As the holidays approach, homes and businesses are pulling out stored decorations and seasonal items, and some will find them stained and contaminated by cockroach secretions and fecal pellets. Pest management professionals and the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control alike recommend granular baits in less-trafficked and "void" areas in homes, like crawlspaces, attics and basements.
Doug Foster, president and owner of Burt's Termite & Pest Control, Columbus, Ind., says granular baits are a go-to solution in janitor's closets and mechanical rooms in businesses infested with oriental and American cockroaches, as well as expansion joints and old floor drains that aren't in use. (German cockroaches, he finds, aren't as interested in granular baits.) Harborages also may be found when these outdoor areas are cleaned up and decorated for the winter season. Cockroaches are likely to be found in mulch, ground cover, firewood and other outside spots.
Zach Smith, whose company, Smith's Pest Management, is based in Northern California, works in many outdoor spaces that people want to use year-round due to the region's mild weather. "If we are dealing with American or oriental roaches that are outside, we are going to use granular bait. The efficacy might not be as high as other products, but they are inexpensive. He particularly recommends using granular baits in "shady, humid places." It's vital to pay attention to the usage directions for the bait you select. Some will need to be activated with water or raked into the leaves and other debris to ensure you get the best results.
For maximum effectiveness, make sure the bait is placed close to where the cockroaches live. While German cockroaches will roam for food, American, oriental and smokybrown cockroaches, which are commonly found outside, tend to stay close to their harborage, Mallis notes, foraging only one or two feet away. Methodical inspections will narrow down where the baits should be placed. Multiple placements of small amounts of bait is the best approach.
Smith underlines this point to his technicians, "Cockroaches aren't going to gobble up bait in the middle of the sidewalk. You have to make the bait very easy for them to find when they come out at night to forage." Pay close attention to any drainage systems, he advises. And even though granular bait is larger than dust bait, he has success using a bulb duster to get the granules into harder-to-reach places.
John Myers, Gunter's Pest and Lawn, Kansas City, Mo., agrees, recommending granular bait for use in pipe chases, wall voids, crawlspaces, basements and mechanical rooms. He says it can be beneficial in older structures, which are particularly attractive to cockroaches because they have more cracks and crevices. Like Smith, he says that multiple, methodical inspections are key: "You can't be afraid to get dirty."
One thing to keep in mind when placing granular bait: Will it stay where the technician puts it?
"Granular bait is not for places that get mopped or swept, where the bait would be spread around," says Foster. It's a point that Myers echoes: "You have to be in control of that product even when you aren't on site. You have to be cautious" and make sure you aren't putting granular baits where health inspectors will have concerns of food contamination. "We might use granules around equipment that can't be moved, something that's hooked up to a gas line or floor-mounted. You absolutely don't want that bait kicked up or moved around."
And long-time industry pros emphasize that even the best bait can be more successful with some before-and-after savvy. Jonathan Boyar, owner of Ecologic Entomology, Boston, says that up to 90% of roaches at a site can be dealt with by vacuuming. His technicians are outfitted with top-of-class HEPA vacuum cleaners that are "not much bigger than a toaster." He adds, "We're always looking for a better, smaller model."
And Foster advises his clients that once the bait is placed, "it's worthwhile for the client to caulk up openings to ensure they aren't used again by the roaches in the future." Be generous with the caulk, he urges. "I think it gets overlooked a lot: exclusion by sealing cracks in baseboards, cracks, tiles, and places where pipes enter walls.