Oriental Cockroach
American Cockroach
German Cockroach
Oriental
Cockroach
HYG-2097-97
William F. Lyon
(click here for a
free evaluation of your property)
The Oriental cockroach known as the "water bug,"
is more closely associated with damp areas than the other common
roaches. These insects feed on garbage and decaying organic matter
and are often considered the filthiest of the house-infesting
roaches. They are found in damp basements, cellars, crawl spaces,
near drains, leaky water pipes and beneath refrigerators, sinks
and washing machines, under floors, and inside walls. They forage
mostly on first floors of buildings. Outdoors, they are found
beneath decomposing leaves or stones in mulching materials, in
trash and at municipal sewer plants. During the autumn, there
can be a mass movement into buildings, but because of their preference
for cooler temperatures, can be found outdoors and in unheated
buildings during the winter. Roaches can foul food and produce
an unpleasant odor. Some homeowners are allergic to roaches, and
the pests can contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases
that result in food poisoning, dysentery or diarrhea. Cockroaches
can cause childhood asthma.
Identification
Most cockroaches have a flattened oval shape, spiny legs and grow
long, filamentous antennae. Adult Oriental cockroaches are shiny,
dark brown or black, about 1 to 1-1/4-inch long and have nonfunctional
wings incapable of flight. Females are about 1-1/4-inch long,
broad and have only little pads for wings. Males are about one
inch long, more slender and have wings not reaching the tip of
the abdomen. Immature roaches (nymphs) are darker in color than
adults, similarly shaped and wingless. Egg cases are dark reddish-brown,
one inch long (largest of the common roaches), and appear slightly
inflated.
Life Cycle and Habits
Oriental cockroach females (more numerous than males) carry the
egg capsule 12 hours to 5 days and deposit them in a sheltered
location near or within a food supply at a warm, sheltered spot.
Females produce 1 to 18 capsules, each containing up to 16 eggs.
Eggs hatch in about 60 days and nymphs develop in about one year.
Adult females live 1 to 6 months. These roaches, most common during
May, June and July, are more sluggish than the other common roaches,
developing in damp basements and sewers and foraging mostly at
or below ground level structures. They are usually not found in
cupboards, on walls or on upper levels of buildings. They occur
outside during warm weather, and, during cool periods, may migrate
in masses indoors. They have a preference for high-moisture conditions.
They can live without food for a month if water is present, but
die in two weeks without food and water.
(back to the top)
Control Measures
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systems approach that combines
preventive techniques, non-chemical pest control methods and the
wise use of pesticides with preference for products that are least
harmful to human health and the environment. It is not the total
elimination of pesticides but an alternate approach to traditional
pest control measures. Complete reliance, in the past, on pesticides
alone for pest control allowed certain pests to develop resistance,
created potential human exposure to harmful chemicals, produced
unsound environmental contamination, and created a threat to nontarget
species and pesticide waste. IPM consists of routine inspection
and monitoring with treatment only when pests are actually present,
thus reducing traditional, routine pesticide application treatment
(calendar date sprays) whether pests were present or not.
By following a cockroach IPM plan, cockroach activity is monitored
using sticky traps or glue boards. These monitoring stations are
placed throughout a structure where roaches are likely to be found
such as in dark places along cabinets, walls, under appliances,
on pipes, etc., in bathrooms and kitchens. Any tight cracks about
3/8 inch or smaller are good cockroach habitats. Monitoring indicates
whether roaches are present and if control practices are working.
IPM tools include glue boards, baits, vacuum cleaners, caulking,
insect growth regulators (IGRs), etc.
Detection
Oriental cockroaches can be detected by examining the premises
after dark with a flashlight. During the day, probing hiding places
with a wire or thin wood strip will expose roaches. Adults and
nymphs usually hide clustered together. Household sprays of pyrethrins
applied to hiding places will flush out roaches, sometimes killing
them if they contact the spray.
Prevention and Sanitation
Oriental roaches can move from one building to the next during
the summer, entering through cracks in foundations, around loose-fitting
doors or windows, and along water and gas pipes. Repair leaky
water faucets and pipes. Seal openings such as cracks in foundation
walls, exterior walls around air conditioners, doors, windows,
floors, ceilings, around plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets,
baseboards, etc. with putty, plastic wood or other caulking material.
Inspect for roaches and their egg cases in sacks, cartons, boxes,
used appliances and furniture, etc., brought into the home. Sanitation
is critical in roach control. (Unclean living conditions from
housekeeping neglect is the major contributing factor of roach
outbreaks.) Clean areas beneath cabinets, sinks, stoves, refrigerators,
etc. as well as cupboards, pantry shelves and food storage bins.
Clean up spilled foods and liquids. Avoid leaving scraps of food
on unwashed dishes and countertops overnight. Keep food in tightly
sealed containers, rinse cans and bottles before putting in the
trash, and transfer garbage outdoors into roach-proof receptacles
away from the house. Leftover pet food should not remain in the
feeding dish overnight.
Insecticides
Apply chemicals at roach hiding places. Enter a dark room quietly,
turn on the light and watch where the roaches run. Spot treat
these hiding places and known pathways, especially under and behind
loose baseboard or molding strips and around pipes or conduits
along the walls and through it. Do not treat entire floors, walls
or ceilings. Roaches may hide around the kitchen sink or drain
board, in cracks underneath cupboard, and cabinets. Surfaces where
food is prepared should not be treated. Roaches in buildings with
multiple dwellings usually require the treatment of other units
as well. Since they often move into dwellings in large populations,
a barrier treatment around the building and the foundation should
be applied.
There are numerous cockroach insecticide formulations. Some are
labeled "general use" for homeowner application, and
others are labeled "restricted use" for professional
pest control or licensed, certified pesticide applicators only.
Before using any insecticide always read the label and follow
directions and safety precautions.
Dusts such as bendiocarb (Ficam D), boric acid powder, pyrethrins
(Drione) or silica aerogel (Dri-Die) can be applied with a puff
duster into hiding places normally hard to reach with a spray.
Sprays, either oil-based or water emulsion, are applied as spot
or crack and crevice treatments. These include propoxur, acephate,
chlorpyrifos, diazinon, permethrin or resmethrin. Only the licensed
certified pest control applicator may apply bendioarb, propetamphos,
trichlorfon, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate,
lambda-cyhalothrin, tralomethrin and bifenthrin. Insect growth
regulators or IGRs include hydroprene (Gentrol) and pyriproxyfen
(Archer, Nylar) which act on immature growth stages by contact
or ingestion, disrupting molting and development to fertile adults.
(A combination of an IGR followed up by use of a bait is often
effective.) Some still use contact insecticides in mist or ULV
(ultra-low volume) machines to treat the entire indoor area. Open
all drawers and closet doors so roach hiding places can best be
treated. However, the trend is toward less sprays and aerosols
and more IGRs and baits.
(back to the top)
Baits
Certain segments of the public may prefer baits to sprays such
as schools, hospitals, office buildings, etc. Baits include pastes,
gels, particle baits and bait stations.
Bait advantages: low hazard (toxicity) to people; suited for
sensitive accounts; IPM oriented; offer effective control. Disadvantages:
high bait cost; precise placement required; not cost effective
in heavy roach infestations.
Sticky traps have openings at both ends with the inside surface
covered with a very sticky adhesive and slow-release food attractant.
Properly placed traps, to and from roach hiding and feeding areas,
can catch numerous adults and nymphs daily, especially brownbanded
and German cockroaches. Traps are best used along with preventive
and insecticidal applications to monitor populations. Trapping
can determine haborage areas and infestation severity, monitor
effectiveness of pesticide applications, and detect any roach
population increases that may require additional pesticide treatments.
Fumigation is seldom used but will clean out a cockroach infestation.
It must be applied only by a licensed, certified pesticide applicator.
If a severe cockroach infestation develops or if you are in doubt
as to the control measures to use, contact a reputable, licensed
pest control firm who has the chemicals, training and experience
to do a thorough job.
(back to the top)
American
Cockroach
HYG-2096-97
William F. Lyon
(click here for a
free evaluation of your property)
The American cockroach is the largest of the house-infesting
roaches. They are most commonly found in restaurants, grocery
stores, bakeries, breweries, pet shops and other establishments
where food is prepared or stored. They are often found in damp
sewers and basements, in heating ducts under hospitals, and on
the first floors of buildings. They can be transported into homes
and apartments in boxes from infested establishments. Roaches
can foul food, damage wallpaper, books and clothing, and produce
an unpleasant odor. Some home owners are allergic to roaches,
and the pests can contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases
that result in food poisoning, dysentery, or diarrhea. Cockroaches
can cause childhood asthma.
(back to the top)
Identification
Most cockroaches have a flattened oval shape, spiny legs, and
grow long, filamentous antennae. Immature stages are smaller,
have undeveloped wings and resemble adults. Adult American cockroaches
are reddish-brown to dark brown (except for a tan or light yellow
band around the shield behind the head), about 1-1/2 to 2-inches
long, and have wings capable of flight. Males and females are
about the same size. The wings are about the same length as the
body (abdomen) in the females and longer in the males, extending
slightly beyond the abdomen. Females have a broader abdomen, while
the males have both cerci (pair of appendages at the end of the
abdomen) and styli (short, slender, fingerlike process). Nymphs
are wingless, uniformly brown colored, and run very fast. Egg
capsules are mahogany brown and about 1/3-inch long.
(back to the top)
Life Cycle and Habits
American cockroach females deposit their eggs in bean-shaped cases
(oothecae) in sheltered areas on or near the floor, usually close
to a food source. Egg capsules protrude from the body for a few
hours to four days. One egg capsule is formed each week until
6 to 14 have been produced. Each case contains up to 16 white
or yellowish-white eggs. Eggs hatch between 5 to 7 weeks, first
into whitish-brown nymphs, later turning more reddish-brown. Development
to adult averages about 15 months, varying between 9-1/2 to 20
months. Adults live almost 15 months. These roaches are found
in dark, moist areas, especially in sewers, steam heat tunnels,
boiler rooms, around bathtubs and clothes hampers, and around
plumbing, feeding on decaying organic matter. Many are attracted
to fermenting liquid (bread saturated with beer). Feeding can
occur on starch sizing in books, papers, etc. Cockroaches hide
during the day in sheltered, dark places and forage for food at
night, often running rapidly when disturbed. American cockroaches
are one of the least common roaches found in homes and, though
winged, seldom fly when disturbed. Instead, there is more of a
gliding flight. Adults can live at least two to three months without
food, a month without water, and can easily survive outdoor freezing
temperatures. Some have been found in alleyways and yards in summer
months and around street lights.
(back to the top)
Control Measures
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systems approach that combines
preventive techniques, non-chemical pest control methods, and
the wise use of pesticides with preference for products that are
least harmful to human health and the environment. It is not the
total elimination of pesticides but an alternate approach to traditional
pest control measures. Complete reliance, in the past, on pesticides
alone for pest control allowed certain pests to develop resistance,
created potential human exposure to harmful chemicals, produced
unsound environmental contamination, and created a threat to nontarget
species and pesticide waste. IPM consists of routine inspection
and monitoring with treatment only when pests are actually present,
thus reducing traditional, routine pesticide application treatment
(calendar date sprays) whether pests were present or not.
By following a cockroach IPM plan, cockroach activity is monitored
using sticky traps or glue boards. These monitoring stations are
placed throughout a structure where roaches are likely to be found
such as in dark places along cabinets, walls, under appliances,
on pipes, etc., and in bathrooms and kitchens. Any tight cracks
about 3/8 inch or smaller are good cockroach habitats. Monitoring
indicates whether roaches are present and if control practices
are working. IPM tools include glue boards, baits, vacuum cleaners,
caulking, insect growth regulators (IGRs), etc.
(back to the top)
Detection
American cockroaches can be detected by examining the premises
after dark with a flashlight. They occur in dark, damp, warm places,
often near steam pipes, in sewers, grease traps, damp basements,
etc. During the day, probing hiding places with a wire will expose
roaches. Household sprays of pyrethrins applied to hiding places
will flush out roaches, sometimes killing them if they contact
the spray.
Prevention and Sanitation
American roaches can move from one building to the next during
the summer, entering through cracks in foundations, around loose-fitting
doors or windows, and along water and gas pipes. Seal openings
with putty or plastic wood. Inspect sacks, cartons and boxes,
etc., brought into the home and destroy any roaches. Sanitation
is critical in roach control. Clean up spilled foods and liquids,
avoid leaving scraps of food on unwashed dishes and counter tops,
keep food in tightly sealed containers, rinse cans and bottles
before putting in trash and transfer garbage outdoors into roach-proof
receptacles.
(back to the top)
Insecticides
Apply chemicals at roach hiding places. Enter a dark room quietly,
turn on the light and watch where the roaches run. Spot treat
these hiding places and known pathways, especially under and behind
loose baseboards or molding strips and around pipes or conduits
along the walls and through it. Do not treat entire floors, walls,
or ceilings. Surfaces where food is prepared should not be treated.
Buildings with multiple dwellings usually require the treatment
of each unit.
There are numerous cockroach insecticide formulations. Some are
labeled "general use" for homeowner application, and
others are labeled "restricted use" for professional
pest control or licensed, certified pesticide applicators only.
Before using any insecticide, always Read the Label and follow
directions and safety precautions.
Dusts such as bendiocarb (Ficam D), boric acid powder, pyrethrins
(Drione) or silica aerogel (Dri-Die) can be applied with a puff
duster into hiding places normally hard to reach with a spray.
Sprays, either oil-based or water emulsion, are applied as spot
or crack and crevice treatments. These include propoxur, acephate,
chlorpyrifos, diazinon, permethrin or resmethrin. Only the licensed
certified pest control applicator may apply bendioarb, propetamphos,
trichlorfon, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate,
lambda-cyhalothrin, tralomethrin and bifenthrin. Insect growth
regulators or IGRs include hydroprene (Gentrol) and pyriproxyfen
(Archer, Nylar) which act on immature growth stages by contact
or ingestion, disrupting molting and development to fertile adults.
(A combination of an IGR followed up by use of a bait is often
effective.) Some still use contact insecticides in mist or ULV
(ultra-low volume) machines to treat the entire indoor area. Open
all drawers and closet doors so roach hiding places can best be
treated. However, the trend is toward less sprays and aerosols
and more IGRs and baits.
Baits
Certain segments of the public such as schools, hospitals, and
office buildings may prefer baits to sprays. Baits include pastes,
gels, particle baits and bait stations.
Bait advantages include: low hazard (toxicity) to people; suited
for sensitive accounts; IPM oriented; offer effective control.
Disadvantages include: high bait cost; precise placement required;
not cost effective in heavy roach infestations.
Sticky traps have openings at both ends with the inside surface
covered with a very sticky adhesive and slow-release food attractant.
Properly placed traps, to and from roach hiding and feeding areas,
can catch numerous adults and nymphs daily, especially brownbanded
and German cockroaches. Traps are best used along with preventive
and insecticidal applications to monitor populations. Trapping
can determine haborage areas and infestation severity, monitor
effectiveness of pesticide applications, and detect any roach
population increases which may require additional pesticide treatments.
Fumigation is seldom used but will clean out a cockroach infestation.
It must be applied only by a licensed, certified pesticide applicator.
If a severe cockroach infestation develops or if you are in doubt
as to the control measures to use, contact a reputable, licensed
pest control firm who has the chemicals, training and experience
to best do a thorough job.
(back to the top)
German Cockroach
HYG-2099-97
William F. Lyon
(click here for a
free evaluation of your property)
German cockroaches rank "fourth or fifth" in the total
num- ber of household, structural and institutional insect pest
inquiries received from Ohio clientele each year. These are the
most common roaches found in homes, apartments, restaurants, supermarkets,
hospitals, and other buildings where food is stored, prepared,
or served. They eat food of all kinds and may hitchhike into the
home on egg cartons, soft drink cartons, sacks of potatoes or
onions, used furniture, beer cases, etc. These roaches will move
from building to building during the warm summer months. They
can develop into large populations and live throughout the home,
especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Roaches can foul food, damage
wallpaper and books, eat glue from furniture, and produce an unpleasant
odor. Some homeowners are allergic to roaches, and the pests can
contaminate food with certain bacterial diseases that result in
food poisoning, dysentery, or diarrhea. Cockroaches can cause
childhood asthma.
Identification
Most cockroaches have a flattened, oval shape, spiny legs, and
long, filamentous antennae. Immature stages are smaller, have
undeveloped wings and resemble the adults. Adult German cockroaches
are light tan to medium brown except for the shield behind the
head marked with two dark stripes (separated by a lighter stripe),
which run lengthwise on the body. Adults are about 1/2 to 5/8-inch
long and have wings, but rarely fly. Wings cover the entire abdomen
of females and all except the abdominal tip in males. The male
is light brown and rather boat-shaped, whereas the female is slightly
darker with a broader, rounded posterior. Young roaches (nymphs)
are wingless and nearly black with a single light stripe, separating
two black bands, running down about halfway of the middle of the
back. Egg capsules are light tan and less than 1/4-inch long.
Life Cycle and Habits
German cockroach females, unlike most other roaches, carry the
egg capsule protruding from their abdomen until the eggs are ready
to hatch. The case is then dropped in a secluded location, with
the nymphs emerging within one day. A female may produce four
to eight cases during her lifetime, each containing 30 to 48 eggs.
Eggs hatch in about one month, and nymphs develop in 1-1/2 to
4 months. Female roaches live about 6-1/2 months and males live
slightly less. The German cockroach produces more eggs and has
more generations per year (three to four) than other roaches,
and only a few individuals are needed to develop into troublesome
infestations. This roach is spread by commerce and transportation
as well as mass migrations. It is the most prevalent pest in low
income apartments in the United States.
During the day, these roaches may be found hiding, clustered
behind baseboard molding, in cracks around cabinets, closets or
pantries, and in and under stoves, refrigerators and dish washers.
If clusters of roaches are seen during the day, the population
is large. Both nymphs and adults are very active and capable of
running rapidly. German cockroaches have a high need for moisture
and usually travel 10 to 12 feet from their harborage for food
and water in kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, etc., preferring
darkness. Without food or water, adults may die in two weeks,
but can live a month with only water.
(back to the top)
Control Measures
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systems approach that combines
preventive techniques, non-chemical pest control methods and the
wise use of pesticides with preference for products that are least
harmful to human health and the environment. It is not the total
elimination of pesticides but an alternate approach to traditional
pest control measures. Complete reliance, in the past, on pesticides
alone for pest control allowed certain pests to develop resistance,
created potential human exposure to harmful chemicals, produced
unsound environmental contamination, and created a threat to nontarget
species and pesticide waste. IPM consists of routine inspection
and monitoring with treatment only when pests are actually present,
thus reducing traditional, routine pesticide application treatment
(calendar date sprays) whether pests were present or not.
By following a cockroach IPM plan, cockroach activity is monitored
using sticky traps or glue boards. These monitoring stations are
placed throughout a structure where roaches are likely to be found
such as in dark places along cabinets, walls, under appliances,
on pipes, etc., in bathrooms and kitchens. Any tight cracks about
3/8 inch or smaller are good cockroach habitats. Monitoring indicates
whether roaches are present and if control practices are working.
IPM tools include glue boards, baits, vacuum cleaners, caulking,
insect growth regulators (IGRs), etc.
Detection
German cockroaches can be detected by examining the premises after
dark with a flashlight. During the day, probing hiding places
with a wire or thin wood strip will expose roaches. Adults and
nymphs usually hide clustered together. Household sprays of pyrethrins
applied to hiding places will flush out roaches, sometimes killing
them if they contact the spray.
Prevention and Sanitation
German roaches can move from one building to the next during the
summer, entering through cracks in foundations, around loose-fitting
doors or windows, and along water and gas pipes. Repair leaky
water faucets and pipes. Seal openings such as cracks in foundation
walls, exterior walls around air conditioners, doors, windows,
floors, ceilings, around plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets,
baseboards, etc. with putty, plastic wood or other caulking material.
Inspect for roaches and their egg cases in sacks, cartons, boxes,
used appliances and furniture, etc., brought into the home. Sanitation
is critical in roach control. (Unclean living conditions from
housekeeping neglect is the major contributing factor of roach
outbreaks.) Clean areas beneath cabinets, sinks, stoves, refrigerators,
etc. as well as cupboards, pantry shelves and food storage bins.
Clean up spilled foods and liquids. Avoid leaving scraps of food
on unwashed dishes and countertops overnight. Keep food in tightly
sealed containers, rinse cans and bottles before putting in the
trash, and transfer garbage outdoors into roach-proof receptacles
away from the house. Leftover pet food should not remain in the
feeding dish overnight.
(back to the top)
Resistance
To date, only the German cockroach has developed a degree of resistance
that presents control problems. There is a natural evolutionary
process accelerated by intense selection pressure created through
the use of insecticides. (The more insecticide applied, the greater
the selection for resistance.) Never increase dosages. For example,
by killing off susceptible cockroaches, there remains an untouched
resistant roach that becomes a larger segment of the remaining
population. As a result, insecticides that at one time controlled
a largely susceptible population are no longer effective against
the remaining altered population and most of its descendants.
(Resistance is passed from parent to offspring as an inherited
trait and not acquired during the cockroach's life.)
Some German cockroaches in apartment buildings have been found
resistant to certain carbamate, organophosphate, chlorinated hydrocarbon
and pyrethroid insecticides. These roaches have shown high resistance
to malathion, Ficam & Baygon and lower resistance to diazinon,
Dursban & Orthene. For difficult to control populations, use
unrelated insecticides (different chemical classes) in a sequential
treatment pattern. (Use in a rotation, one after another, over
a short period of time.) For example, in the first month use an
organophosphate, the second month use a carbamate, the third month
use silica gel, the fourth month boric acid and the fifth month
resmethrin. By using insecticides that attack the insect at different
points in its body, the insect's defense system is overwhelmed.
However, some carbamates and organophosphates have similar action
sites where "cross-resistance" may occur. For example,
selection with Baygon induces the same resistance spectrum as
diazinon.
(back to the top)
Insecticides
Apply chemicals at roach hiding places. Enter a dark room quietly,
turn on the light, and watch where the roaches run. Spot treat
these hiding places and known pathways, especially under and behind
loose baseboards or molding strips and around pipes or conduits
along the walls and through them. Do not treat entire floors,
walls or ceilings. Roaches may hide around the kitchen sink or
drain board, in cracks underneath cupboards and cabinets, inside
the motor compartment of mechanical refrigerators, behind window
and door frames, in radio and TV cabinets, and around closet and
bookcase shelves. Surfaces where food is prepared should not be
treated. Roaches in buildings with multiple dwellings usually
require the treatment of other units as well.
There are numerous cockroach insecticide formulations. Some are
labeled "general use" for homeowner application, and
others are labeled "restricted use" for professional
pest control or licensed, certified pesticide applicators only.
Before using any insecticide, read the label and follow directions
and safety precautions.
Dusts such as bendiocarb (Ficam D), boric acid powder, pyrethrins
(Drione) or silica aerogel (Dri-Die) can be applied with a puff
duster into hiding places normally hard to reach with a spray.
Sprays, either oil-based or water emulsion, are applied as spot
or crack and crevice treatments. These include propoxur, acephate,
chlorpyrifos, diazinon, permethrin or resmethrin. Only the licensed
certified pest control applicator may apply bendioarb, propetamphos,
trichlorfon, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate,
lambda-cyhalothrin, tralomethrin and bifenthrin. Insect growth
regulators or IGRs include hydroprene (Gentrol) and pyriproxyfen
(Archer, Nylar) which act on immature growth stages by contact
or ingestion, disrupting molting and development to fertile adults.
(A combination of an IGR followed up by use of a bait is often
effective.) Some still use contact insecticides in mist or ULV
(ultra-low volume) machines to treat the entire indoor area. Open
all drawers and closet doors so roach hiding places can best be
treated. However, the trend is toward less sprays and aerosols
and more IGRs and baits.
(back to the top)
Baits
Certain segments of the public such as schools, hospitals, and
office buildings may prefer baits to sprays. Baits include pastes,
gels, particle baits and bait stations.
Bait advantages: low hazard (toxicity) to people; suited for
sensitive accounts; IPM oriented; offer effective control. Disadvantages:
high bait cost; precise placement required; not cost effective
in heavy roach infestations.
Sticky traps have openings at both ends with the inside surface
covered with a very sticky adhesive and slow-release food attractant.
Properly placed traps, to and from roach hiding and feeding areas,
can catch numerous adults and nymphs daily, especially brownbanded
and German cockroaches. Traps are best used along with preventive
and insecticidal applications to monitor populations. Trapping
can determine harborage areas and infestation severity, monitor
effectiveness of pesticide applications, and detect any roach
population increases which may require additional pesticide treatments.
Fumigation is seldom used but will clean out a cockroach infestation.
It must be applied only by a licensed, certified pesticide applicator.
If a severe cockroach infestation develops or if you are in doubt
as to the control measures to use, contact a reputable, licensed
pest control firm who has the chemicals, training and experience
to do a thorough job.
(back to the top)
