Evaluating A New Concept In Cockroach Baiting

Abstract:
Gel bait treatments are widely used for cockroach control, in part because they are considered to be safer and more effective than other methods. However, commercially available baits are considered to have a limited range over which they can attract and, as a result, fail to lure cockroaches out of deep refuges. In addition, some strains have shown resistance to this treatment through developed bait aversion behaviour. German cockroaches are gregarious, often spending up to 75% of their lifetime at rest deep in harbourages, limiting the effect of gel treatments. The hard exoskeletons of cockroaches contain chitin and chitosan which can display paramagnetic properties, attracting ferromagnetic objects. This means that a magnetically charged powder carrying an insecticide active ingredient can be attracted to the exoskeleton and will adhere to it, overcoming disadvantages of gel baits. The active constituent can then also enter the cockroach body through the soft membranes in the exoskeleton, as well as by ingestion. A series of detailed laboratory trials were performed to confirm efficacy and produce a new concept in cockroach baits. This product is a dry flowable powder which also includes food attractants and the active constituent, fipronil. Averaged across gender and days after treatment, this new concept provided improved levels of control, and speed of control, when compared to three reference cockroach gel baits, including use of the same active.