 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pest Control - Cockroaches - Cockroach Baits |
| Cockroaches are obnoxious pests... |
|
Cockroaches carry diseases - salmonella - dysentery - gastroenteritis - stomach complaint organisms - cockroaches adulterate food - spread pathogenic organisms with their faeces and secretions.
Asthmatic reactions - cockroaches must moult several times as they grow from young nymph to adult - the discarded skin becomes airborne - can cause severe asthmatic reactions - particularly to children - the elderly - and people with bronchial ailments. Even the cleanest homes get'em - Cockroaches and their eggs are spread throughout the community in food and other packaging - although sanitation and hygiene are important deterrants, even the cleanest homes become infested with cockroaches due to minute deposits of grease, sugar and other food deposits in difficult to get at places - in drains - behind refrigerators - dishwashers - inside cracks and crevices in kitchen cupboards. Omnivorous - cockroaches will eat almost any organic matter no matter how rancid - onnce inside the home, they will seek out food scraps - unsealed food containers - sugar and grease deposits - pet food - rancid meat - glue and even book bindings. YUCK...they eat each others faeces to feed the young nymphs and extract all nourishment from an organic food source. If you see a clump of pepper-like specs in your kitchen, it is likely cockroach faeces used to mark their courtship territory. Nocturnal feeders: Cockroaches rest during daylight hours in dark warm secure harborages in your home, such as, in wall cavities, the subfloor, roof void, cracks and crevices in the kitchen and bathroom, electrical appliances and foodstuffs. They will emerge from these harborages in the still of the night. Cockroaches have an array of acute sensory and survival instincts. If you see cockroaches in your home during the day, you have a serious problem. Rapid breeding cycle: If left unchecked a cockroach infestation can rapidly expand it's numbers in a few weeks or months to become major risk to health and safety. |
||
| Professional pest control: cockroaches |
| Cockroach IGR baits - recommend use of latest technologies - developed in the USA - IGR cockroach baits - designed as a palatable food source for cockroaches - with a delayed lethal effect of a few days - enough time to be spread to the other cockroaches - the male cockroach is the primary food gatherer - the female eats his faeces as a food source - similarly the female feed her faeces to the young nympths - spreading the bait throughout the entire population - guaranteed effective results.
Safety first - the modern cockroaches baits are formulated as a gel of ultra low hazard to people, dogs, cats and other mammals - applied as small blobs in kitchen cupboards and cockroach habitat areas away from human contact - the gel-bait is highly attractive to cockroaches and provides effective control, usually for many months. The gel baits are highly effective against german cockroaches. Permethrin dust is applied inside wall cavities - roof voids - some subfloor areas. With specialist equipment we can put the insecticidal dust into such hard to get at areas where cockroaches congregate and breed. Considered essential for severe infestations. The Permethrin dust is modelled on the natural extract of pyrethrum plant and is less toxic than common salt to human and mammals. A liquid insecticidal spray is may be used in as interior skirting boards, sheds, garages, fencelines, garbage refuse areas, around top of drains and immediate external perimeter of buildings. |
||
| What the home owner can do |
|
Inspection: First,
inspect the entire kitchen area, under sinks, refrigerator, dishwasher, stove,
microwave oven, other cooking appliances, bathroom cabinets, draws, basement
and subfloor crawlspace (if any) for likely high activity and harborage areas.
Look for cockroaches, alive or dead, their faeces and egg sacs.
Identification: Place "sticky" glue traps in any likely high activity areas. At night sneak into the kitchen, turn on the lights and observe any cockroach activity. Observe where they scurry to. Place your sticky traps near these areas to collect and identify the species and the source of infestation. Food, shelter and water: We all need it, so do cockroaches. Make your home unfit for cockroaches, where possible, take away their food, water and restrict shelter and access points into the kitchen and they will almost certainly move somewhere else. Starve them out: Keep all food in sealed containers. Particularly at night, do not leave food scraps exposed in the kitchen or waste storage areas. Thoroughly clean all benches and food preperation areas, particularly between counters and appliances. Regularly vacuum accessible likely harbourage and high acivity areas, carpets, drapes, furniture, kitchen and bathroom cupboards in order to remove cockroach eggs and food deposits. Cockroaches need water: Cockroaches will thrive in damp subfloor crawl space areas, near leaking taps, etc. Ensure adequate drainage and ventilation. Regularly check and fix any plumbing problems, broken roof tiles, etc that may allow or cause moisture agress to potential cockroach harborage areas. Wipe kitchen sink of moisture before retiring or going out at night. Turn off leaking taps. Reduce shelter and access points: Seal all cracks and crevices in bathroom, pantry and kitchen cupboards. Store all cardboard boxes and the like above ground level. Cockroaches do not like drafty exposed areas, nor bright lights. A good reason why some restaurants keep lights on at night around their dumpster waste bins. |
||
| Cockroach species identification |
| Identifcation of the problem - several cockroach pest species occur in a variety of domestic and commercial premises - identification of each species and knowledge of each species habits are essential to best determine likely harborage areas and an effective pest control program. | ||
| German Cockroach - Blatella germanica |
World best traveller - the German cockroach is the most widely transported insect pest in the world. Infestations occur in Alaska and other cold climates in larger installations with central heating or around machinery that produces heat. In warmer climates - cockroaches are commonly found in homes - apartments - restaurants - food processing plants - supermarkets - warehouses. Free ride and board - German cockroaches eggs often arrive into a building with food containers - cartons - fridges - stoves - other appliances or materials brought into a building. Habitat - German cockroaches are unable to survive in locations away from humans or human activity. German cockroach infestations usually occur in bathrooms and kitchens. They like to hide-out during the day in tight secure places. Daytime harborage areas are usually near a food and moisture source, such as, inside wall cavities, behind baseboards, cracks and crevices in pantry, kitchen and bathroom cupboards, and under electrical, heating and cooking appliances. Rapid breeding cycle - the German cockroach is the most prolific breeder among all cockroaches. The female German cockroach lives up to 6 months. She carries an egg capsule containing 30 to 40 eggs. Development from egg to adult can occur in 45 days, during which they moult 6 times. Small problem grows big - the German cockroach is a prolific breeder - particularly in hot humid weather of 25C or warmer - the female German cockroach carrys an egg-sac of about 40 eggs - each can hatch, grow to adulthood and and be carrying an egg-sac within one month - obviously a small initial german cockroach infestation can become a major problem within a few months. |
|||
| American Cockroach - Periplaneta americana |
Habitat: Preferred daytime habitat locations include the subfloor, basement, in sewers and other warm, dark, moist locations. They avoid cold areas but will thrive outdoors in temperatures above 80F. Indoors they often congregate around hot water pipes, fridge motors, boilers and other heating appliances. The American cockroach will feed on a wide variety of plant and animal material. Rapid breeding cycle: The female life span up to 1.5 years; incubation period of eggs 6 to 8 weeks; in ideal conditions they quickly reach plague proportions. |
|||
| Oriental Cockroach - Blatta orientalis |
Habitat: Most often found in dark basements or cellars, but can also climb garbage shutes, sewer and water pipes to the upper floors in highrise buildings. Oriental cockroaches prefer to feed on starchy foods. Rapid breeding cycle: The female lives up to 2 years; deposits up to 18 egg-sacs in lifetime; each eggsac contains 16 eggs; incubation period is 1 to 2 months; development period is 12 months, undergoing 7 moults. An infestation will rapidly expand in ideal conditions, particularly during the warm summer months with temperatures regularly above 80F. |
|||
| Australian cockroach - Periplanta australasiae |
Habitat: Generally prevalent in areas where winters are relatively mild. However, in colder climates they are prevalent in greenhouses and near large heating appartus, air-conditioners or other equipment emitting heat constantly. They are opportunistic fliers and will infest anywhere adequate heat, humidity and food supply is available. Prime areas of interest are often pet food bowls and food waste storage areas. Rapid breeding cycle: The female lives up to 6 months; incubation period of eggs 40 days. An infestation can rapidly expand in ideal conditions, particularly during the warmer climates when temperatures are regularly above 80F. Chronic household infestations usually eminate from the roof void, attic or sub-floor areas of the building. |
|||
| The cost for Professional Pest Control for cockroaches |
|
| Consumer Protection Advice - Pesticide Safety Issues |
| Pesticide safety be wary of very cheap prices for cockroach control
- check which pesticides are to be used - do they propose to use the
far cheaper, less effective, solvent based pesticides which
can be acutely harmful in premises where occupants may suffer from
asthmatic or other bronchial ailments.
Be careful when selecting a pest controller it's far too easy to get a State Govt WorkCover issued Pest Control Licence and start up a pest control business - using trainees who have little knowledge of cockroach pest species or cockroach control pesticides .... more details |
||
| Links to websites on pest control for cockroaches |
|
Colorado State University - cockroach pest species - cockroach control methods - residual insecticidal sprays - dusts - cockroach baits - preventive measures and home maintenance tips.
Cornell University - excellent website - information on cockroach pest species - integrated pest management - cockroach control - references to leading textbooks and articles. New Mexico State University - information on cockroaches and pest control products. University of Alaska - there are cockroach problems in Alaska - University of Alaska entomology department discusses the cockroach pest species found in Alaska and the methods of control. University of California - comprehensive website - detailed analysis of cockroach pest species - cockroach pest control products - nonchemical housekeeping and maintenance recommendations. |
||
| For specific information ...click on your problem pest |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 
|
| Published by the Fumapest Group © Copyright 1995 to - updated |
