# Cockroaches in Hilton Head?



## gwenco (Aug 5, 2010)

My son and his family spent the weekend at the Westin in Hilton Head a few weeks ago.  Although none were seen or noticed in the room, they had "ton's" of them surrounding the pool and the exterior locations at the resort.  Were these really cockroaches or some other southern summer bug??


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## Egret1986 (Aug 6, 2010)

*Palmetto Bugs!*

They're roaches to me.  We were at Port O' Call last week in HHI.  I never saw them.  I brought along my teenage son's girlfriend who was given the upstairs bedroom.  She called him a couple of times from the bedroom to come get a couple of bugs.  He said they looked like roaches to him.


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## Ann-Marie (Aug 6, 2010)

I think they are called palmetto bugs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cockroach


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## rachel1998 (Aug 6, 2010)

I live in Atlanta. They don't call them Cockroaches but they are and they are all over the place.


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## vkhome (Aug 7, 2010)

I'm sure what you saw are Palmetto Bugs.  Cute, aren't they?  They are harmless and, unlike cockroaches, they do not suggest unsanitary conditions (although I'm told that's an unfair tag to even put on cockroaches).  Palmetto Bugs are just part of the island's tapestry.


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## jme (Aug 7, 2010)

vkhome said:


> I'm sure what you saw are Palmetto Bugs.  Cute, aren't they?  They are harmless and, unlike cockroaches, they do not suggest unsanitary conditions (although I'm told that's an unfair tag to even put on cockroaches).  Palmetto Bugs are just part of the island's tapestry.



THANK YOU...GOOD POINT!!!!
Once or twice a year, this thread comes up on TUG. 

BTW, they're not unique to Hilton Head, but are prevalent throughout the southeast. Very annoying visually or emotionally, but they are certainly NOT "running around everywhere", as implied. If so, I wouldn't be there.  We spent three weeks at HH this June (and every June) and I never saw one.  During a week's stay, you may see three, ONLY IF you're looking.  It's a certifiable "non-issue". It goes along with pine straw, forests, and dense undergrowth-type foliage.

Sort of like those swarming bugs (huge flies?) in New Hampshire I experienced one summer......had to quit playing golf at the Mt. Washington golf course because they were so bad. It even curtailed our overall vacation. I never said a word, tho. Just hit it at a bad time, so....no sweat. 

Also, like the "love bugs " in Florida....but that doesn't keep people from visiting Florida, does it?  Not for me, anyway.  (And they even make protective shields for vehicles there....amazing, but seldom mentioned.) And they, as of yet, don 't issue machine guns for palmetto bugs at HH. 

EVERY destination on the face of the planet has some indigenous "bug", except for Hawaii, where there are snakes. And the fact that BUGS cause hysteria by "visitors" makes me laugh.  If somebody isn't aware of these things by now, stay home! That goes for bugs anywhere, anytime. Maybe Expedia could have some "bug report" alongside all their flights, or updates on billboards along the interstates for these people. 

To listen to these people, you'd think the palmetto bug was the South Carolina state bird, for goodness' sake. 

I get more emotional about visitors hanging towels from the balcony railings than bugs, something that I never even think about.


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## Jestjoan (Aug 7, 2010)

*Wikipedia*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cockroach


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 7, 2010)

jme said:


> THANK YOU...GOOD POINT!!!!
> Once or twice a year, this thread comes up on TUG.
> 
> BTW, they're not unique to Hilton Head, but are prevalent throughout the southeast. Very annoying visually or emotionally, but they are certainly NOT "running around everywhere", as implied. If so, I wouldn't be there.  We spent three weeks at HH this June (and every June) and I never saw one.  During a week's stay, you may see three, ONLY IF you're looking.  It's a certifiable "non-issue". It goes along with pine straw, forests, and dense undergrowth-type foliage.
> ...



JME,

:hysterical:  very true about bugs.  You forgot the jellyfish, see that one frequently also on various TS message boards


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## jme (Aug 7, 2010)

Twinkstarr said:


> JME,
> 
> :hysterical:  very true about bugs.  You forgot the jellyfish, see that one frequently also on various TS message boards



Different story entirely. Since palmetto bugs eat jellyfish, we have no more jellyfish.  btw, did i mention the gator-eating tarantulas yet? absolutely taking over....don't come.


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## Glynda (Aug 8, 2010)

*Palmetto bugs*

Palmetto bugs are all over Charleston too.  I've had them drop out of trees onto my head when out walking!

When we first bought our house, we would come down the driveway at night and see them scattering everywhere in the headlights.  But then we hired Terminex quarterly and see no more.

Palmetto bugs don't live inside a house like the German smaller brown roaches.


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 8, 2010)

jme said:


> Different story entirely. Since palmetto bugs eat jellyfish, we have no more jellyfish.  btw, did i mention the gator-eating tarantulas yet? absolutely taking over....don't come.



Forgot about the gators! You should see the posts on the DIS/DVC site when a gator/snake is spotted at WDW! Shouldn't the cast members be able to catch them so people don't realize they are in FL. Those types go  when told you can see those sorts of things, plus rip tides and broken shells on the beach when they talk about visiting the off-site DVC resorts(HHI/Vero Beach).


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## laurac260 (Aug 11, 2010)

Twinkstarr said:


> Forgot about the gators! You should see the posts on the DIS/DVC site when a gator/snake is spotted at WDW! Shouldn't the cast members be able to catch them so people don't realize they are in FL. Those types go  when told you can see those sorts of things, plus rip tides and broken shells on the beach when they talk about visiting the off-site DVC resorts(HHI/Vero Beach).



Gators don't exist at WDW. Didn't you know that?  Yet another contract that Mickey has.  He pays the gators handsomely to only hang out at "off property" ponds.   Same with broken sea shells.  The critters that live in shells are instructed that should their shells break, they have to find another waterway to inhabit.

All part of the WDW "experience"!


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## pedro47 (Aug 11, 2010)

There are two (2) insects/bugs you will find in South Carolina... Palmetto Bugs and sand ticks.


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## gwenco (Aug 11, 2010)

*Hawaii does not have snakes!!*




Twinkstarr said:


> JME,
> 
> :hysterical:  very true about bugs.  You forgot the jellyfish, see that one frequently also on various TS message boards



The hawaiian islands do NOT have snakes!!


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 12, 2010)

gwenco said:


> The hawaiian islands do NOT have snakes!!



Who's talking Hawaii?


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 12, 2010)

laurac260 said:


> Gators don't exist at WDW. Didn't you know that?  Yet another contract that Mickey has.  He pays the gators handsomely to only hang out at "off property" ponds.   Same with broken sea shells.  The critters that live in shells are instructed that should their shells break, they have to find another waterway to inhabit.
> 
> All part of the WDW "experience"!



Too bad Mickey doesn't make sure his relatives don't visit. There was a rat sighting at Wildnerness Lodge pool a year ago. But perhaps they wanted to visit the ducks who use the pool on a regular basis. 

I go to Vero Beach every year, and it's just the few clueless "I've never been to the ocean" folks who complain about shells hurting there feet. My advice stay up at the pool. 

As for gators, I've seen one in the lake by DTD/SSR, boat captain pointed him out.


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## SueDonJ (Aug 12, 2010)

It doesn't matter whether they're the same bugs or what they're called, cockroaches or Palmetto Bugs, they're definitely on Hilton Head and they're icky.  But they're a fact of life and so you just hope that the place you're staying uses a good exterminator on a routine basis, and remember that it's a good thing if the ones you see are dead.   

I do keep all the suitcases zipped up completely while they're stored and then I check every pocket before packing up to go home, to make sure we're not taking stowaways with us.  I also buy cheap Gladware containers when we do our first food-shopping of the trip, as much to keep stuff fresh in the humidity as to keep the critters away.  Plus they come in handy for leftovers.

I haven't seen any actually crawling around inside the units at the places we've stayed but it wouldn't skeeve me out too much to see one or two - Don would definitely be put to work on Killing Patrol, though.


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## gwenco (Aug 12, 2010)

Twinkstarr said:


> Who's talking Hawaii?



read jme's post:hysterical:


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