Cockroaches, Eliminated

Reining in resistance

Insecticide resistance is one of the biggest concerns PMPs face when dealing with German cockroaches. According to the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control (10th edition), this species has a higher reproductive rate and shorter generation time than any other cockroach species.

That means they can develop resistance to insecticides over time. If just a few cockroaches survive treatment, they can breed and pass those survival traits onto their offspring. Building survival traits means these cockroaches eventually will not respond to treatment and the population has the potential to explode.

According to the 2025 PCT State of the Cockroach Control Market survey1 sponsored by Syngenta, 63% of PMPs are concerned about cockroach resistance in their market areas. And 93% say their service locations rotate products with different modes of action to prevent resistance from developing.

Still, adhering to the proper rotation schedule can be a challenge.

“A lot of people don’t quite rotate their baits as often as they should,” says Kristen Oakley, market manager for Professional Pest Management (PPM) at Syngenta, North America. “Rotation timing is crucial for long-term control, and control speed and efficiency may slip if PMPs continue to use the same cockroach bait over and over again.”

Syngenta recommends swapping out baits with different active ingredients (AIs) and modes of action every three months.

New Resistance management tool coming soon

Combat resistant cockroaches with PLINAZOLIN^® technology, which introduces a new active ingredient and mode of action. PMPs can expect Vanecto^® Cockroach gel bait in early 2026, following Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration.

Backed by more than 10 years of rigorous testing, this bait delivers powerful cockroach control performance that meets the highest industry standards. “It will be the first new active ingredient to come to the marketplace for the pest control industry in over two decades,” says Oakley.

Cockroaches have never been exposed to this AI or mode of action before. As such, the pests do not have any inherited mechanisms to resist it.

PLINAZOLIN technology works differently than other AIs. In a nutshell, it causes insects to die of exhaustion. It does this by blocking a nerve receptor that normally would allow contracted muscles to relax.

Death occurs when cockroaches ingest the bait or contact it. Gravid (egg-carrying) female and juvenile nymph cockroaches, which don’t forage far from harborage, gain a lethal dose through fast-acting horizontal transfer. They die after eating the feces, vomit and corpses of cockroaches that ate or touched the bait.

The new bait matrix will be attractive and will reduce bait aversion. “Cockroaches get tired of eating the same food. We have a fresh menu for them,” explains Lisa Eppler, technical services manager for PPM at Syngenta.

The gel bait, which has received EPA Reduced Risk status, is expected to be labeled for use outdoors and indoors, including sensitive areas. “Adding this bait to your rotation will help improve control,” says Eppler. “It can also better protect against public health issues that cockroaches cause over time.”

More Innovative Solutions

Two Syngenta baits are game changers when used in rotation to control cockroaches.

Advion^® Trio cockroach gel bait features three modes of action and three active ingredients: indoxacarb and the insect growth regulators (IGRs) pyriproxyfen and novaluron. This combination controls cockroaches at every stage of their life cycle.

“Indoxacarb targets your adult cockroaches, while the two IGRs target the nymphs and gravid females,” says Eppler. “Nymphs are unable to molt, and eggs don’t hatch.”

Advion Trio is ideal for tough clean-out jobs in residential, commercial and multifamily housing accounts. “It delivers very thorough control of large populations,” says Eppler.

Advion® MicroFlow insect bait is a dry flowable bait. “It’s not a dust that relies on passive contact. Advion MicroFlow actively attracts cockroaches to it,” says Oakley.

Still, it applies like a dust, so it can be directed into wall and cabinet voids, motor housings, wall outlets and other hard-to-reach spaces.

Cockroaches eat the bait and also carry it on their exoskeletons after walking through a treated area. Through grooming, they ingest bait particles.

Advion MicroFlow delivers long-term prevention. “If undisturbed in a dry area, it is going to be palatable and active for years,” says Eppler.

Many options under one roof

“Syngenta offers such a wide portfolio of cockroach control products. You can do the cockroach bait rotation while still staying within one product family,” says Dan Baldwin, vice president of technical services at Hawx Services, headquartered in Ogden, Utah.

His service professionals typically start control programs with Advion Cockroach gel bait. “It’s super attractive, and it works.”

At multifamily housing accounts, they then switch to a different Syngenta active ingredient and mode of action every three months to reduce the risk of bait aversion and insecticide resistance.

Baldwin says sticking with Syngenta products has another benefit: It’s good for the bottom line when you consolidate purchases with one manufacturing partner.

Learn how the PestPartners^SM 365 Program puts money in your pocket for buying cockroach control products on page 12.

Syngenta also has a guaranteed protocol for eliminating these pests. University-tested, the SecureChoice^SM Cockroach Assurance Program knocks out tough cockroach populations and maintains high levels of control.

If you don’t reduce cockroach infestations by at least 90% during four visits over 60 days, Syngenta provides product free of charge for retreatment.2

Territory and technical service managers give support along the way. “Our people stand behind this program. Knowing you have a team of experts to call on is a huge bonus,” says Oakley.

So is the commitment Syngenta has to developing new tools to control cockroaches in the years ahead.

“We’re working every day to ensure we’re providing the most effective cockroach control solutions, so you can provide customers with a life uninterrupted by these pests,” says Oakley.

Learn more about Syngenta solutions for cockroach control at SyngentaPMP.com/Cockroach.