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Cockroach Baits
- New baits are expensive but very effective -
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Summary: New cockroach baits can be very effective in multi-family dwellings, food handling facilities, commercial buildings and/or situations where sanitation and water sources can not be controlled. Baits combine a highly attractive food with a low toxicity insecticide.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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Why baits instead of sprays for roaches?
 Sometimes sanitation and water source elimination alone are not enough to control a stubborn cockroach infestation and you have to bring out the "big guns". In this case the big guns are baits not insecticidal sprays. Sprays tend to disperse roaches because these insects can detect and avoid low concentration of insecticide residues. Plus, baits can be formulated so that when roaches feed on a bait and return to their hiding places they contaminate other roaches (see What are Cockroaches?).
Inexpensive bait products that are available from lawn and garden stores and similar retail outlets are only marginally effective even for light infestations in single-family dwellings. For difficult infestations in multi-family dwellings or commercial buildings you'll need the baits that professional exterminators use (see the list below).
Use the links below for more information about individual products. Advance and Advion Gel Baits are supplied in ready-to-use syringes, Advert Dry Flowable is supplied in a applicator tube and Maxforce Magnum comes in a tube that needs a separate applicator gun.
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German cockroach, about 1/2" long, modified from R. E. Snodgrass and Wikipedia.
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Commercial Quality Roach Baits
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Advance Gel Bait (pdf) - contains a new active ingredient that is less likely to be affected by pesticide resistance.
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Advion Gel Bait (pdf) - contains one of the newest active ingredients and is less likely to be affected by pesticide resistance.
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Avert Dry Flowable (pdf) - is the only dry flowable bait. Dry baits last longer than wet, gel baits and can be "dusted" into areas that are not accessible to gels.
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Maxforce Magnum (pdf) - needs a separate applicator "gun" to apply so is generally more expensive on a per application basis than other baits.
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Water resistant baits for outdoor use
Most baits are formulated to be used indoors where it is dry. However, in warm, humid climates such as the southeastern US cockroach baiting is frequently deployed outdoors around the foundation of homes and buildings. You'll need a weather-resistant bait for this application. Niban Granular Bait (pdf) can be used outdoors for a variety of pests including cockroaches.
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Using roach baits correctly
It makes no sense to use these relatively expensive products incorrectly. If you keep in mind the following suggestions the baits will work better and in the long run you'll use less of them. Use baits only in situations where less expensive methods don't seem to be working. For example, in most cases you should start by eliminating sources of food and water, applying borate dust behind equipment and cabinets, and treating cracks and crevices with a residual insecticide.
These steps alone, however, may not always be enough for some infestations and you'll need to deploy baits. Baits should never be the only approach, however. Don't place baits on surfaces where pesticides have been recently applied because pesticide residue may interfere with bait acceptance. Finally, place baits exactly as directed by product instructions (see specimen labels above) and replace as necessary.
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Mission: To provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information for solving common insect and mite problems around your home, business and landscape using least-toxic methods.
Jack DeAngelis, Ph.D.
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