Pest Prevalence and Evaluation of Community-Wide Integrated Pest Management for Reducing Cockroach Infestations and Indoor Insecticide Residues

Abstract

Pest infestations in residential buildings are common, but community-wide pest survey data are lacking. Frequent insecticide applications for controlling indoor pests leave insecticide residues and pose potential health risks to residents. In this study, a community-wide pest survey was carried out in a housing complex consisting of 258 units in 40 buildings in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was immediately followed by implementation of an integrated pest management (IPM) program in all the cockroach-infested apartments and two bed bug apartments with the goal of eliminating pest infestations, reducing pyrethroid residues, and increasing resident satisfaction with pest control services. The IPM-treated apartments were revisited and treated biweekly or monthly for 7 mo. Initial inspection found the top three pests and their infestation rates to be as follows: German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L. [Blattodea: Blattellidae]), 28%; rodents, 11%; and bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L. [Hemiptera: Cimicidae]), 8%. Floor wipe samples were collected in the kitchens and bedrooms of 20 apartments for pyrethroid residue analysis before the IPM implementation; 17 of the 20 apartments were resampled again at 7 mo. The IPM program reduced cockroach counts per apartment by 88% at 7 wk after initial treatment. At 7 mo, 85% of the cockroach infestations found in the initial survey were eliminated. The average number of pyrethroids detected decreased significantly from 6 ± 1 (mean ± SEM) and 5 ± 1 to 2 ± 1 and 3 ± 1 in the kitchens and bedrooms, respectively. The average concentrations of targeted pyrethroids residue also decreased significantly in the kitchens and bedrooms.

Changes in Indoor Insecticide Residue Levels after Adopting an Integrated Pest Management Program to Control German Cockroach Infestations in an Apartment Building

“…The locations were marked by taking a photo with a 1 × 1 ft wooden frame outlining the sampling spot so that future samples could be taken from the exact same locations. The sampling procedure was same as described in Zha et al (2018) [32]. A previous study shows that insecticide residue loading from floor wipe samples varies greatly in different areas of a room [33].…”

“…Zha et al (2018) found that after implementing a cockroach IPM program in a low-income community, insecticide residue in the kitchen floor wipe samples decreased by 90% after 7 months [32]. However, the long-term impact of IPM programs on indoor insecticide residue is unclear.…”

Rapid evolutionary responses to insecticide resistance management interventions by the German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.)

“…In this study, based on pre-treatment RA 38 we chose abamectin, boric acid and thiamethoxam (mixed with λ-cyhalothrin) out of 14 registered and commercially available AIs for cockroach control. However, “over-the-counter” pyrethroid sprays and total release foggers are commonly used by residents against pests, especially cockroaches 53,54 . Our pre-treatment RA showed more than 80% survivorship when cockroaches were exposed to pyrethroid DCs (λ-cyhalothrin, β-cyfluthrin and bifenthrin) 38 , which is consistent with long-standing knowledge of kdr -type nerve insensitivity to pyrethroids known in B. germanica 34,41,42 .…”

“…Rotations thus are essential for minimizing selection pressure in the long-term. In addition, non-chemical IPM approaches that reduce reliance on insecticides would unquestionably provide added benefits 53,57 .…”

Insecticide-impregnated net originally invented to control malaria vectors can be used to control other arthropod pests

“…The concept of IPM was accepted in the fields of medicine and economic entomology (Shiff, 2002). IPM was later applied to the field of vector control (WHO, 2004;Ehler, 2006;Zha et al, 2018) and to the control of other arthropod pests, including nuisances (Mosqueira et al, 2010;Durel et al, 2015). As insecticide replacements, harmless or negligibly weakly harmful substances that act on the pests were proposed.…”