areas and restrooms attract roaches after dark; campers who keep food sealed and trash packed away avoid most visits.

• Food left out at campsites
• Open coolers
• Trash bags on the ground
• Damp towels and gear

The Long Key Viaduct

The old Long Key Viaduct, one of Flagler's great railroad bridges, now carries anglers and cyclists alongside the newer highway bridge. Fishing from the bridges and nearby shoreline leaves bait and scraps that draw roaches near parking areas.

The City of Layton

Layton, a tiny city of a few hundred residents on Long Key, has canal-front homes and a small commercial strip along U.S. 1. Close-set homes on canals mean roaches travel easily between yards; neighbors who keep trash sealed help each other.

A Year of Cockroach Activity in Long Key

Everyday Factors in Long Key

A Narrow Island

With water on both sides of a single highway, nearly every property here sits on the shoreline.

Campgrounds and Resorts

Campground kitchens, bathhouses and resort buildings bring shared-facility considerations into the mix.

Mangrove and Hammock Edges

Dense mangrove right at the property line keeps outdoor pressure constant.

Stilt Homes

Most homes are elevated with storage below, where roaches shelter and climb plumbing chases. Sealed bins and sealed chases help.

RV Parks

RV parks and campgrounds see seasonal visitors. RVs parked for months and shared facilities can shelter German cockroaches; checking RVs and keeping food sealed help.

Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma in 2017 brought surge and severe damage to the middle Keys. Wet materials and debris shelter roaches after storms; prompt cleanup helps.

Year-Round Heat

The Keys never freeze, so roaches stay active all year.

Salt Air

Salt air corrodes screens and sweeps. Replacing them regularly keeps gaps closed.

Vacation Rentals

Guest luggage and groceries can bring German cockroaches; checks between stays help.

Mobile Homes

Older mobile homes with skirting gaps let roaches in; repairing skirting helps.

Boats and Fishing

Boats, bait and fishing gear draw palmetto bugs; keeping gear dry and bait areas clean help.

Tropical Plants

Potted plants shelter Surinam cockroaches; checking new plants helps.

Shopping in Marathon and Islamorada

Residents shop in Marathon and Islamorada. Boxes can carry German cockroaches; unpacking outside helps.

Seasonal Owners

Part-time owners should run drains before leaving and arrange periodic checks.

AC and Condensate

Directing condensate lines away from homes helps.

Pets and Pet Food

Pet food left out overnight draws roaches; storing it sealed helps.

Visiting Long Key

Visitors are often surprised by palmetto bugs in the Keys. Most are outdoor roaches wandering in; sealed food and closed doors handle most of it.

Prevention Steps That Fit Long Key

• Seal plumbing chases in stilt homes.
• Keep campsite food sealed.
• Check RVs before and after storage.
• Replace salt-worn sweeps.
• Store fishing gear dry.
• Remove wet materials quickly after storms.
• Run drains before leaving.

Which Roach Is It?

Reasonable First Steps

Check under sinks and behind appliances after dark, look in garages, sheds and utility areas, note what you see and where, and take a photo with a coin for scale. That tells a specialist whether you're dealing with an indoor German cockroach problem or outdoor species wandering in.

What to Expect When You Call

Tell us your neighborhood or road, what type of home you have and where you've been seeing roaches. We'll connect you with an independent specialist who covers Monroe County, and pricing is discussed directly before any work begins.

Tropical Hardwood Hammock

Long Key still has patches of tropical hardwood hammock, gumbo limbo, poisonwood, Jamaica dogwood and other West Indian trees that grow only in the southern tip of Florida. The hammock floor stays shaded and covered in leaf litter year-round, and palmetto bugs and Australian cockroaches thrive in it. Homes and campsites next to hammock see more roaches at night. Keeping a cleared, dry strip around buildings, raking leaf litter away from walls and sealing ground-level doors help.

Florida Bay and the Flats

The bayside of Long Key faces the shallow flats and mangrove islands of Florida Bay, part of Everglades National Park. Bayside homes sit closer to thick mangrove fringe, where wrack and leaf litter wash up and shelter palmetto bugs. Trimming vegetation back from seawalls and keeping docks and storage areas dry reduce what reaches the house.

Trash and Recycling

With few residents and many visitors, trash from rentals, campsites and RV parks can build up between pickups, especially in summer heat. Keeping lids closed, rinsing carts and storing them away from doors reduce roach activity near homes.

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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