American Cockroach

Biology:

During her lifetime, the female American cockroach produces from 9 to 10 egg capsules, each of which contains from 14 to 16 eggs. The capsules are dropped or, using secretions from her mouth, glued in protected locations such as cracks and crevices near food sources. The nymphs molt from 10 to 13 times before becoming adults. This requires about 600 days. Adult females live an average of 440 days and males about 200 days. Large populations of American cockroaches accumulate in secluded locations because they have a long lifespan.

Habitat and Economic Importance:

American cockroaches are common pests in most homes. They can be abundant in sewers and commercial facilities, including grocery stores, prisons, restaurants, hospitals, office and apartment buildings. They prefer to inhabit warm, damp locations, like steam tunnels and boiler rooms. They fly and easily migrate from building to building. In the summer, large numbers accumulate in outdoor locations, in dumps, alleys, and migrate into surrounding structures. Mass Migration is one of the characteristic features of American Cockroach which results in sudden up swing of infestation.

Common Site of Occurrence:

These insects are water loving insects and are found in near vicinity of water like bathrooms, sewage lines, sewage manholes, kitchen sinks, storage areas, packing material storages, garbage dumps etc places in households, offices, eateries, retails, warehouses, stores, etc commercial establishments.

Management:

Cockroaches often are brought into the facilities via equipment and storage boxes. Thus, potentially infested products that are bought into structures should be closely inspected. Cockroach monitoring traps are available to help pinpoint sources of cockroach infestation and to monitor areas, but infestations cannot be visually detected. Good flushing agent treatments like propoxur can be used for spray treatment to flush cockroaches from their harbourages. An effective cockroach management program depends on good sanitation in order to eliminate the food, water and harbourage they need for survival. It is critical to reduce clutter as large cockroaches hide in stacked boxes, cartoons, rolled carpeting and stored paper and cardboard materials, especially in the dark, damp locations. Vacuum cleaning can be used to physically remove exposed cockroaches& their egg case.

American cockroaches are particularly sensitive to drying, so it is important to reduce moisture by repairing leaks, improving drainage, and installing screened vents in order to increase airflow. The most important cracks at which sinks and fixtures are mounted to the wall and/or floor, around all types of plumbing, baseboard moulding; cabinet meet walls and door frames, cracks on or near food preparation surfaces. Cockroach access routes from wall voids into occupied spaces and around plumbing and electrical fixtures should be sealed with caulk or grout. Basement floor drains should be protected with screens or basket inserts which must be cleaned regularly. Containerized, paste, dry and Gel baits have become very popular in the industry and are very effective products for eliminating cockroaches. Large, plastic

bait containers should be placed as close as possible to the dark concealed spots where cockroaches are living, preferably adjacent to edges and corners.

A large population of cockroaches can be reduced or eliminated with careful application of sprays and dusts, followed by application of paste, gel and dry baits. Many insecticides break down rapidly within moist, hot locations which these cockroaches prefer, so an appropriate formulation for the environmental conditions must be selected.