Most Effective Cockroach Control by Identifying Harborage

Identification of harborage is critical to an effective cockroach control program. Use of sticky (glue) traps is a common inspection or monitoring method used for cockroach detection. Correct trap placement depends upon the technician's understanding of cockroach food-seeking (foraging) habits; place sticky traps behind kitchen appliances, in cabinets, supply rooms and similar locations.Brown-banded cockroaches, like German cockroaches, build up the highest populations in kitchens. However, their tendency is to increase in warm rooms. They can be common around high cabinets and areas near stoves and warm motors, such as those in refrigerators, electric clocks, light timers, televisions and radios.

Recommendations to reduce harborage include:

• Seal as many cracks and crevices in the kitchen and food storage areas as possible with a good silicone sealer. A review of monthly reports may indicate from time to time that other specific areas may need to be sealed.
• Repair holes in walls or floors and seal inaccessible areas that could become harborage for pests.
• Replace wood food storage shelves with wire shelves.
• Do not store infrequently used items in the same areas as frequently used items and food supplies.
• Repair all moisture problems.
• Do not keep recycled goods such as beverage containers, cans, paper, cardboard, etc. near the kitchen or food supply areas.
• Institute a good cleaning program. Pesticide use without cleaning and sanitation will not produce long term control of a pest infestation.
• Recommend good lighting.
• Point out areas that need ventilation.
• Recommend reduction of clutter (particularly cardboard boxes) and excess product in cabinets or storage.
• Where practical, install air curtains to keep out flying insects.

In attacking cockroaches, one should concentrate on monitoring the cockroach population and delivering pesticides into active harborage areas rather than "baseboard spraying."

• Many types of sticky traps are available to help the technician pinpoint sources of cockroach infestation. Sticky traps are not intended for control, but rather to detect infestations and to evaluate and target control measures. Place sticky traps behind kitchen appliances, in cabinets and supply rooms.
• Containerized and paste or gel baits should be the standard insecticide treatment for cockroaches in many buildings. The small, plastic bait containers should be placed as close as possible to harborage sites where the cockroaches are actually living. Place the bait stations behind refrigerators, in cabinets and along edges of walls and in corners. Do not place them where students can find them. The two most common mistakes in using containerized baits are (1) not eliminating nearby food sources and (2) not using enough bait stations. Paste and gel baits are most effective when applied in small dabs. Baits are most effective when the cockroach population is low or moderate in size. If there is a large population, the bait in the stations may be entirely eaten before the cockroaches are eliminated. Bait stations should not be contaminated by sprays or dusts that may be repellent.
• When a moderate to large cockroach population is present, crack and crevice insecticide application is sometimes the most practical and effective way to apply insecticides. Use a narrow diameter extension tube in infested cracks and crevices to provide a thorough application of residual insecticide. (A crack and crevice treatment implies that the stream of insecticide is never visible during the spraying process.) Treat cracks and crevices under furniture, drawers, sinks, around pipes and in high cabinets. First remove utensils and supplies in cabinets; do not treat shelf surfaces.
• Space treatments should only be used to knock down a heavy cockroach infestation quickly so that other control measures can be used effectively. The need for repeated fogging at short intervals indicates the cockroach population is rising, not decreasing. Space treatments (fogs or aerosol applications) flush cockroaches out of harborage, causing them to cross residual pesticide applications, or the insecticide droplets land on the insects, killing them by direct contact. Such treatments lack crack and crevice penetration. Fog treatments should not be used in areas where facility staff are present. Prior to treatment, all exposed food and food contact surfaces should be effectively protected against pesticide contamination. After the application, food preparation surfaces should be cleaned before they are used for food preparation.

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