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From the Magazine Tips and Tricks

Understand the biology of German cockroaches to achieve effective control

When trying to control a population of German cockroaches, it is important to recognize that most of the population is likely comprised of nymphs.

Tommy Powell
Tommy Powell

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Tommy Powell
Tommy Powell

MGK

Understanding the biology of any pest is the key to effective control. That is especially true when dealing with German cockroaches. When trying to control a population of German cockroaches, it is important to recognize that most of the population is likely comprised of nymphs. You can control adults, especially males, easily. Nymphs are much harder to control because they don’t forage far from their harborage area.

My general rule when using any bait product or liquid application is to apply that product within three feet of all harborage areas in the account. This means you’ll need to conduct a thorough inspection and identify as many harborage areas as you can. Usually, that means getting down on your hands and knees to get under objects in the account. I also recommend a good pair of kneepads.

I have a saying: “If you didn’t get dirty during your inspection, you probably didn’t do it right.”