Comparisons of toxic baits for controlling the cockroach, Blattella germanica: attractiveness and feeding stimulation

Female German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) and nymphs (stages 1, 3 and 6) were used to test the attractiveness and the feeding stimulation of several commercial gel formulations of insecticide food baits in laboratory binary choice tests. The four toxic gel baits tested were: 'Avert' (0.05% abamectin=avermectin B1), 'Drax' (33.3% boric acid), 'Goliath' (0.05% fipronil) and 'Maxforce' (2.15% hydramethylnon). The attractiveness of a bait was estimated by the number of cockroaches that chose it first, and by their tendency to change to it secondarily. Feeding stimulation was estimated by the mean duration of feeding bouts and total duration of food intake. Variability of these factors was assessed in relation to age of cockroaches and to age of baits. With a few exceptions, cockroach age did not affect performance in any of these tests. Attractiveness to B. germanica ranked 'Goliath' gel higher than 'Avert', 'Drax' and 'Maxforce' gels, whether or not the active ingredient fipronil was present in 'Goliath' gel. Feeding stimulation ranked 'Avert' and 'Maxforce' gels higher than 'Goliath' gel, and 'Drax' gel was inferior. With ageing up to 3 months, the feeding stimulation power of 'Goliath' and 'Maxforce' gels increased, whereas that of 'Avert' fluctuated. Assuming that all types of bait effectively kill cockroaches once ingested, these results illustrate the importance of behavioural observations on bait efficiency and show that ranking of these different food baits varies in relation to the parameter analysed.     

Hatching of oothecae from female Blattella germanica exposed to hydramethylnon and boric acid baits

Adult female Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) carrying oothecae were confined in cages with bait formulations of boric acid or hydramethylnon at 90% r.h. and either 20° or 28° C until all had been killed. Females poisoned by hydramethylnon retained their oothecae at death, while a considerable proportion of those killed by boric acid deposited their oothecae prematurely. Oothecae from both groups of insects were monitored until they either hatched or lost viability. Oothecae from both 7–14 day old adults and 14–21 day old adults poisoned with hydramethylnon showed reduced hatching relative to controls at 20° but not at 28 °C, an effect attributed to premature loss of water-exchange between oothecae and female adult during the maturation process. Fewer oothecae hatched from females poisoned with boric acid at both temperatures, and the proportion of those which did hatch was higher in the group retained by the female at death than in the group prematurely deposited. These results for the boric acid-treated females and results which showed no significant difference between the hatch of oothecae from hydramethylnon-treated females and decapitated females suggested that transfer of insecticide from treated female to oothecae was not important in reducing hatch for either compound. Reinfestation as a consequence of the failure of conventional blatticides to prevent hatching of oothecae carried by female B. germanica is discussed.

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Résumé Des femelles adultes de B. germanica, maintenues à 20° ou 28° C et 90% HR, ont été exposées, 7 à 14 jours ou 14 à 21 jours après l'émergence à des appâts contenant de l'hydraméthylnone ou de l'acide borique. Empoisonnées par l'hydraméthylnone les femelles retiennent leur oothèque jusqu'à la mort, tandis que empoisonnées par l'acide borique, elles déposent leur oothèque prématurément. Toutes les oothèque des femelles empoisonnées ont été maintenues dans les mêmes conditions écologiques jusqu'à ce qu'elles éclosent ou se révèlent non viables. Avec l'acide borique, une réduction des naissances a été observée pour les oothèques des mères des 2 classes d'âges et aux 2 températures, ce qui n'a eu lieu qu'à la température basse avec l'hydraméthylnone. L'effet ne semble pas dû au transfert de l'insecticide de la femelle à l'oothèque et est plus probablement provoqué par la fin des échanges d'eau entre la mère et l'oothèque, à la mort ou lors de l'émission prématurée. Pour les femelles traitées à l'acide borique, la proportion d'éclosion d'oothèques est plus importante chez les femelles ayant retenu leur oothèque jusqu'à la mort que chez celles qui les ont émises prématurément. Les femelles empoisonnées lors d'opérations d'éradication peuvent mourir ou déposer leurs oothèques loin des zones traitées; les larves éclosant de ces oothèques peuvent maintenir la contamination.