Cockroaches: Control & Effective Resistance Management

Insecticide Resistance Action Committee www.irac-online.org

Cockroach Biology Insecticides and Mode of Action Classes Resistance

There   are   an   es;mated   3500   species   of   cockroaches.   All   Nerve transmission Field   resistance   to   most   current   insec;cides   is   found  
cockroaches   undergo   a   gradual   metamorphosis   consis;ng   only   in   German   cockroaches.   American   and  
of   three   stages   –   egg,   nymph,   and   adult.   Eggs   are   laid   in   Applica'on  methods   Smokybrown   cockroach   popula;ons   were   found   to   be  
an  egg  case  or  ootheca.  Egg  to  adult  development  varies     resistant  to  chlorinated  hydrocarbon  insec;cides  during  
by   species   from   an   average   of   103   days   for   the   German   q  Residual  treatment   the   period   of   ;me   when   these   insec;cides   were   used  
cockroach  to  an  average  of  600  days  for  the  American  and        (aerosols,  dusts  and  sprays)   extensively   for   cockroach   control.   Insec;cide   resistance  
Smokybrown  cockroaches.  The  adult  American  cockroach   q  Baits  (gel  and  granular)   in  the  German  cockroach  was  first  iden;fied  in  1952  in  
AChE
female   can   live   up   to   700   days.   Cockroaches   are   Na+ +
Na
Na+
popula;ons   exposed   to   chlordane,   in   1964   to  
omnivorous   with   a   preference   for   starchy   materials.   In   nAChR organophosphates,   in   1968   to   carbamates,   in  
domes;c  environments,  they  prefer  to  live  near  hot  water   vg-Na+ mid-­‐1980s   for   pyrethroids,   in   1992   to   sulfluramid,   and  
channel

pipes,   moist   kitchen   sinks,   behind   stoves   and   in   1994   to   abamec;n.   Resistance   in   American  
refrigerators,  and  in  cracks  and  crevices.     Biochemical   mode   of   ac;on   of   chemical   classes   of   recommended   cockroach  to  trichlorfon  in  China  and  Brown  cockroach  
insec;cides  for  the  control  of  cockroaches  and  IRAC  classifica;on  group.  
  to  diazinon  in  USA  have  been  reported.  
Chemical  class/subgroup            Mode  of  ac;on  (IRAC  group)  
Most Common Species
 
 

Boric  acid/Silica  gel/                            Inorganics    

American  –  Periplaneta  americana   Essen;al  oils   Resistance Management
Carbamates                                                        Acetylcholinesterase(1A)   Although   resistance   in   German   cockroachs   is   wide-­‐
Australian  –  Periplaneta  australasiae   Organophosphates                              Acetylcholinesterase  (1B)  
Brown  –  Periplaneta  brunnea   Pyrethrins/Pyrethroids                Sodium  channel  (3)  
spread,   different   applica;on   methods   (e.g.   baits   and  
Brownbanded  –  Supella  longipalpa  
German  –  Bla4ella  germanica   C.  Wang,    
Pic 2 Neonico;noids
Spinosyns  
         Acetylcholine  receptor  (4A)    
         Acetylcholine  receptor  (5)  
sprays)   using   different   modes   of   ac;on   classes   rather  
rather  than  insec;cides  from  within  the  same  IRAC  mode  
Rutgers  University  
Oriental  –  Bla4a  orientalis   Insect  Growth  Regulators      Juvenile  hormone  mimics  (7A,7C)   of  ac;on  group  should  be  used  in  a  rota;onal  strategy  to  
Chlorfenapyr/Sulfluramid      Uncouplers  (13)     provide   control   and   delay   the   rapid   development   of  
Smokybrown  –  Periplaneta  fuliginosa   Flufenoxuron            Chi;n  synthesis  inhibitor  (15)  
Avermec;ns            Chloride  channel  ac;vator  (6)  
resistance  in  all  species.
Hydramethylnon                                      Mitochondrial  complex  III  inhibitor  (20A)  
Public Health Importance Phenylpyrazoles                                        GABA-­‐gated  chloride  channel  antagonist(2B)  
Indoxacarb                                                          Voltage–dependent  Na  channel  blocker  (22A)  
Cockroaches   are   among   the   most   important   pests   of  
households   and   commercial   establishments.   They   are  
Adi;onal   informa;on  
capable   of   mechanically   transmi_ng   disease   causing   on   control   measures  
pathogens   such   as   Salmonella,   Staphylococcus,   against   cockroaches   is  
Streptococcus,  Coliform,  Clostridium,  Escherchia  coli  and   available   in   the   WHO  
brochure   on   pes;cide  
Shigella   dysenteriae   as   well   as   diseases   such   as  
applica;on.  
toxoplasmosis   and   hepa;;s   B.   Cockroaches   are   also   a  
source  of  allergens.   J.Obermeyer,  Purdue  Extension  Entomology5  

This  poster  is  for  educa;onal  purposes  only.  Details  are  accurate  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge  but  IRAC  and  its  member  companies  cannot  accept  responsibility   Designed  and  produced  by  the  IRAC  Public  Health  Team,  Version  5.0,  April  2014  
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