Cockroach Product Store

Suggested Products for Cockroaches

Prevention
Preventive measures are the key to successful cockroach control. A cockroach infestation is much tougher to control than to prevent. However, the success of preventive measures requires care, planning and sustained effort. Cleanliness in the home and elimination of favorable feeding sites lessens the possibility of cockroach infestations and reduces the need for pesticides, but these practices are not foolproof. Cockroach invasions from outside sources are always possible. 

Inspection
Prior to any cockroach control effort, cockroaches and their likely habitats should be identified. Because various cockroach species may live in the same building, it is essential to identify the species accurately and use control measures that take advantage of behavioral patterns and life requirements of the particular species. Also, frequent thorough inspections will enable the homeowner to detect conditions that foster the development of infestations. In addition to examining all known or suspected cockroach hiding areas, incoming materials such as beverage cartons, groceries, dry cleaning, luggage and used appliances or furniture should be inspected for hitchhiking cockroaches and/or their egg cases. Destroy any egg cases found.

Sanitation
Proper sanitation both indoors and outdoors, will limit cockroach populations. Unwashed dishes, kitchen utensils and uncovered food left out overnight are conditions conducive to cockroach infestations, as are spilled liquids such as Coke, milk, sweet tea, etc. Areas beneath and behind cabinets, furniture, sinks, stoves and refrigerators should be cleaned often, as should cupboards, pantry shelving and storage bins where food particles frequently accumulate. Kitchen waste and excess refuse should be kept in airtight containers and disposed of as frequently as possible. Dry pet food should be stored away from the kitchen and other foods. If pets are fed indoors, leftover foods should not be allowed to remain in the feeding dish overnight. Outdoors, garbage cans, racks, platforms or slabs should be cleaned regularly.

Exclusion
Seal any cracks of 1/8 inch or more in the foundation and exterior walls to exclude cockroaches from the structure. Check the seal or caulking around air conditioning units, windows, doors, pipes or other openings into the structure. Inside, eliminate all possible hiding areas and food sources. Repair cracks and holes in the floors, walls and ceilings. Seal openings around plumbing fixtures, furnace flues, electrical outlets, windowsills and walls, and along baseboards and ceiling moldings. Leaky water faucets and pipes should be repaired. Thresholds on doors should be as tight as possible and cracks in porches and stoops should be sealed. Keep yard trash and firewood stacks away from the structure to minimize cockroach harborage areas.


Control
There are several formulations on the market to eliminate and control cockroach infestations. All are effective. Selection of a particular formulation and method of treatment depends on conditions and severity of infestation.

Electronic Pest Control Devices
Extensive research on numerous types of electronic pest control devices has shown that cockroaches are not controlled or repelled by ultrasonic sounds, vibrations, electro-magnetic forces, or pulsed electronic signals. Buyer beware when purchasing one of these devices.

Chemical Control
Pesticides vary in formulation, method of delivery, biological activity, residual longevity and other characteristics. They also vary in toxicity to the target organism and to humans and animals. It is important to be familiar with the product you are using, especially with its relative toxicity. READ THE LABEL before using any pesticide product. Information about appropriate use and toxicity can be found on the label. Care should be taken to treat cracks and crevices where cockroaches spend the majority of their time. Insecticide generally provides only temporary control inside structures. Since most cockroach species (except German cockroaches) invade structures from outside, they may re-infest dwellings once the insecticide dissipates. To avoid this problem, outdoor populations must also be controlled. In most instances cockroach baits or residual sprays can be used around the perimeter foundations and adjacent landscaping of structures.

Residual Sprays
Residual sprays are usually easy and fast to apply. These formulations are oil-based or water-based and water-based suspensions (wettable powders). They are available in ready-to-use pressurized containers or non-pressurized containers with built-in spray pumps. Residual sprays also can be purchased as concentrates to mix with water before applying with a compressed-air sprayer, or plunger-type sprayer. Be careful and follow label instructions when using oil-based insecticides; they may stain, dull or damage certain floor tiles, linoleum, painted surfaces, plaster, houseplants, carpets, and carpet-backing. Oil-based sprays can create a fire hazard when used near an open flame. Water emulsions may stain wallpaper, or light-colored carpets. Wettable powders must be frequently agitated in the spray tank, but they leave the most active residues, especially on porous surfaces such as unpainted wood, mortar or concrete block. Exposed surfaces, especially those used to prepare foods, should not be treated with residual sprays.

Dusts
Insecticide dust is most often a supplemental treatment, used in conjunction with other products such as residual sprays and aerosols. Dusts generally have longer residual action than sprays, but are ineffective if they get wet. Dusts are useful in cockroach control because they can be placed deep in cracks, crevices and wall voids; under refrigerators and furniture; around pipes, tunnels and conduits; on very smooth or very rough surfaces; and in other places not treatable with other formulations. Do not use dusts for treating large surfaces because they leave unsightly deposits. Also, cockroaches avoid heavy deposits and will not walk through thick layers of material. Use light pressure on the application device (Bellows hand duster or Centro-bulb duster) to minimize the amount of dust in living areas. Apply dusts as light, even residues that are barely visible.

Baits
Several cockroach baits are sold in ready-to-use containers. They can be made using a combination of food attractants and a toxicant. If cockroaches will not feed on the bait, the insecticide has no effect. Thus, it is important not to contaminate stored bait with organic solvents, other insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers. Baits are usually long lasting and often work well in areas that cannot be effectively sprayed or dusted. Baits are often most useful when used in conjunction with a residual spray or dust, and give best results in buildings where there are few other food alternatives. Always use a sufficient number of bait containers or gel placements to adequately treat an area where cockroaches are to be controlled. Examine the bait containers or placements frequently to ensure they remain fresh and the bait is not depleted.

Aerosol
Aerosol insecticides may or may not have residual activity. A non-residual spray alone may not provide a high degree of control, but when used with a residual spray or dust, a high degree of control can be achieved. Non-residual aerosols have a flushing action and are useful for determining the location and extent of a cockroach infestation. Small amounts of pesticide applied to hidden areas and shelters force cockroaches to evacuate and move across previously treated surfaces. Residual aerosols should be used in the same manner as other types of residual sprays.

Insect Growth Regulators
Some synthetic compounds mimic natural hormones found in insects, and act as birth control When applied to cockroaches during their early developmental stages, they cause nymphs to molt into sterile adults. IGRs have low human toxicity, but have long residual effectiveness. For best results they must be applied along with residual insecticides to eliminate existing or other non-susceptible stages. Over-population reduction with IGRs usually takes several months.