Roach Control Simplified
Effective roach control depends on a a number of techniques and products. Prevention and sanitation are the foundation of the effort as its way more effective to prevent roaches than to eliminate them once they have become established. Then we will talk about baits, dusts and sprays. You might think about calling an expert to perform the dirty work. They have the gear and training to do a thorough job and have access to products not available to homeowners.
Roach management begins with prevention and sanitation. Prevention just means barring roaches from your home. Keeping screens repaired and the doors and windows shut will help, but most of the time roaches catch a ride into the home in bags or boxes. So check everything and anything before it comes in your house. Any sign of roaches or roach eggs, or brown liquid stains is a red flag.
After that comes sanitation. Thoroughly vacuum everything. cleaning everything with hot soapy water will destroy the pheromone (scent) that attracts more roaches. Then get rid of the roach necessities, that is, food water and shelter. If you can do this step properly, roaches will have trouble getting established. After all would you be able to survive where there was no food, water or shelter?
Although chemicals are used for roach control, the tactics have changed greatly over the last few decades. Baseboard sprays, once widely used, have been found to be ineffective. The methods of choice today are baits and dusts. Sprays are customarily reserved to find and clean out nests or high populations. The fact is that chemical products alone are not the most effective way to control roaches. Used correctly and combined with prevention and sanitation techniques however, they can be an important supplement to the arsenal.
Baits are valuable and highly suggested. They function well and limit pesticide exposure. Baits usually come in plastic containers, or big syringes for gel applications. Put bait stations in corners wherever roaches have been seen. Squirt small amounts of gel into cracks and crevices near roach sightings. Also place gel around windows, doors, and any other suspected cockroach hiding spot, but not food handling areas.
Insect growth regulators (IGR) are another useful roach control tool. Even though they take longer to work (4 to 6 weeks), the control lasts much longer that other chemicals since the cockroaches can no longer breed. Watch for adults with twisted wings since that is a sure sign the treatment is working.
Another useful group of tools are dusts. Dusts work slowly but work for a long time. The most common dust labeled for roach control is boric acid dust. Do not confuse the boric acid available in drug stores with the roach control chemicals. They are not the same. Boric acid dust is best used indoors in clean, dry locations. Use dusts in concealed areas like beneath appliances and in cracks and crevices. Be cautious not to go overboard with dusts. A very light dusting is plenty. This is one product where less really works better.
Here is roach control in a nutshell. Vacuum thoroughly and wipe everything down with hot soapy water. Locate baits where roaches have been seen. Use either gel or container type of baits. Use dusts in concealed areas. Check monthly, exchange when gone or empty. Do not use liquid sprays except to clean out or knock down nests. Read all directions and above all be safe.
Florida Bug Inspectors is an Tampa expert in roach control. They have been solving pest control problems in Tampa for more than 25 years. Call the best – call Florida Bug Inspectors.
Tags: bugs, home and garden, Home Improvement, insects, pest control, pests, roaches
Home Improvement | Russ Frank | 
February 7, 2010 9:14 am
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