Many can still remember the days when DDT and Chlordane first became available as chemical sprays and dusts for the elimination of cockroaches and many other insects. A few squirts under the sink and around the baseboards and all of the roaches were quickly eliminated. Those days are gone forever.
There are many good products that kill roaches available today but none work in the same manor as DDT and Chlordane did. However, if you understand how modern chemicals are designed to work you can still get good results.
Cockroaches are nocturnal which mean they are most active at night. They spend the rest of their time hiding in cracks and crevices within your home or apartment. Scientists have shown that this hiding time amounts to about 75% of their daily pattern. This leaves about 25% of their time spent looking for food, water, and a member of the opposite sex. Modern chemicals are designed with this in mind. If you are putting chemicals on the counter tops and baseboards then you are putting them in areas where roaches spend only 25% of their time. If you put that same chemical in places where roaches spend 75% of their time your results will be much greater.
Let's talk about these "hiding places". We do know that the majority of roaches hide in cracks and crevices in and around kitchens and bathrooms. Those seen in other parts of the house may simply be in their searching mode although roaches will certainly nest in closets and dressers, and just about everywhere you can think of. Some common "hiding places" are as follows:
1. Behind kitchen cabinets and counter tops.
2. Under and around the base of the refrigerator. Move and clean first.
3. Behind anything hanging on the wall. Pictures, clocks, posters, etc.
4. Behind, next to, and under the stove. Keep it clean all the time.
5. In the corners up under the sink and other cabinets.
6. In stored paper bags and boxes.
7. Around pipes, cords, and cables that come out of the wall.
8. Behind and under bathroom fixtures.
9. Behind the medicine cabinet and vanity.
10. In any cracks or crevices around shelves or wood trim.
Before treating any areas it is best to first take a flashlight and check these types of areas for nesting sites. You may want to use a aerosol to "flush" roaches out of these "hiding places". Once you have determined where the roaches are nesting, you will want to apply your chosen chemical there. Whether you are using a liquid spray, a powdered insecticide or a hand held aerosol, you must apply the material directly into these hiding places.
A word about "bombs". The "bombs" referred to in pest control are actually total release aerosol cans. They are very popular because they are perhaps the easiest way to kill exposed roaches without much effort. Unfortunately, "bombs" do not contact many roaches that are well hidden and they have no residual killing power. For those really tough roach problems, you will probably want to apply residual chemicals using the crack and crevice method we have been talking about.
Provided by American Pest Management
