German cockroaches are our most prolific cockroach species producing 3-6 generations per year. Besides its importance as a sign of poor sanitation used by health departments, the German cockroach has been implicated in the transmission of several pathogenic organisms and as a cause of allergic reactions for children and adults. Prompt attention to sanitation and control are necessary to prevent this pest from becoming abundant at school facilities. 
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Identification
Adults are 1/2 to 5/8 inches long, light brown to tan, with two dark stripes on the shield (pronotum) behind the head. Females are often seen carrying a yellowish-brown egg capsule (ootheca) protruding from the end of the abdomen. Nymphs are generally darker with two prominent dark stripes surrounding a lighter tan spot or stripe on body midsection (thorax).
General Information
German cockroaches are our most prolific cockroach species producing 3-6 generations per year. Besides its importance as a sign of poor sanitation used by health departments, the German cockroach has been implicated in the transmission of several pathogenic organisms and as a cause of allergic reactions for children and adults. Prompt attention to sanitation and control are necessary to prevent this pest from becoming abundant at school facilities. German cockroaches do not enter structures from outdoors, they are spread entirely by humans and live only indoors. German cockroaches spend most of their lives in cracks and protected void areas near sources of food and water. For more information see the University of Nebraska Cockroach Control Manual
Tips to Successful Monitoring
- Monitoring stations or units s should always be dated to monitor activity over time.
- Be sure to place enough monitoring units to accurately monitor an area. Monitors provide valuable information about pest activity, so be sure to use a sufficient number of them. Food service areas should have more monitors than nonfood areas.
- If a trap is consistently empty, the trap may be relocated to another site.
- Create a map of the area that includes the location of the traps. You may also leave space on your map to write numbers of insect per trap for each inspection. It may be helpful to use monitor locators such as stickers.
- Monitors should be placed along walls or in corners.
- Monitors should be kept out of view if possible. Monitors may be secured with double sided tape.
- They should be placed in clean, dry areas close to suspected cockroach harborage.
- If possible, monitors should be placed in between resources (harborage, food, and water) where cockroaches may travel.
- Monitors should be replaced if full or if the monitor has been wet or is covered in dust.
Tips to Sanitation and Cleaning
- Eliminate clutter. Clutter creates harborage for pests. Harborage allows pests to eat, rest, and reproduce in the privacy and darkness of their own pesticide-free zone. Clutter makes it harder to clean.
- Wipe surfaces with soapy water followed by a water rinse. The soapy water and rinse helps to remove cockroach allergens and aggregation pheromones left by cockroaches to attract other cockroaches to an area.
- Eliminate food and water sources that can compete with bait applications.
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Summary of Action Plan Recommendations by Site
Note: Please check with your state and school district policies regarding choice of materials for cockroach control.
| Location/Situation | Suggested Thresholds | Non-chemical Control Options | Preferred Chemical Treatment(s) | Other Chemical Treatment Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Preparation Areas | One cockroach justifies baiting and monitoring efforts. More than 5 cockroaches per inspection should trigger a complete review of sanitation and control efforts and possibly a more aggressive treatment strategy. | Caulk and seal potential harborages around water and food prep sites. Keep all food cleaned up or in sealed containers. Clean on a schedule, including less accessible areas. Use sticky traps to monitor populations. Use a HEPA vacuum to remove heavy infestations prior to treatment. | Containerized baits, or other baits applied to cracks and inaccessible void areas. | Insect growth regulator sprays applied to harborage areas. Boric acid dusts applied to dry, inaccessible void areas. Aggressive treatment should include all previously mentioned actions plus application of aerosol or liquid residual pyrethroids to known harborage areas, recognizing that some may have repellent properties that may affect bait retrieval. |
| Bathrooms | One cockroach justifies baiting and monitoring. More than one should trigger non-chemical actions. More than 10 cockroaches per inspection should trigger review of sanitation and control efforts and possibly a more aggressive treatment strategy. | Caulk and seal potential harborages around sinks and other plumbing penetrations. Repair loose tile and seal holes in walls, etc. See above. | See above. | See above. |
| Food Storage | More than one cockroach justifies baiting and monitoring efforts. Increase intensity of efforts with higher numbers. More than 5 cockroaches per inspection should trigger review of sanitation and control efforts and possibly a more aggressive treatment strategy. | Inspect for source of infestations in cardboard boxes, drains, carts, shelving etc. Return, eliminate and/or report infested items. | See above. | See above. |
| Classrooms | One cockroach justifies monitoring. More than one justifies non-chemical actions. Bait when sticky trap catches exceed five per inspection. | Review food and pet policies in classroom. Store all pet food and other stored foods in airtight containers. Remove trash daily, particularly before the weekend. Be sure to inspect backpack storage areas. See above. | Crack and void treatment of inaccessible harborage areas with baits. Use discretion whether use of containerized baits are appropriate and can be used without being disturbed by students. | See above. Note: Liquid residual sprays should rarely, if ever, be applied to classrooms during the school year. |
| Utility and Other Areas | More than one cockroach justifies baiting and monitoring efforts. Increase intensity of efforts with higher numbers. | Look for sources of infestation. Correct sanitation efforts as needed. | See above. | See above. |
Definitions
HEPA Vacuum Cleaners are fitted with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters, capable of capturing 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns and larger, tiny dust particles that would pass through a regular vacuum cleaner filter. Cleaners with HEPA filters minimize the chance of passage of allergenic particles through the collection bag.
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) include products like hydroprene and pyriproxifen for control of German cockroaches. While toxicity of IGRs is considered extremely low, it is considered good policy to use sprays only in situations where bait applications are impractical or have provided less than satisfactory control.
In non-food and bathroom areas the action threshold may be higher, especially where food and water sources are limited and chance of heavy infestations are less. These thresholds should be considered suggestions and may be modified by the IPM Coordinator according to local sanitary conditions and stakeholder sensitivities.
Authors of original content: Michael Merchant, Janet Hurley, Faith Oi and Rebecca Baldwin of the Southern Region School IPM Workgroup.
