German cockroach. Nasty things.

Here in SC they call them palmetto bugs, buut they're roaches. We get huge ones inside and out and I've found my dyson vacuum is the most effective way to catch and kill them. Submerging in water kills them too. Crushing doesn't always, so when you do kill them, don't throw them in the regular trash.. Flush or seal in a plastic bag/jar. I leave them be outside, but when they squeeze inside it's war.

I figured they would be roaches. Surprisingly, there really aren't a lot. I am trying to get rid of them of course, but just since the beginning I never saw them outside of the enclosure area. And also, I live in Illinois.

EKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK....
That would freak me out so bad. Is it common to get bugs in the substrate?
I had a fly outbreak in both tortoise cages a few weeks ago and I thought it was weird because it happened in October in Michigan (not many flies), there were no flies in my house that I could remember, and both cages suddenly had like 5 flies in them each a few days after substrate change. I had the hard task of capturing and rehoming them all outside. Did I mention I am afraid of bugs.. so there was a lot of squealing and running around. My husband wasn't home and the dogs/tortoises were no help.

Kerryann, NEVER move to South Carolina/Florida/Georgia. I hate bugs as well but on a near daily basis I'm shooing roaches from the entry ways and occasionally one slips inside (and they're like 2-3" long). Plus they refuse to die. Buuut I've gotten a bit more used to it. Just glad I haven't stepped on one barefoot (my boyfriend did a few weeks ago while getting ready for work)