After PMing with another member who hails from Florida, I did a little searching to find some documentation that she had told me she had read some time back, this should answer it. It is not illegal to keep Discoids, but is to ship to Florida from out of State without a permit.
Permits are required for all regulated organisms brought into Florida from out of state. No permits are needed for native Florida species (except for species listed as Endangered or Threatened) or naturalized species that are obtained from in-state sources. This includes, but is not restricted to, the following organisms: Crustacea:
Decapoda: Coenobitidae:
Coenobita clypeata – Caribbean hermit crab Insecta:
Blattoidea: All native or naturalized Florida species of cockroaches.
Blaberidae:
Blaberus craniifer – death’s head roach
Blaberus discoidalis – discoid roach
Panchlora nivea – green banana or Cuban roach
Blatellidae:
Blatella asahinai – Asian roach
My email & reply, sent prior to finding the previous info:
Germain,
Discoid roaches are permitted in Florida as feeder roaches. As far as shipping them to other states goes, you would have to apply for a federal PPQ 526 permit. I'm away from my computer at the moment but I can send you that link later this week.
Greg
Mobile Message:
Dr. Greg Hodges
FDACS/Division of Plant Industry
Bureau Chief
Entomology,Nematology. And Plant Pathology
(352-372-3505 X 118 Greg.Hodges@freshfromflorida.com
Please note that Florida has a broad public records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes). Most written communications to or from employees are public records obtainable by the public upon request. Emails sent to me at this email address may be considered public and will only be withheld from disclosure if deemed confidential pursuant to the laws of the State of Florida.
From: Germain [mailto:*************]
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 02:56 PM
To: Hodges, Greg
Subject: Legalities of keeping & shipping Blaberus Discoidales Cockroaches In/to/from Florida
Hi Greg,
I keep running into conflicting information on the legalities of keeping &/or breeding & the shipping to & from other States, Discoid (Blaberus Discoidales) Cockroaches in the State of Florida. Could you possibly shed some definite light on the subject.
Specifically:
1- Is it legal to have Discoid Cockroaches shipped to Florida from other States for the purpose of feeding Reptiles?
2- Is it legal to keep & breed Discoid Cockroaches for the purpose of feeding Reptiles in the State of Florida?
3- Is it legal to ship Discoid Cockroaches to other States from Florida?
If this email is being sent to the wrong Department, could you please direct it to the Proper authorities to get a definite correct answer, or reply with the email of the authority who can.
So, where do dubias fall into this information? I don't know my specific breeds of cockroaches, so I'm a little confused. Can I have dubias here and, if so, how could I legally obtain them?
Dubias are not legal in the State of Florida, they are not native to Florida, so are considered an invasive organism. Discoids are legal, because they are native to Florida. There is very little difference between Discoid & Dubia nymphs, juveniles & sub adults, until they turn into Adults, then they look different.
I've heard that discoids are faster moving and can fly. :shock: Just what we need in our house in Florida...more flying bugs and roaches. :bleick: It is so unfair that dubia are illegal in Florida. /whine
Another Myth in the making - Discoids can't fly
... If dropped, yes an Adult may flutter it's wings, to try to break the fall, just like an adult Male Dubia might, but Fly, no. Their care, habits & other characteristics are almost exactly similar to Dubia.
Both Male & Female Discoid adults, do have wings, but can not fly, any more than an adult male Dubia (Which also has full wings) can, they can not climb hard, smooth surfaces, etc. just like Dubia & are every bit as good, as feeders.
Probably because people don't know all the different breeds. Living down where I do, I've seen some HUGE palmetto bugs fly. Ick. And to me they are all just reaches so I assumed that they all could. I guess its time to start researching the different breeds.
Probably because people don't know all the different breeds. Living down where I do, I've seen some HUGE palmetto bugs fly. Ick. And to me they are all just reaches so I assumed that they all could. I guess its time to start researching the different breeds.
I think Floridians are naturally testy about roaches. How many times have you woke up in the middle of the night and not turned on the lights and squashed the mother of all palmetto bugs in your bare feet? HAHAHA - ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Very true. And people who have never lived here don't understand. My friends up north honestly think I'm exaggerating. Even the more northern parts of the state are different. I spent my childhood around the swamps. To me, alligators are just big annoying lizards to be careful around and cockroaches are evil, small dogs that mutated. :evil:
Very true. And people who have never lived here don't understand. My friends up north honestly think I'm exaggerating. Even the more northern parts of the state are different. I spent my childhood around the swamps. To me, alligators are just big annoying lizards to be careful around and cockroaches are evil, small dogs that mutated. :evil:
Yep - I live in North Florida and while we do have quite a number of palmetto bugs and roaches, they are more in the rural areas here. I can't say that I have seen ANY in town in my apartment but when I lived in the country they were all over outdoors and trying to come in my house. My husband in from South Florida and I have seen them in the city and in much greater numbers. Just the difference of going 300 miles north in Florida is enough to see less of these bugs, so the people that lives in the Northern states have no clue. Tell them to hush. LOL
And I swear Florida roaches and palmetto bugs have more gooey guts than any other roach in the USA. :bleick: