Cockroach Biology and Management

1. Cockroach Biology and Management Deborah Young, Ph.D. Stop Pests in Housing

2. www.StopPests.org This IPM training program was developed by a partnership including the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania IPM Program, the National Pest Management Association, the National Center for Healthy Housing, and the Regional IPM Centers. Funding was provided by EPA, HUD, CDC, and USDA-NIFA. The materials contained herein present a research-based, balanced, and objective approach to pest management in affordable housing and are intended to be used in their entirety. Any nonobjective or partial use of the materials is not recommended. Products, vendors, or commercial services mentioned or pictured in the trainings or presentations are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be endorsements.

3. What they are What they eat Where they live How to think like a cockroach Prevention and control Outline Also known as… roaches cucarachas chʼoshtsoh

4. Cockroaches • If you see cockroaches during the day, the infestation is serious! American cockroach showing cerci, University of Florida An insect Lives in areas where humans provide food and water Active at night

5. Cockroaches and their frass are health hazards Make asthma worse in sensitive people Cause asthma in preschool-aged children Cause or aggravate allergies Contaminate food, dishes, and counters

6. Reproduction Multiple eggs in each egg case Nymphs (young cockroaches) look like small versions of the adults

7. German cockroach nymphs Flickr.com

8. Common cockroaches hot cool high & dry most common sewers & basements

9. German cockroach Medium size (3/4''), bronze, with “racing stripes” behind the head Found everywhere, but likes warmth, moisture, and darkness • Reproduces quickly • Mother carries eggs to term even if she is dead • Eats almost anything

10. Oriental cockroach American cockroach • a.k.a “water bugs” • Large (1''); black color • Lives in sewers, basements, and mulch • Likes it cool • a.k.a. “palmetto bugs” or “water bugs” • Large (1-1/2''); brown color • Glides in the air • Lives in sewers and basements • Likes it hot

11. One German cockroach, 1/2 a year…

12. Signs of cockroaches www.unesco.org Live cockroaches Dead cockroaches and their parts Frass Egg cases 11

13. Live cockroaches American Cockroaches German Cockroaches

14. Dead cockroaches Dead German cockroaches on a sticky trap Brown banded cockroachesby a door hinge

15. Behind the wall clock Frass Door Wall clock Under a cabinet shelf

16. Where cockroaches live Anywhere in a building Prefer spots near water but also need food and warmth In cracks and crevices where their bodies touch surfaces above and below

17. What cockroaches eat Crumbs Grease Trash Cardboard glue Just about anything Under the bag in a trash can

18. Where cockroaches drink • Sinks • Counters • Floors • Pet bowls • Shower stalls • Sweaty pipes • Refrigerator drip pans and gaskets • AC units Sources of water in a kitchen

19. Think like a cockroach We think of a building as rooms, hallways and stairwells

20. Think like a cockroach To a cockroach, a building is the spaces between walls and around and in appliances

21. Cockroach common areas: refrigerators and stoves • Daily: wipe grease and crumbs from the stove top • Weekly: Detailed cleaning of stove top— remove burners and wash drip pans • Quarterly: • pull appliances away from the wall and clean the floor underneath, • clean under the stove top, • clean or replace the stove vent filter, and • wipe down refrigerator gaskets

22. Disassembled stove Take a stove apart for cleaning

23. Got cockroaches? Now what? There is not just one answer First find out: What kind? How many? Where? Then use solutions that provide: Most effective prevention and control Least risk to residents and staff

24. Inspect • Using a flashlight, look for evidence where cockroaches would find food, water, or a hiding spot: up, down, behind, and under Trash chute Kitchen drains Behind cabinets Under sinks

25. Inspect Monitor by placing sticky traps near areas where cockroaches might travel—at corners and near warmth, food, and water

26. Prevention and control:Sanitation • Good, detailed sanitation makes pest control work • Eliminate hiding spots, food, and water available at night by- cleaning the kitchen- reducing clutter- throwing away dead cockroaches- cleaning frass and areas where there were cockroaches with simple soap and water

27. Prevention and control:Exclusion Seal or fix cracks, peeled wallpaper and shelf liners, or holes that cockroaches could get through Use • silicone caulk • copper mesh • screens • door sweeps— always on boiler rooms and exterior doors

28. Prevention and control:Targeted chemical use • Sanitation first! • Maintenance staff and residents should not spray. Spraying should be a last resort and done only by a PMP • Read the ENTIRE pesticide label before buying, using, storing, or disposing of a product • The label is the law! • Follow the label directions closely

29. National Pesticide Information Center 1.800.858.7378 npic@ace.orst.edu Open from 8:00AM to 12:00PM Pacific Time, Mon-Fri

30. The most effective pesticide option Won’t work if contaminated by strong- smelling cleaners or other chemicals, pesticide sprays or foggers, or nicotine from cigarette smoke Use in every room where inspection finds evidence Prevention and control: Baits Gel Bait Bait Station

31. Prevention and control: Baits • The bait needs to be the only food in the area—sanitation first! • Slow to kill: Cockroaches feed on the bait and take it back to their hiding spots where other cockroaches live PMP’s gel bait applied under a drawer

32. Prevention and control: Insecticidal dusts • Least toxic active ingredients • boric acid – acts as a stomach poison • diatomaceous earth – affects outer layer, so they can’t retain water to stay alive • Long-lasting if dry

33. Prevention and control:Insecticidal dusts Effective if used correctly Light dusting—never piles Use in walls before fixing them if infestation exists Unit location may justify application under and behind cabinets at turnover or when making largerepairs…but clean first! Incorrect use of insecticidal dust

34. Prevention and control:Insect growth regulators (IGRs) Interfere with cockroach growth and egg hatching In sprays, aerosols, and impregnated discs Take a month to work Stay effective for a long time Compatible with other IPM methods; may enhance baits commons.wikimedia.org

35. Don’t use over-the-counter sprays and foggers • Over-the-counter sprays and foggers are not part of IPM in multifamily housing • They are not compatible with baits • Cockroaches develop resistance

36. Pesticide risk by application method Less risk of exposure More risk of exposure Tamper- resistant station Gel bait in a crevice Total release fogger

37. Control with a combination of methods: low toxicity products Use least-risk (in terms of toxicity and risk of exposure) EPA-registered products that will get the job done.

38. A review of IPM tools • Sanitation • Exclusion • Pesticides: Baits, Insecticidal dusts, IGRs commons.wikimedia.org

39. Fun facts about cockroaches Cockroaches can make group decisions. When 50 cockroaches are presented with 3 shelters that can only house 40, they’ll  split evenly into two groups and leave one shelter empty. Cockroaches experience performance anxiety. A study found that cockroaches running through a hard maze will have more difficulties if other roaches are watching them. Cockroaches flee and clean themselves when touched by a human.