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Oriental cockroaches prefer dark, moist areas such as under porches, crawl spaces, basements, and floor drains. They can also be referred to as the waterbug, black beetle, or shad roach. It is found throughout the United States. |
The Oriental cockroach feed on all kinds of filth, rubbish and other decaying organic matter. They seem especially fond of garbage and the contents of discarded tin cans. If water is available, they can survive up to one month without food. In many areas, Oriental cockroaches can be found outdoors in warm weather. They can move indoors during times of drought. They also move indoors when cold weather approaches. |
The key to Oriental cockroach management has to do with exclusion techniques, sanitation, and pesticide application. |
| The first area of concern has to do with EXCLUSION. Oriental cockroaches need large amounts of moisture. Therefore, an appropriate moisture control program should be instituted. See MOISTURE CONTROL Also, appropriate landscape maintenance program to prevent excessive growth next to the structure should also help in preventing Oriental cockroaches from entering. Caulking and sealing various openings should also reduce the risk of infestation. In weep holes in exterior brick facade, insert small square of window screening into the holes with a putty knife or screwdriver. |
| Since Oriental cockroaches tend to like garbage and other decaying organic material, SANITATION is an important part of management of Oriental cockroaches. Sanitation in this context refers to properly disposing of the garbage, not leaving spilled garbage around, and not leaving dirty dishes or stored dirty can around. This is especially important in the basement and crawl space areas of the building (or any location where the moisture level is high). |
| Finally, the use of PESTICIDES for the treatment of cockroaches may be needed. The first step in determining if and how much pesticide treatment is needed is to determine the level of infestation. An inspection, using a flashlight, should be performed. For small infestations and for prevention, the liberal use of cockroach bait, placed in the above types of areas, along with exclusion procedures, should solve or prevent any Oriental cockroach problems. Also, the spraying of the exterior of the building near the foundation with an appropriately labeled liquid pesticide, should help to prevent the Oriental cockroach from entering the building. When infestations are found in the landscaping, spraying these areas with the appropriate pesticide should help reduce the pressure of these insect from coming in. Be careful, however, not to spray firewood. For mild infestations, aerosol treatments in cracks and crevices, along with immediate cleaning and the use of baits, should suffice. However, heavy infestations, and to some degree mild infestations, should be handled by a pest management professional. |
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Also see the following links:
PESTICIDES
CHOOSING A PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL