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1 December 2016 Integrated Pest Management of the German Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae) in Manufactured Homes in Rural North Carolina
Beatrice N. Dingha, Jeremy O'Neal, Arthur G. Appel, Louis E. N. Jackai
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Abstract

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae), is a serious pest in residential housing with control administered mainly through application of pesticides. Integrated pest management (IPM) involves a combination of strategies aimed at reducing pest populations. Over a 27 mo study period, we determined levels of German cockroach populations in rural manufactured residential homes: before IPM implementation (Pre-IPM), the period when residents were educated on IPM strategies (IPM-education), and during education and insecticide application (IPM-education plus bait). Sanitation level in the IPM-education phase (2.8) was significantly different from that in the Pre-IPM phase (3.9) and was accompanied by a decrease in trap catch. Sticky and jar traps were deployed in kitchen areas to assess levels of infestation. Trap catch from all participants during the 3 phases was significantly different. Mean cockroach catch per participant per trap was 20.5 ± 4.1 during Pre-IPM, 13.2 ± 2.2 during IPM-education, and 3.9 ± 0.7 during IPM-education plus bait treatment. During the last 3 mo of the study, the population level declined by 86% when compared with that during the Pre-IPM phase. Victor Roach®pheromone sticky traps captured more cockroaches (19.2 ± 1.9) than jar traps (7.2 ± 1.1), accounting for 73% of cockroaches captured. Traps caught more nymphs than adult cockroaches. Trap catch was unevenly distributed, with the highest (34%) catch occurring around refrigerators. We conclude that the inclusion of education of residents in German cockroach IPM programs will make implementation and sustainability of cockroach control more efficient.

Beatrice N. Dingha, Jeremy O'Neal, Arthur G. Appel, and Louis E. N. Jackai "Integrated Pest Management of the German Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae) in Manufactured Homes in Rural North Carolina," Florida Entomologist 99(4), 587-592, (1 December 2016). https://doi.org/10.1653/024.099.0401
Published: 1 December 2016
KEYWORDS
Blatella germanica
Blattella germanica
cockroach infestation
infestación de cucarachas
IPM
MIP
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