Gel Baits
Are mainstays of German cockroach management. However, over the last 20 years, bait aversion (cockroaches no longer eating the bait) and the consequent widespread control failure has surfaced several times, causing manufacturers to reformulate baits. This problem is often due to repeated use of the same or similar baits. The cockroaches that don’t eat the bait are the ones left to reproduce and they become a larger and larger percentage of the population over time. Therefore, at a minimum, at least two PCT gel baits should be rotated in control program.
Cockroach control is an ongoing challenge in many pest control accounts, such as food areas, chronically damp areas, multi-family housing and production animal housing. It is essential to use a variety of techniques for a successful control program. An optional IPM program should include as many of the following elements as possible: sanitation, proofing, habitat modification, multiple treatment options, and monitoring.
Sanitation Improvement
can goa longway to controlling German cockroaches. In commercial food facilities, PMPs can add revenue by offering a Bio Sanitation program in addition to pest control services and provide a more comprehensive solution. In some accounts such as multi-family housing, sanitation improvements is often not a reality, so PMPs are faced with a more challenging treatment environment. For German cockroaches, particularly in accounts with chronic pest pressure, rotation with multiple treatment products is critical to prevent resistance and provide the best results for the lowest cost. For domestic cockroaches, such as Australian cockroaches and perimeter prevention programs yield good results.
Bait Contamination
Contamination occurs when an outside source causes the bait to become unacceptable to the target pest. Baits usually fail when they are exposed to tobacco, pesticide sprays, mop water, cleaners & other materials that make the bait work completely opposite to its intended use Cockroaches repelled instead of attracted.
Bait Avoidance
Cockroaches will sometimes refuse to eat specific bait because they are repelled by either the bait’s attractants or the active ingredients used in the bait formulation. This rejection of particular bait that has not been contaminated is called bait avoidance. There is a delicate balance between attractant and active ingredient in any bait. Professional baits now contain several different attractants to make them attractive to cockroaches of different species. This is important because pest populations is a particular location can often have a different diet from others of the same species in other locales.
Insecticide Resistance
Insecticide resistance in German cockroaches was first noted more than 50 years ago and, despite having new Actives and delivery methods, it persists to this day. Unfortunately, resistance does not evolve the same way in every situation for every insecticide, making it is extremely difficult to predict the effective market life for any particular product. For this reason, resistance monitoring programs are of key importance and can be done by PMPs themselves by holding collected cockroaches directly with gel baits any survival past 72 hours is a strong indicator that resistance is present. The integrated use of product/Active Ingredient rotations and non-chemical pest management is the best option and management.
Bait Palatability
Bait palatability is crucially important because the cockroach gel contains food ingredients. Gel Bait that is fresh when applied and has not been stored for a long period of time will be more attractive to cockroaches. We test and select the food ingredients that are most desirable to the target insects. We manufacture our gel baits just in time and ship them directly to our distributors, not to a third party warehouse for later distribution, so you can be sure the product you purchase is as fresh as possible.