This is a great question, because many think this is an unconquerable opponent but not true, the first thing you must do is understand what you are trying to eliminate, you must put stress on factors its food supply its shelter. Sanitation is the cornerstone of pest control, you must remove pest harbor areas like paper bags from side of frig, move as much food supply as possible, you cant remove all their food as the can live off the animal fat in bar soap or glue from back of wall, and shelf paper, but you can remove fermenting foods
Roaches there are about 4000 different type of roaches and they all get treated differently. I will discuss the three major home invaders the German Roach, which begin investing kitchens and bathroom, but can live throughout the house, adults are about 5/8 of an inch they start near moisture and infest away from water (the adults are brownish - tan with two black racing stripes on its head, the nymphs are black & brown, you must understand this insect only lives about 6 months however it reaches sexual maturity in about 20 days each egg capsule the female carries with her and drops near food supply right before it hatches to insure survival contains between 30-50 nymphs, so do the math in 6 months you have a good infestation you can locate the nesting areas usually where wood meets wood like up under the sink in corners, as well as the pantry cabinets, in the electrical housing under the frig in compressor area, behind the back side of mounted cabinets you can see clearly where they rest because of the pepper like appearance of their droppings USE FLASHLIGHT!!!) Only experience in hunting these little guys will give one the knowledge needed to know ALL the hiding places. It takes about 60 mins to treat completely the average size kitchen, so if you have a spray jockey just spray the baseboards you are wasting your money as he is missing the targets.
By using integrated pest management techniques with include (IGR) insect growth regulators (this sterilizes the breeding) and by the numbers detailed above this is key to ELIMINATION of this insect, insecticides, both spray,aresols and dusts, as well as glue boards to actually catch them to see if they are still inhabiting. After a through knock down with these products baits should be applied near the pepper marks (droppings) because these droppings tell future German roaches this was once a safe place as they will return to same places should infestation reoccur. Aerosol bombs with IGR's are very helpful due to the residual action of the IGR as well as the contact killing power of aerosol.
The Oriental Roach some call this insect a water bug the adults are black about 1 inch long and they can be found in basement drains wall voids where waters pipes are (this is where the name water bug comes from) actually there really is a Waterbug it is aquatic and it lives at the bottom of the ocean so I doubt that a real "Waterbug" could be found in a home!!! Granular baits work well as well as dust insecticides these can be found investing gardens in the spring time also. they are basically a seasonal insect that lives about 8-10 months when they reach sexual maturity they drop egg capsules which hatch NEXT YEAR so it does take about 2-3 seasons to get great control. A parameter spray 3 feet up the foundation and 7 feet out around the entire house will prove very effective as in many cases they live outside and enter homes. Again the IGR is very effective in elimination.
Next is the Pa wood Roach it looks just like the German Roach but lacks the racing stripes on its head. There is no inside control for this insect as its food source is decayed trees and they can be found under bark. What happens is during mating season the males are attracted to lights as that is where the females can be found (and you know what they are seeking to do?? dont you?) Heres a good one for every one female there are about 1000 males in population so it appears all the females get lucky!!! The pa wood roach cant survive long indoors and the best control is turning off outside lights during mating season which varies depending on your location.
Since the introduction of IGR's and superb baits elimination is achieved much easier as before their introduction each nest had to be found and treated which even for the most talented pest control operator could be a challenge. When dried the IGR is lighter than air by weight which means that drafts will move the product through out the home there is no risk of contamination after it dries because its actions do NOT effect mammals only the reproduction system of insects. Keep in mind that professional residual insecticides do not kill a roach right away the must rest on it for 45- 60 mins before a lethal dose is absorbed. Unlike a can of Raid but even though Raid contains an insecticide it is very weak in killing power what drops in dead in their tracks is the petroleum distillates that propel the insecticide out of the can its the inert ingredient that kills the bug, You really dont want this sprayed where you prepare you meals!!!!!
It is not a wize choice to use products like Boric Acid in kitchen as it is a stomach poison and needs to be professionally applied lighlty it doesnt hold up to moist conditions and roaches avoid dusty areas. THERE ARE no EFFECTIVE ELECTONIC DEVICES THAT DRIVE ROACHES AWAY there are no solar products to dry them up if these things worked pest control would not be a multi billion dollar industry!!! Is this enough to help the average home owner rid themselves of these pest most likely not but it will arm you with the knowledge to know whether you have a skilled technician doing your control work? I have been out of this line of work for ten years but I dont think much has been introduced since my departure and if anyone has any insect related question and would like an expert opinion feel free to call on the Bugmann the real Bugmann
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