Cracking the Code: German Cockroach Control in Commercial Kitchens

Have a Good Gameplan in Place to Manage German Cockroaches

Step 1: Start With a Solid Inspection

Before jumping into treatment, take the time to see the full picture and assess the extent of the problem.

Use a flashlight to inspect the classic cockroach hangouts:

• Behind refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers
• Inside cabinets, mop closets, and under sinks
• Around trash bins, food prep stations, and cardboard boxes

Inspection Tips:

• Talk to kitchen staff and ask where they’ve seen activity
• Check for areas with moisture, grease buildup, and clutter
• Identify harborage sites and signs like fecal spots or dead roaches
• Note any maintenance issues or areas needing repair (leaks, structural gaps, poor sanitation)

Step 2: Confirm It’s the Right Pest

Yes, the German cockroach is the most common kitchen cockroach culprit. But confirmation ensures the correct treatment approach. It’s always recommended to make sure your ID is accurate before selecting products and making applications.

Step 3: Lay the Groundwork using Non-Chemical Control Methods & Tactics

Understanding the elements of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and incorporating non-chemical control methods into your service can go a long way in reducing the population, improving the outcome of your service, and supporting your chemical control measures.

• Vacuuming: This immediately helps to remove dead cockroaches, live roaches, egg cases, shed skins, and food debris. Use a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter to better collect and capture the cockroach allergens.
• Monitoring: Sticky traps and glue boards aren’t just for spotting pest activity. These devices provide great information and help you track progress and pinpoint hotspots.
• Customer Education: Walk the kitchen with your client. Discuss sanitation, food storage, and why addressing moisture issues and reducing clutter is key to long-term success.

Step 4: Choose the Right Tools for the Job

With a good inspection now complete and the groundwork laid, it’s time to consider our options for targeted treatments. Here’s we share some of CSI’s go-to cockroach control products*.

• FUSE® Cockroach Gel Bait: This is our new dual-action cockroach gel bait that contains fipronil and abamectin. It’s a ready-to-use bait that kills cockroaches through contact and ingestion and can even be applied during business hours.
• Apply gel bait into cracks, crevices, and under/around:
• Appliances and dishwashers
• Tables, seat legs, and cabinetry
• High-moisture areas like sinks and pipes
• Storage rooms and mop closets
• Pro Tip: Fuse Cockroach Gel Bait is labeled for wax paper applications. Easy to inspect, remove, and replace, applicators can make bait placements in folded wax paper triangles. This is a great option for use around the kitchen in areas where it may not be easy to reach with the syringe, like under appliances.
• Re-inspect often and refresh bait placements as needed.
• Doxem® Precise Dry Flowable Bait with the PDS (Precision Delivery System): Formulated with indoxacarb, this dry flowable bait is a resilient formulation that doesn’t harden or get crusty. Perfect for hard-to-reach areas, the PDS delivers the bait deep into voids, cracks, and crevices where cockroaches hide.
• Make crack-and-crevice applications around:
• Motor housings, compressors, and drain line areas of appliances
• Dining room areas, bar areas, bench-style seating, table legs
• Cabinets, cardboard storage and disposal areas, and grease pits
• Doxem® NXT Aerosol: This aerosol contains 4 trusted non-repellent active ingredients: indoxacarb, imidacloprid, novaluron, and pyriproxyfen. This is a great choice as a complimentary residual spray to use alongside FUSE® Cockroach Gel Bait and Doxem® Precise Dry Flowable Bait.
• Use as a crack-and-crevice treatment in areas where cockroaches often hide: under sinks, behind baseboards, around door frames, in wall voids, and in plumbing chases.
• Residual aerosols like Doxem® NXT can be applied into these harborage areas and reach cockroaches that baits may miss, like gravid females who forage less.