German cockroaches are some of the hardest insects to deal with. They can reproduce quickly, are great at finding hiding spots, and are mostly nocturnal, so they are rarely seen during service hours. Getting treatment close to their harborage points can be challenging, especially if you aren’t completely sure where they are.
Monitoring is a great tool to find out where population hot spots are. It also gives an idea of what that population size may be. This can help in treatments, especially when bait is being used. If you know populations are high, you can use more bait to knock those populations down quicker. Monitoring will also show if the treatment is working. Ideally, you want to see those populations go down after a treatment.
When monitoring for German cockroaches, glue boards are a good option. However, placing a glue board on the floor or even folding it into a square and putting it down isn’t always the best option. People and paws can get stuck to it, and then it gets thrown out. Customers will see what’s captured and call with more complaints. Protecting that glue board so it stays in place and does the intended job gives you the best information for treating the problems.
Two great tools exist for this: the EZ Conceal and the EZ Kat. The EZ Kat is the larger option and will fit a standard-size glue board flat in the bottom of the trap. Using a full-size glue board can obviously capture more individuals, but it can also give some idea of direction. If you find all the cockroaches towards one side of the glue board, you know to start looking and treating in that direction. The EZ Kat securely holds that glue board, so even if the station gets moved some, the glue board is still effective inside.
The EZ Conceal is nice because it is very low profile and has double-sided foam tape on the back to attach it securely. Being smaller, it can also fit in narrow, hard-to-reach areas, giving you more information on where those cockroaches are hiding. Since you can stick these down, you can use them vertically. This is very helpful behind kitchen equipment, under sinks, and even behind toilets. This allows you to really pinpoint key areas where the German cockroaches are still hiding.
Monitoring is only as accurate as your glue board placement. Help that along with using stations to contain the boards. For more on the EZ Conceal and the EZ Kat, click here.
