In an attempt to kill a cockroach population, an aversion to a particular gel bait, where the roaches no longer “take the bait,” could result if the same gel bait formulation is used repeatedly over time. In addition to a few other essential tips, rotating active ingredients in a gel bait program, therefore, is the recommendation to prevent such aversion.
“Properly trained pest professionals are vital to the implementation of comprehensive cockroach control,” according to the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control. Before implementing a gel bait rotation program for cockroach infestations, therefore, a few tips are recommended.
START WITH THE BASICS. John Komor, owner of Johnny Bugs in North Port, Fla., explains that any cockroach resistance or aversion issues he has encountered began with the homeowner. “My protocol is to ask the homeowner, ‘What did you do before I got here?’” he says. Because over-the-counter pest control products contain some of the same active ingredients (AIs) that PCOs use, Komor says, if he ends up using the same AIs, an aversion problem could result.
Don English, owner, Engineered Pest Solutions in Macon, Ga., has experienced similar situations. “The biggest mistake people [make] is they try to treat [the cockroach problem] themselves” by spraying, he says. Instead, the PCO could have used a gel bait, which in a short amount of time would have eliminated the cockroach problem, he explains.
Additionally, educating customers to focus on sanitation to reduce cockroach food supply is a must.
SEALING ACCESS AREAS. Especially in multi-unit housing complexes, finding methods to prevent cockroaches from moving from unit to unit is a key to helping reduce infestations. “We also found that if we can get the property managers to seal up their pipe chases, instead of having a 4-inch hole for a 2-inch pipe, it makes a huge difference as well,” says Jim Moyer, service supervisor, A.C.E., Griffin Pest Solutions in Kalamazoo, Mich. Utilizing physical modification and exclusion techniques help prevent cockroaches from entering the site.
REDUCE POPULATION ONSITE. Aside from conducting a full IPM inspection, “the first thing you want to do is get the population down before you’re going to tackle them,” English says. Inspect the infested site to determine the cockroach harborage areas, and then flush out as many as possible, he says. English recommends a backpack vacuum cleaner for this part of the job, as this tool “is the number one thing you can use; there is no resistance to a vacuum cleaner.” English also recommends using air dusters to flush the cockroaches out of hidden pockets on the site. “You want them to move,” so that killing them with a vacuum is an easier task and a direct impact on reducing the population.
“Emphasis on non-chemical approaches such as sanitation, harborage alteration, and physical removal will produce longer-term results and reduce the need for chemical applications,” says the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control.
Baiting and Rotating. Kevin O’Connor, entomologist, Viking Pest Control in Oakdale, N.Y., says that the “first line of defense” in combating a roach problem “is to kill every roach.” Since that is not always possible, the second line of defense is to rotate gel baits, he explains. At Viking Pest Control, O’Connor recommends changing gel bait products every three to four months.
“I believe in gel baits over any other process to eliminate roaches,” says Moyer, who has been in the pest management industry for almost 20 years. “I remember doing the first roach clean-out with gel baits instead of using liquids and dust in a residential house. The roaches would just run to the gel bait,” he says.
Similarly, David Crenshaw, president and CEO, Crenshaw Pest Control in New Port Richey, Fla., explains that “over years of evolution of the pest control industry, we have changed to where we apply zero liquid insecticide in a kitchen.” Instead, he applies “only bait and the dry flowable powders.” After applying the gel baits, “within about a two-week period you have cut the roach infestation in half,” he says.
English says that gel baits are “the most effective in the long run,” but that “paying attention to the bait’s active ingredient” and then rotating are musts. Additionally, English utilizes glue boards to help monitor the cockroach population, whether reduced or “leveled out.” If the population is remaining constant, “you rotate baits,” he says.
At Griffin Pest Solutions, Moyer’s team rotates baits every six months utilizing a chart based on formulation of the bait’s active ingredient. “We go through the four classes [of pesticides], so it will be two years before we are back to the original [class]; we find it to be effective,” he says.
Ultimately, “rotation between different classes of insecticides has been proposed and practiced by many pest professionals…Often, pest professionals also alternate their use of different bait products with the notion that this approach will not only delay resistance evolution, but also that cockroaches might welcome a new food to their environment,” the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control says.