Using glue boards to trap cockroaches

Christy Jones, BCE

Glue boards are a fantastic tool in learning more about the cockroach infestation with which you are dealing. Not only can they tell you the level of infestation but, depending on the life stage you are collecting, they can give you major clues as to the direction of harborage sites, food sources and general pathway the cockroaches are taking.

Before you throw away that glue board, though, look at what you’ve collected:

• Are you collecting a fair number of gravid females and early-instar nymphs? That is an indication you are close to a harborage site, because these stages don’t normally travel far from the harborage area.
• Are you collecting mostly male cockroaches? You may be close to a food source and not near a harborage area, as males are more likely to travel farther away from the harborage site to locate food.
• In which direction are the cockroaches facing? This can give you an indication of the direction from which they are coming.

Using a glue board can be a valuable tool to not only determine the level of infestation your client has, but also to give you major clues as to where harborage and feeding sites are and where you need to focus your treatment.