Pest Management Professional, May 2014

PMP COCKROACH CHAMPIONSHIP American cockroach aka Joe Lewis These public health pests are so die hard they seem to mock PMPs and their customers Dr Austin M Frishman Contributor I ts not that I dont understand or respect the mighty German cockroach Im well aware for example that when it comes to reproductive capacity and number of reported infestations the German cockroach handily beats the American but numbers alone do not make one the toughest to completely knock out We arent judging this face off by how many cockroaches of each species pest management professionals PMPs can kill This Cockroach Championship bout is about how many cockroaches of each species PMPs leave behind that can rebound And when it comes to measuring the degree of difficulty to achieve annihilation the American cockroach wins gloves down versus the German based on my 55 years of experience in every state in the U S as well as Bermuda the Caribbean Australia and more than 40 countries I recall many German cockroach fights that required countless man hours day and night Vacuuming drilling wall voids and dusting as well as using insect growth regulators baits and ultra low volume spraying Sometimes we had to throw every punch we had But in the end we always won eliminating every German cockroach The American cockroach however seems to mock PMPs and their customers with its undying persistence Sometimes 15 years after initiating a consistent effort to eliminate American cockroaches they remain hidden mercilessly taunting us FOLLOWING ARE 13 REASONS WHY THE AMERICAN COCKROACH IS KING OF THE RING Round 1 UNMATCHED REACH When PMPs see one or two American cockroaches in a bathroom or kitchen they must search 100 yards in all directions to find and eliminate the rest In most cases the American cockroach invades from the exterior versus the German which usually is carried indoors by human activity PMPs can establish an inspect and quarantine program to prevent many German cockroach infestations American cockroaches however spread out into sewers trees and mulch piles and move in and out at will Round 2 DIVIDE AND CONQUER American cockroaches deposit egg capsules in small hidden areas far from where PMPs are treating problem locations where adults and large nymphs live Whereas if you kill a German cockroach with an egg capsule youve killed the next generation Round 3 WEATHER WARRIOR Sub zero temperatures alone usually are a KO punch to German cockroaches but the stout Americans often survive Round 4 SAVVY SURVIVOR Typically with cockroaches the bigger their belly the longer they can survive without food and water PMPs can try to starve American cockroaches for longer than a month but still fail The German cockroaches on the other hand will die of starvation and dehydration within a week or two Round 5 ESCAPE ARTISTS If you heat or fumigate a large structure American cockroaches often will leave via sewer lines escaping to return again Round 6 DUCKING EXPERT The American cockroach is adept at avoiding treatment Millions of American cockroaches thrive in sewers Continued on page 24 22 May 2014 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net Photo courtesy of Paul J Bello