Tips & Tricks: Cockroach Treatment Options

Here are tips covering cockroach exclusion and sanitation, as well as treatment options to help manage and communicate with customers:

Sanitation/exclusion

• Caulk penetrations in walls (especially exterior) and around other entry points such as windows and doors.
• Reduce conducive conditions, such as rotting leaf piles, excessive mulch buildup, dishes in the sink, food left on countertops, etc.
• Limit moist areas in and around a structure.
• Encourage removing garbage frequently and regularly away from the structure.
• Keep clutter — inside and outside a structure — to a minimum.

Treatment options

• Residual sprays (nonrepellent and/or repellent products, depending on the application site) applied inside and around the perimeter of an infested structure.
• Flushing agents and physically removing large portions of a population with vacuums before placing residuals and baits.
• Baits, particularly gel or granular, can control cockroach populations extremely effectively.

Marie Knox, M.S., is PCO Technical Manager, Product Development, for Control Solutions Inc.