Pest Control Cockroaches

Pest control for cockroaches is a common pest control treatment for both homeowners and businesses alike. Whereas it’s pretty straight forward to kill a single cockroach, eliminating a cockroach infestation is a lot more involved and generally involves a combination of products and may require more than one visit. Indeed, for commercial account, especially food management facilities regular services are often required to keep cockroaches under control.

In dealing with cockroaches, the species present impacts the treatments – the large cockroaches (American cockroach and Australian cockroach) are relatively straight forward, but the German cockroach tends to be a lot more involved due to its small size and potential resistance to insecticide. So it’s important to identify the cockroach species correctly.

Cockroach management

In dealing with cockroaches, it is important to take a holistic view of the property to understand how they are getting in, where they are hiding and what food sources are available. This is especially the case when trying to provide a cockroach treatment for a block of units.

Cockroach treatments

Cockroach treatments typically involve a combination of cockroach spray and bait, especially for German cockroaches. With regard to cockroach sprays, it is often a question as to whether you should use repellent or non-repellent sprays. Both work but the choice comes down the situation and the overall treatment plan.

However, cockroach baits are still a key cockroach control product and we have a whole series of articles on Cockroach baits.

Insecticide resistance

In commercial accounts and blocks of units where there have been regular cockroach spray treatments over many years, insecticide resistant populations have developed. This is why it is important to rotate through insecticides with different modes of action in regularly serviced accounts.

Use of Insect Growth Regulators

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) are sometimes used in a combination spray with insecticides. IGRs are very long lasting and are effective at extremely low concentrations. Although they don’t kill cockroaches, they break the breeding cycle preventing population build up.

There are also a range of articles on various aspects of cockroach research.

More information on cockroaches.