Which one is it? Can’t I live with a few roaches? Specimens shown are adults, actual size Perhaps they don’t digust or embarrass you, but there are good reasons to exclude cockroaches from your home. A cockroach will travel through many types of Found a wastes then walk over, and defecate on, your kitchen Female on left (in counters, plates, silverware, and any accessible food. Most common both illustrations) roach in New York Cockroaches are known to carry disease-causing German Cockroach Brownbanded Cockroach Oriental Cockroach American Cockroach bacteria, although their ability to transmit diseases to cockroach? humans is under study. They’re still a significant health Blattella germanica Supella longipalpa Blatta orientalis Periplaneta americana concern because they trigger allergies that contribute a.k.a. “Croton bug” a.k.a. “Water bug” or “Black beetle” a.k.a. “Palmetto bug” or “Water bug” to asthma. Adult size 0.5 inch 0.5 inch 1 to 1.25 inch 1 to 1.75 inch Finding even one roach warrants alertness. All roach (Saw a GAZILLION?) problems start small, but roaches reproduce rapidly, Thorax Light brown. Two black stripes Light brown. Light colored bands Dark, reddish-brown to black. Brown. Light markings on pronotum so early intervention is highly recommended. Look (“Body”) on pronotum (back of head). on wings (both sexes). Bands more (back of head). Wings one color. inside for a common-sense approach to cockroach noticeable in nymphs than adults. management. Wings Cover tip of abdomen. Female’s wings do not quite cover Traces of wings on females; short wings Adults only. Female: equal in length the tip of her abdomen; male’s wings on males. to abdomen; Male: extend past tip of The New York State IPM Program do cover tip of his abdomen. abdomen. We encourage people to adopt a sustain- able approach to managing pests, using Egg Case Light brown. Female Light brown. Egg case glued to Nearly black. Egg case deposited Dark brown. Blends with IM Integrated Pest methods that minimize environmental, carries it until 1-2 days ceilings, picture frames, furniture, on debris or food in sheltered area. surroundings; hidden in Management before hatch. in closets or other dark places. cracks, soft wood, moist debris. health, and economic risks. For more information: NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, NYSAES, Geneva, NY14456; 1-800-635-8356;
For more information: Buoniello, R. 1999. Integrated Pest Management Around the Ogg, B., D. Ferraro, and C. Ogg. Cockroach Control Manual. • NYS IPM Program: www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ipmnet/ny Home and Garden. Cornell University Program on Breast University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural • NYS Dep’t. of Health, Center for Environmental Health: Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in New York State, Resources. To order, call (402) 441-7180 or check http:// To find local health dep’t. phone numbers, call (800) Ithaca, NY. To order, call (607) 254-2893 or check ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/pat/cocktoc.htm 458-1158 or check www.health.state.ny.us www.cfe. cornell.edu/ bcerf/FactSheet/Pesticide/fs31.ipm Olkowski, W., S. Daar, and H. Olkowski. 1991. Common-Sense • Cornell’s Pesticide Management Education Program: Klass, C. and K. Snover. 2000. Pest Management Around Pest Control. Taunton Press, Newtown, CT, 716 pp. http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu the Home: Cultural Methods. Miscellaneous Bulletin S74, Smith, E. and R. Whitman. 1992. NPCA Field Guide to • National Pesticide Telecommunications Network: Part I. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, NY. To order, Structural Pests. National Pest Control Assn. To order, call call (607) 255-2080. Call (800) 858-PEST [7378] or check http:// (703) 573-8330 or check www.pestworld.org/homeowners/ ace.orst.edu/info/nptn Lifton, B. 1991. Bug Busters: Poison-Free Pest Controls for Your spotlight/spotlight.html House & Garden. Avery Publishing Group, Inc., Garden • “Featured creatures” (University of Florida): City Park, NY 254 pp. Other resources: www.ifas.ufl.edu/~insect Mallis, A. 1996. The Handbook of Pest Control, 8th ed. Edgell • Find your local Cooperative Extension office: • Least toxic cockroach control methods in schools (U. http://hdl.handle.net/1813/43848 IM Communications, Duluth, MN. www.cce.cornell.edu Florida): www.ifas.ufl.edu/~schoolipm/tp3.htm Integrated Pest Management American cockroach—most likely found in drains or sewers; more common in commerical structures than homes Think you’re done? Check again: Why can’t I just spray? Is your home fit for a cockroach? Disposing of roaches Because roaches taste their food To quickly reduce cockroach Keep them starved and parched before eating it, they learn to avoid populations, vacuum them chemically treated surfaces. This habit OTHER ROOMS: Vacuum drapes and furniture, especially Reduce moisture with the hose attachment, ✔ Store food in tightly closed containers off the limits the long-term effectiveness of some under cushions and in crevices. Empty and clean book Repair leaks, insulate pipes, and preferably using a machine floor and away from walls, or keep it in the insecticides; also, roach eggs are not affected shelves, and shake out the books. Check closets, desks, caulk gaps around sinks, tubs, equipped with a HEPA filter. by pesticides. Aerosol sprays often make roaches refrigerator. Rotate stock, inspect. clocks, radios, stereos, computers, televisions—where- and pipes to prevent water from getting As soon as you’re done, remove scatter, so those that aren’t killed can German cockroach ever it’s warm and dark. return. Two black stripes behind walls. Repair worn grouting; moisture- the vacuum bag and quickly seal ✔ Scour the kitchen. Clean refrigerator; stove; on back of head proof walls behind dishwashers. Secure it inside another bag, then dispose • cabinets; drawers; counters; floors; walls; Integrated pest managment (IPM) focuses on solving countertops and the splashboard behind the of both bags. kitchen sink. corners; fixtures; and under the sink. Keep it your current problem and preventing future invasions. Insecticide baits (available in small Make your home unfit for roaches—fix the problem at • • Dots show placement clean! of 9 sticky traps (2 go Hang your dishrag and shower mat in the containers that look like hockey pucks, its source—or you’ll likely welcome roaches again. underneath appliances) open to dry. Keep the bathroom as dry or as gel) are highly effective and are ✔ Empty and secure trash, compost, and • • as possible. Wipe up spills and puddles. among the more environmentally recyclables every evening. To find the lair, think like a roach Don’t let water stand in houseplant sensitive controls. Be patient; it will Four species of cockroach are common pests in New York: •↵ dishes or in the pan under the refrigerator. take about two weeks to see results. These baits act as ✔ ↵ KITCHEN: You’re most likely to find a food source, so make sure no other food is available— Repair leaks. Seal gaps around pipes, tubs, the German cockroach, American cockroach, oriental • • German cockroaches here. Look only hungry roaches will be attracted to them. Some and sinks. Keep bathroom dry. Eliminate cockroach, and brownbanded cockroach. on the floor underneath and behind Destroy their refuges © Regents of the University of roaches will eat the bait directly, while others will be other “watering holes.” California. Used by permisson INSIDE: Eliminating clutter is a critical part of roach Cockroaches are nocturnal and live in groups. They seek sinks, stoves, and other appliances. management. A clean but cluttered home may still poisoned after feeding on those roaches or their feces. cracks and crevices that are warm, dark, and moist; they Peer at the back of, and along the ✔ harbor roaches if there’s ample shelter and access. Do Don’t use pesticides or cleaning compounds near the Wash and dry dishes promptly. Wipe up also live inside cardboard and paper bags. Roaches eat • interior frame of cabinets and not store paper bags, containers, cardboard, magazines, baits because they may repel the roaches. spills and puddles. anything that is organic—even cardboard and the glue drawers, looking into any spaces. newspaper, equipment, boxes, or clothes on the floor, that binds books together. They need water, although the Inspect corners, especially those under tables and chairs. Set the baits in the ”hot spots,” close to the roaches’ ✔ or wedge paper bags between appliances or inside Don’t leave pet’s food or water unattended. brownbanded can live for several weeks with minimal Examine the edges of drop ceilings, especially above shelter, or directly within their travel paths—not out in cabinets. quantities. Cockroaches prefer to remain near their food cooking and dish-washing areas. Check the back of the the open. Placement is crucial: for German and brown- sources and shelter. Take away both and the roaches will refrigerator and the door seals. If there are gaps in your kitchen cabinets or between banded cockroaches, position bait stations next to walls and flush in corners. For American and oriental cock- Eliminate their shelter almost certainly seek a more hospitable home. This inspection will reveal the “hot spots,” the places of pieces of wood shelving, clean, vacuum, and caulk them. Where possible, keep moveable storage shelves roaches, set bait stations in the basement near sewer or ✔ To begin a management program, try to find the source greatest cockroach activity. Focus on these areas. Remove clutter and debris (both inside and 12” off the floor and 8” away from walls for better floor drains or in damp crawl spaces. of the infestation and discover which roach is present. outside). inspection. Other IPM options include insecticide dusts, such as Use “sticky traps” to capture the roaches and the chart in Eliminate roach snacks ✔ this brochure to identify the species, or consult other Kitchens provide ideal habitats for German and brown- “Lock the doors” on cockroaches by sealing all the small • silica aerogel (a desiccant that damages the roach’s Secure loose wallpaper, counters, and knowledgeable sources. banded cockroaches. Concentrate on making your openings that are pathways into your home. If you live in waxy coating, causing it to shrivel and die); splashboard. kitchen uninviting to roaches. Practice strict sanitation. an apartment building, pay special attention to walls that Draw a simple diagram of each room, Tolerate no grease, crumbs, grunge, or clutter anywhere. adjoin other units. • a commerical product containing boric acid (a ✔ Check inside equipment (even motors— then begin your inspection. Use a desiccant and stomach poison); flashlight and dental mirror to peek Clean all surfaces, especially between counters and Repair cracks and crevices in basement walls and floors anywhere it’s warm and dark) such as clocks, behind or under cabinets. Search for appliances. Scrub underneath and behind refrigerators (clean, then seal with cement, caulk, grout, or latex • a pyrethrum product (a nerve toxin derived from televisions; stereos; radios; and computers. living or dead cockroaches, shed and stoves (floor and walls). Remember the paint). Steel wool may be inserted into cracks for a quick chrysanthemums). ✔ Vacuum furniture and drapes. exoskeletons (“skins”), egg cases, and feces. You can also corners, drawers, cabinets, and fixtures. fix. Cover drains in the basement and floors with window Follow the manufacturers’ directions carefully. find their hiding places by quietly entering a dark room screening. Tighten loose windows and weather-strip Store all food, including pet food, in ✔ and watching where they run when you turn on the lights. doors. Extreme temperatures will kill cockroaches. Although Seal gaps in cabinets and woodwork. tightly sealed containers. Don’t leave IPM you probably can’t alter your home’s environment to this ✔ Empty and clean bookshelves. Place the sticky traps near any evidence of roaches, near bowls of pet food on the floor overnight. approach to Seal gaps around water, gas, and heating pipes, both degree, winter cold can be used to disinfect household cracks in the basement, or as indicated in the kitchen inside and out. Use heat-tolerant caulk to seal gaps Food waste must also be carefully guarded. items such as furniture or paper goods. Place them out- diagram. Mark these spots on your drawing, write the date roach control— around heating and hot water pipes, and other caulks Keep your garbage, compost, and recycl- doors when it’s below 20ºF for a few days to freeze the on the traps, and check the traps weekly. Record the date, to seal gaps around cold water and gas pipes, heat ables in tightly sealed containers. Empty 1. Identify the species cockroaches. Prevent future invasions location, species, and number of roaches caught. Later on, registers, air ducts, electrical chases, and false and clean them daily, preferably in the you can set more traps to judge the success of your efforts. ceilings. You may prefer to hire a pest management professional, ✔ Close openings around pipes, vents, drains, evening, because cockroaches are most 2. Find their hiding places especially if faced with a severe infestation. This doesn’t registers, ducts, and electrical chases. active at night. Replace missing or damaged baseboards. mean you have to abandon IPM methods. Buoniello’s fact Check all the rooms 3. Eliminate their access to Repair damaged refrigerator door seals. (If OUTSIDE: Remove debris. Cut back ground sheet (see the back of this brochure) includes valuable ✔ Fix cracks in walls (inside and out) and BATHROOMS: Moisture is the lure here. Look behind the tub, food, water, and shelter the insulation’s infested, use a bait or call a cover near buildings. Move garbage cans information about choosing and working with a pest floors. shower, sinks, and toilet, and around pipes. management company. professional.) 4. Do repairs to prevent and firewood away from buildings. BASEMENT: American and oriental cockroaches frequent ✔ future invasions If you live in a multi-family dwelling, speak to the build- Tighten doors, windows, and screens. basements, coming in from sewers and landfills. Inspect Wipe up cockroach feces with a disposable cloth. Feces contain a pheromone that ing managers about the problem. If the response is ✔ inside floor drains. Check the foundation for cracks. 5. Choose effective, safe, unsatisfactory, contact your local health department. Inspect bags, boxes, furniture, and other attracts roaches; newly hatched roaches environmentally sensitive feed on the feces of older roaches. items before bringing them into your home. controls