Cockroaches are live around us in both urban and rural areas. Even cockroaches that do not necessarily thrive under the same living conditions as house-dwelling species will wander in from the Outdoors through cracks in walls, windows and doors. Cockroaches prefer to hide in cracks and crevices during the day and forage for food and water at night.

Cockroach numbers can easily grow, however, creating large populations in relatively short periods of time. Even small cockroach populations can create problems for humans. The problems that cockroaches cause may be classified as either aesthetic or health-related. Aesthetically, cockroaches produce objectionable odors, leave behind their cast skins and feces, and result in disgust and embarrassment for house owners.

Problems caused by cockroaches

Health-related problems caused by cockroaches include asthma and allergies, especially for children living in inner cities where high cockroach populations are endemic and up to 35,000 cockroaches might infest a single apartment. At such density, cockroach feces and body parts are abundantly present as allergens.

Harboring the pathogens that cause leprosy, urinary tract infections, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, wound infections and food poisoning. Pathogens may be spread by oral or fecal contact, or by cockroaches walking across surfaces or through foodstuffs. Given the opportunity, cockroaches will also feed on human tissue, secretions and hair, resulting in direct contact with humans and possible direct transmission of pathogens.

Control measures

For all Type of cockroaches integrated pest management (IPM) is the most effective method to control of an infestation. The elements of a successful IPM program include identification, sanitation, exclusion, and chemical treatment.

Identification, sanitation and exclusion.

Identification of a cockroach is essential in determining how best to proceed with IPM. Several species may be very similar in appearance but vastly different in habitat and behavior. For example, German and Asian cockroaches are almost identical in appearance but live in completely different habitats that require different control measures. Sanitation both before and after an infestation will greatly augments any control program.

Sanitation primarily involves the reduction or elimination of food and water sources. Limiting access to food sources by such measures as refrigeration, secure containers and regular cleansing of food preparation surfaces is a basic step. Without access to food and water, cockroaches will have difficulty surviving. Sanitation also includes the reduction of harborage areas.

It is impossible to eliminate all harborage sites, but by reducing unnecessary clutter within a structure, cockroach harborage areas are also reduced. For Asian cockroaches, sanitation/elimination of harborage areas includes the removal of mulch and leaf litter from around homes. Exclusion is another effective tool in the IPM arsenal. By preventing cockroaches from entering a structure, the need for other control methods is eliminated. Exclusion is particularly effective against the large, outdoor species of cockroaches that may crawl in under door frames or through loose screens.

Chemical control method

Chemical control methods may vary with different species of cockroaches. The sites for chemical control of Asian, German and American cockroaches differ for each species as they will infest different areas of a structure. Asian cockroaches fly in from the outside, German cockroaches primarily infest kitchens and bathrooms, and American cockroaches prefer sewers and basements.

The most accepted methods of chemical control of cockroaches are gel and perimeter spray treatments. Gel treatment quite effective in the control of cockroach pests and have replaced general spraying of baseboards and surfaces. For German and American cockroaches, gel can be placed exactly where they are most effective, especially in foraging and harborage areas. Gel formulations are used as baits in crack and crevice treatments to attain maximum exposure.

The gel treatment use today provide both primary and secondary kill of cockroaches. Through primary kill there is direct kill of the cockroaches that feed on the gel. Because Our gels are often slow-acting. The cockroaches that die from direct kill do so after they have returned to harborage areas, often after they have eliminated some of the bait through their feces. The fecal material and the dead cockroaches themselves are then consumed by other cockroaches, which are then also killed by the active chemical ingredient of the gel.