From the beginning, cockroaches have been one of the most encountered and challenging to control pests. Today, they continue to generate both revenue and headaches for PMPs. We know cockroach exposure is a leading cause of allergies and asthma in children. This ultimately leads to hospital visits for the kids and missed work for their parents. A recent study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology1 showed that managing cockroaches in homes leads to better health outcomes for children. A single type of treatment done consistently was shown to improve the health of children suffering from asthma.
To control cockroaches, there really is no replacement for physical removal of the cockroaches infesting a structure. A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can remove hundreds if not thousands of insects in a matter of minutes. Once these cockroaches are removed from the environment, there is no need to manage them anymore...they are gone. I’ve yet to encounter a cockroach that was resistant to being removed via vacuuming. The PMP and the tools (s)he chooses to use after vacuuming have a better opportunity to succeed if the population of cockroaches is smaller from the start.
Insect growth regulators (IGRs) are an often-overlooked solution to nagging cockroach problems. The addition of these tools to accounts with constant cockroach problems can be the difference between “OK” control and elimination of a population. IGRs such as Tekko® Pro affect the next generation of insects and stop adults from reproducing. If you can stop development and reproduction, you can stop an infestation in its tracks.
Baits have been the industry standard for managing cockroaches for decades. The reason is simple: baits are easy to use, effective and start working immediately to kill cockroaches. Even if sanitation is less than ideal, baits, deployed correctly, can be effective. Recently, CSI introduced a new way to bait. Doxem® Precise, a brand new dry flowable bait formulation, is specifically designed to be attractive to all species of cockroaches and other listed pests including silverfish, many ant species, crickets, pillbugs, stored product pests and earwigs. To apply Doxem Precise, CSI introduced the Precision Delivery System (PDS). The PDS is an application device that helps PMPs deliver precise doses of bait deep into cockroach harborages. The precise applications of Doxem Precise allow the PMP to utilize the product efficiently and waste less bait. The PDS allows PMPs to place Doxem Precise directly where cockroaches are living and breeding, up to 24 inches into voids. Gel baits are limited because they cannot be applied deep into areas where pests hide or harborage. Doxem Precise, once applied into harborages, can provide cockroach control for over 6 months. No other product can provide control this long! If there is still Doxem Precise bait present, the application is still working and managing cockroach populations for well over 6 months. Although most gels state that they are effective for 2-3 weeks, most get dry or lose their appeal after only a few days. If placed where there is a vent or high dust, gel can lose its appeal even faster. The combination of these two revolutionary products, PDS and Doxem Precise, allows PMPs to have a more professional appearance and provide improved control of cockroaches.
