Integrated Cockroach (dictyoptera, Blattellidae) Management in Confined Swine Production

Swine production is an important component of North Carolina’s agricultural economy. Cockroaches have long been recognized as important pests in swine production and severe infestations may contribute significantly to disease maintenance and transmission. However, management of cockroach populations is severely constrained by many factors including: cultural and production practices used at the facility, building design, and inadequate sanitation, well as frequent re-introduction of cockroaches by workers and suppliers. In addition, regulatory restrictions on the types and classes of pesticides that can be used in such facilities frequently result in overuse of a narrow spectrum of chemicals, increasing the potential for insecticide resistance in the cockroach population. The overall goal of this project was to document and demonstrate reduced-risk integrated pest management approaches in confined swine production systems. Central to the philosophy of integrated pest management (IPM) is the idea that treatment should be based on need. Yet, current cockroach suppression practices rely heavily upon multiple scheduled applications of broad-spectrum insecticides with little concern about pest population size. This is due primarily to lack of efficient detection and monitoring tools for cockroaches. Therefore, a major motivation of our research was to study the utility of cockroach pheromones and visual inspections in the implementation of IPM principles in managing cockroaches. Specific objectives included identification of available pest management alternatives for broad-spectrum pesticides, developing and evaluating these alternative approaches for integrated pest management, demonstrating the efficacy of this program, and quantifying reduction in risks to animal and human health and the environment. The ultimate goal of this study will be to deliver an education program to production managers to allow them to continue an effective site-based pest management strategy.