Journal of Economic Entomology (2020) 113, 375-384

Dini M. Miller and Eric P. Smith (2020)
Quantifying the efficacy of an Assessment-Based Pest Management (APM) program for German cockroach (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae) control in low-income public housing units
Journal of Economic Entomology 113 (1), 375-384
Abstract: Over the last several decades, low-income public housing facilities have been known to be infested with particularly large German cockroach populations. These populations persist even though the housing pest control contracts often require, and pay for, IPM practices to be used in their facilities. When Virginia Tech researchers began reviewing public housing contracts in Virginia and North Carolina, it was easy to see why these 'IPM programs' were not successful. Many of these 'low-bidder' contracts do not allow the technician enough time in each apartment to assess the size of the pest population. In addition, these pest management contracts did not require German cockroach population monitoring, even though all IPM programs are based on assessments of the pest population. There was a clear need for an effective, easy to apply cockroach management program in U.S. public housing authorities. This study determined the long-term efficacy of an Assessment-based Pest Management (APM) program for German cockroach control in U.S. public housing facilities. Specifically, we evaluated an APM program where the residents were not asked to clean or prepare for treatment, and where overnight cockroach trap counts were used to determine the volume of gel bait that would be applied. The APM baiting program was conducted for 15 mo in three housing authorities. In all three housing authorities, cockroach populations in test units were typically reduced by >90%. German cockroach infestations were even eliminated from 49 of the 65 (75%) test units during this study.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Dini M. Miller

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Blattella germanica		U.S.A. (NE)
	Blattella germanica		U.S.A. (SE)