Sample IPM Program for a Cockroach Infestation in a Kitchen
- Use sticky traps to locate cockroach habitat and prioritize areas to be treated.
- Knock-down the cockroach population by vacuuming areas where traps indicate cockroaches are harboring; steam-clean infested kitchen equipment and appliances if possible.
- Initiate an education program for students, staff, custodians, and building maintenance personnel to gain cooperation for the next steps.
- Improve sanitation and waste management procedures to reduce cockroach food sources.
- Reduce cockroach access to water and habitat by repairing water leaks, caulking cracks, and scheduling other building repairs.
- If the previous activities have failed to reduce cockroach numbers sufficiently, apply insecticidal dusts, baits, or gels in cracks and crevices in hard-to-clean areas; blow boric acid or silica aerogel into wall or ceiling voids, underneath appliances, or in other inaccessible areas where roaches harbor.
- After the cockroach population has been reduced, apply an insect growth regulator to help prevent future cockroach problems.
- Monitor weekly and fine-tune management methods as needed until the problem has been solved. Continue monitoring monthly or quarterly to insure sanitation measures are maintained and to detect any incipient buildup of cockroach numbers.
