Semester of Graduation
Summer 2025
Degree
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Entomology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) is a globally distributed indoor dwelling pest of medical concern. Insecticides are the preferred method of cockroach management due to their low cost, quick action, and availability. However, after continuous use, the development of insecticide resistance has emerged as a challenge for the pest management industry to effectively eliminate German cockroaches. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable framework which includes the use of glue board traps, vacuuming, in combination with different insecticide formulations such as sprays, gel or dust baits, and insecticide rotation has been successful for the management of German cockroaches. This framework also closely aligns with the One Health approach that interlinks human, animal, and environmental health.
Despite proven IPM methods for German cockroaches, because of the costs associated with management, homeowners often deploy various do-it-yourself (DIY) methods to mitigate pest infestations by purchasing over-the-counter aerosols, baits, bait stations, and inorganic dusts or create their own baits with a toxicant. However, these pest control strategies often fail due to lack of common pest knowledge, reduced active ingredient (AI) in consumer products, or physiological and behavioral resistance. However, there is limited research on evaluation of DIY methods that can effectively control the German cockroach infestations. Therefore, the overall goal of this study is to investigate homeowner DIY methods with safer alternatives for sustainable management of German cockroach. Specifically, it examines the relation between vitamin K precursors, which are reduced risk compounds with home foods with different nutritional balances. Next, we sought to identify synthetic amorphous silicas that are not used for pest management to test their efficacy. Finally, to improve amorphous silica efficacy vitamin K precursors and silicas were combined to determine if their efficacy at varying environmental humidity conditions could be improved, since dusts generally lose their potency at high moisture conditions. To complete this goal, my study has three objectives:
1) To understand the consumption of dry-flowable baits by conducting bioassays using vitamin K precursors (menadione and menadiol) mixed with different home available foods at 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% concentrations using no choice and choice bioassays.
2) Screen different synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) for insecticidal activity against German cockroaches at different humidity levels (10%, 40%, 90%) in a continuous exposure vial bioassay.
3) Explore synergistic or additive interactions effects between amorphous silicas, and vitamin K precursors at 40% and 90% RH, using two different models to determine synergistic interactions.
By exploring reduced-risk insecticides with accessible food-based attractants and improving insecticidal dust efficacy at high humidity, this works aims to improve DIY pest control methods used by homeowners with a sustainable, safe, and cost-effective approach for German cockroach control.
Date
7-16-2025
Recommended Citation
Shaik, Mohamed S., "Evaluation of DIY Pest Management Strategies for the German Cockroach (Blattella germanica) in the Presence of Vitamin K Precursors and Synthetic Amorphous Silica" (2025). LSU Master's Theses. 6212.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/6212
Committee Chair
Aaron R Ashbrook