2 vacuuming tricks for cockroaches

Tommy Powell, Technical Field Specialist, MGK

A wise pest management professional once told me, “There is no such thing as resistance to a vacuum.” Vacuuming is the quickest way to knock down a cockroach population, and the task also helps baits and residual insecticides become more effective. Vacuuming also provides quick results, making customers happy and reducing callbacks.

Make sure you use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, so that the many allergens that cockroaches (especially German cockroaches) can produce are contained. Two vacuuming “hacks” that come to mind are:

1. Use a short extension cord. Household electrical outlets are rarely more than 15 feet away from one another, so using a long extension cord is more trouble than it’s worth.
2. Remove, return, repeat. In heavily infested harborage areas, remove the visible cockroaches; return the harborage area to its “original” condition, then repeat afterward.