Narrow Crawl Space Increases Capture Of Cockroaches (Blattodea) In Adhesive Traps

Cockroaches are a significant public health problem and are the most disliked urban pests. Cockroach control relies heavily on the use of chemical pesticides, which are equally disliked by the general public. Nontoxic, effective methods of eliminating cockroaches are in general demand. The double-surface habitat adhesive cockroach trap is a novel design that takes advantage of the cockroaches' predilection for narrow spaces as its major attractant. The trap also takes advantage of the broad, flat dorsal surface of the cockroach by utilizing adhesive on both the floor and the ceiling of the insects' crawl space. This trap was tested under laboratory conditions and found to be seven times more effective than popular Roach Motel k . The addition of pheromonal attractants might increase the effectiveness of the trap further.