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Control of Cockroaches
- Use sanitation, baits, and insecticide
treatments -
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Summary: The most important steps of
an effective roach control program are elimination
of water sources and food (sanitation). Next, baits
and low toxicity insecticides can be used in homes
while new commercial poison baits and "crack &
crevice" insecticides should be reserved for
commercial buildings like restaurants,
apartments, and other multi-family
dwellings.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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Because
treatments to control roaches in commercial
buildings, like apartments and restaurants, are
generally more aggressive than those used in
single-family homes, the two different approaches
are outlined separately below.
Cockroach
control in single-family homes
Treatment
in a single-family home can be a do it yourself
project. Roach control in single-family homes should
be relatively simple because you can control what
happens in every room. If you eliminate sources of
food and water in every part of the house you
can achieve control with easy-to-use, and inexpensive,
baits and dust insecticides. Don't use aerosol
sprays as these will just cause roaches to scatter and
make baits ineffective.
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German
roach (adult); notice long antennae
and dark stripes behind the head
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Eliminate
sources of food and water. Be ruthless -- clean
any exposed sources of cooking grease, sugars and
other foodstuff. Also repair leaky pipes and other
sources of water. Cleaning and water source
elimination is the most important part of roach
control.
Next,
apply a borate powder insecticide in places
where roaches travel. Cockroaches, and many other
pests, follow walls, only rarely venturing out into
the room. Place a thin layer of powder behind
appliances and cabinets, and under sinks, and so forth
and replace this powder when it is disturbed.
Finally,
cockroach baits can be used in these same
areas. Most of the time you can skip the use of baits
in single-family dwellings if you have done a good job
of sanitation and water source control. If, however,
you need some extra help try one of the new baits,
they are expensive but very effective (see Using Cockroach Baits).
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Cockroach
control in commercial buildings
Cockroach
control in commercial buildings*** is
generally more difficult because you may not be able
to control what happens in every part of the
building. If there may be areas of the building that
are not cleaned and treated, for whatever reason,
and these can serve as continual sources of
cockroaches that re-infest the building.
Therefore
it may be necessary to treat areas that are
accessible with residual insecticides and
aggressively use professional baits to
disrupt the populations in the parts of the building
that you don't have access to. It is possible that
you won't be able to achieve complete elimination of
the cockroach population so you may have to be
content with suppression only. Use the check list
below to guide your control program.
***Commercial
buildings include warehouses, apartments,
restaurants, school dormitories, office
buildings, hospitals, food processing plants,
manufacturing facilities, ships, boats, trains,
and so forth.
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Control
checklist:
(1)
Eliminate sources of food and water as much as
possible. This is always the first thing you should
do. If food and water sources are not reduced no
amount of insecticide will achieve control.
(2) Apply
borate powder (see pest control sources
below) insecticide behind appliances, under
cabinets, along baseboards, and so forth. Borate is
a very effective and low toxicity insecticide.
(3)
Apply a residual insecticide, such as
deltamethrin, as a crack and crevice
treatment (see
pest control sources below).
(4) Use professional
baits for long-term suppression and replace
baits as needed to maintain control (see Using
Baits to Control Cockroaches)
In
most regions you don't need to control cockroaches
outdoors except perhaps in sewers and similar
underground utility lines. Cockroaches in general
are adapted to warm, tropical climates and
don't do well outdoors where it is cold. However, if
you live in a warm climate such as the southern US,
you may need to treat outdoors around the foundation
of the structure to prevent roaches from entering
the building or home. Both residual insecticides and
water resistant poison baits are available
for this application.
Pest
Control Sources: Borate and "crack &
crevice" insecticides, and professional baits are
available here
(DoMYOwnPestControl.com).
What are Cockroaches?
Cockroach
Identification
Using Boric Acid (Borate)
Insecticides
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Jack
DeAngelis, Ph.D.
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