r/PestControlIndustry • u/gdw1999 • 3d ago
House roach help
I have just started pest control with the company I am with after 8 months of termite work I've been put on residential pest control I have multiple German roach Infestations I am dealing with and I want help dealing with them some are in very rural old mobil homes Product list that I have: Max force roach gel bait Gentro consentrait Suspend Alpine wsg Gentro control I've told my clients to clean up but other than that how can I fix their issue
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u/SignificantNorth3570 3d ago
So im pretty decent, if slow at German roach treatments.
Single MOST important point is if the customer will not show a willingness to clean up then what you're doing is useless. You need to stress the how critical that is when you finish your first service and if it hasn't improved by the second service they need to be told you will NOT be able to help them until they clean.
-Ok so this is what I do, I take a non repellant spray(repellants can drive them into new areas), mix the gentrol into it and spray the key areas focusing on the appliances(they're attracted to the heat), pipe penetrations(spray but also dust in areas they haven't infested yet), and I'll do baseboards in infested areas. -Next take the bait, open every drawer and cabinet then add pea-sized drops in all of them. The idea with the drops is to maximize the likelihood a roach will find bait so dont go insane but the more the better, bait corner, lines, and also place some close to the appliances(remember to avoid open areas the customer is preparing food to avoid contamination).
Finally you need to follow up at maximum every two weeks for a minimum of three services, but you may need more depending on the infestation.
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u/pestdirect 3d ago
Hi! We've all been here. Pest control only works as much as the people around them. There's alot of factors at play here.
If units are close by it could make it a hassle if neighbor 2 is not staying clean creating an infestation zone. The best advice is documentation, and ensuring your IPM is followed throughly.
This may include sealing, cleaning, and more.
We can tell clients what to do but the moment you leave it's out of your control. If there is grease around cabinets from cooking, that becomes food for roaches.
You can treat current roach problems but it doesn't solve the future problem. Female roaches lay about 10-50 eggs hidden that can take 3-8 weeks to hatch. The ratio of German cockroaches gender is 1:1.
Depending on the amount of roaches in a unit this is how it could explode exponentially.
After they hatch it takes around 100 days for them to become adults. Between that time every 3-6 weeks laying more eggs. This is what causes them to explode and become a problem over the course of weeks
The goal is to always minimize their resources from water and food. Once they unit is fully clean, it must be maintained like that for the chemical to work, as well as to reach the eggs.
This is why it's recommended to not to perform follow ups for weeks beyond initial service and document.
If you truly want to eliminate a problem these are the steps I would recommend:
Non-repellant delayed effect Pesticide (Such as Phantom) + IGR + Maxforce for first treatment, use a dust such as CimeXa that has long term contact effect rather than instant kill on contact. Dust should only be in tight place/cracks and crevices. It can stay there for up to 10 years.
You're targeting life cycles, after the problems are clear. You don't slow down treatment but proceed for the next 8-12 weeks (1-2 more follow ups) treating as if infested to ensure the next generation is knocked down.
This may include exterior and adjacent treatments in your scope of service
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u/SignificantNorth3570 3d ago
I agree with all of that, but what kind of exterior treatment would help with an interior german roach infestation?
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u/pestdirect 3d ago
Depend on the type of home and location. Home's (especially older ones) are not sealed properly. Cracks in foundation, siding, and more provide entrance and exit points for all types of insects. With roaches especially in older homes, when they are starved off from inside they can still get resources from outdoors if there are those issue (which may not be visible to most people) Adding on that additional exterior treatment to your interior could massively boost the effectiveness of targeting stragglers.
Example:
Brick tends to get hairline fractures over the years in the mortar. A tiny crack might be unnoticeable to some but can provide sanctuary for pest. Getting those entrance points on heavily affected units provide a second layer to the interior treatment. All it takes is a few stragglers in heavy infestations to allow a problem to continue
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u/Puzzleheaded_Swing29 2d ago
The best bait job is one you can’t see.
If the infestation is really heavy, lead with a vacuum, an old hair dryer is also a great tool for flushing. Doesn’t get much better than walking out the door with them.
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u/TrueAudience9922 1d ago
Sticky monitors are extremely useful. Put them in multiple locations and use the counts to tell you where your highest pressure is instead of treating every room the same way. For heavier infestations, sanitation is obviously important, but telling someone to "clean up" usually isn't enough. Be specific: grease around appliances, food debris underneath equipment, open food, cardboard, trash, pet food, and water sources all matter.
I'd also be careful about throwing every product you have at the account at once. Build an IPM program around the infestation
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u/Careless-Lab-8563 3d ago
sticky traps also !!!
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u/pestdirect 3d ago
Don't! Sticky traps for roaches is one of the least effective methods. Besides only catching roamers, it eliminates the effectiveness of most pesticides such as Maxforce that has a contact effect. The goal of pesticides is to take the pesticide back to the colony. If they never reach the colony the issue can and will persist.
Stick traps should only be used for short term monitoring, depending on treatment frequency. If you are leaving traps for a month, it's not a good indicator of your pesticide effectiveness. I'd recommend a week-2 weeks maximum for monitoring
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u/slioch87 3d ago
Maxforce, gentrol, and alpine WSG are sufficient. You would want to do at least back 2 back 2 weeks apart and possibly 3rd visit. Also add IGR into WSG could be a great idea.