A Prehistoric Pest That Created an Industry

As evidenced by fossilized remains from the Paleozoic Carboniferous period, cockroaches predate humans by more than 300 million years. And we humans can be thankful this creepy crawler originated before our time, as it was so plentiful then that the era is sometimes called "The Age of Cockroaches." 

So why have cockroaches been able to survive so many millennia, even as they became the pest management industry’s “bread and butter” pest – playing a foundational role in the early years of the industry and continuing to provide a consistent revenue stream for PMPs today?

Cockroach Survival. Today's cockroach species are very different than those of the Paleozoic era, but it is these very transformations that show the cockroach's primary survivability characteristic: its adaptability. In fact, according to the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control (10th Ed., 2011), today's house-infesting cockroaches evolved from tropical species that stowed away on commerce ships to all regions of the world that were suitable. 

Of the thousands of cockroach species that exist, however, fewer than 100 live close enough to humans to be seen; only about 30 are associated with human habitats; and fewer than 10 are truly considered to be pests. But not only can those pest species cause significant damage and disease, but, according to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, at least one, the tiny German cockroach is so adapted to living only in human dwellings, it has become "completely dependent on the filth humans leave behind."

Other characteristics that have been key to cockroach survivability are its omnivorous diet, ability to eat about anything; its size, with the German cockroach able to squeeze through the tiniest of cracks; its nocturnal nature and penchant to stay out of sight; its fecundity, ability to reproduce high populations in very short periods of time; and its ability to survive for a week or more without water or food. Additionally, according to a UC-published paper, "The Cockroach" by Marianne C. Dominguez, the American cockroach can survive by altering its number of developmental stages, as well as its size, water storage capacity and starvation duration. 

Driving Revenue. But while its adaptability has enabled the cockroach to survive with humans, that tendency has also caused it to become a target of humans, who, with few exceptions, would rather not share their homes and businesses with these ancient pests. Not only are cockroaches an aesthetic concern, they can contaminate food, damage electronics, stain furniture with their excrement, and cause allergic reactions.   

In fact, cockroaches have been a primary object of control for the pest management industry since days of old, or, as explained by Purdue University Professor of Urban Pest Management Gary Bennett, "When ratcatchers became popular in times of plague, cockroaches were still present and were a logical business opportunity for those involved in rat control." Since then, he added, "Cockroaches have been #1 revenue generator in the past and are still close to the top." 

"In the '90s when I started, cockroaches were the #1 pest," added Collins Pest Management President Dan Collins. "When the phone rang, we knew what it was going to be for. Cockroach control was 75% of our business – they were everywhere." Then in the late '90s/early 2000s, cockroach baiting became the primary tool for cockroach control. 

However, cockroaches continue to be a primary pest, at least in part because, with the advent of baiting came "a generation of technicians who don't have the experience of the old days of tearing apart equipment and treating there," Collins said. Because of this lack of experience and the accompanying understanding how and where cockroaches get established in a facility, bait is too often put in peripheral areas, he said. While baits can provide simpler, more effective control than the cleanouts and spraying of the old days, technicians still need to have an understanding of cockroach biology and behavior, how and where to inspect. As Collins said, "It all still goes back to IPM."

Historical Cockroach Control. The quest to control cockroaches has led to significant innovations and developments through the years. Following are a few of the interesting discoveries of the late 1900s that impact today's PMPs: 

1975. A new insecticide based on chemicals found in chrysanthemums is tested by University of Florida researchers. The insecticide, called pyrethroid, is a synthetic substance produced in the laboratory but based on chrysantheumus grown in parts of Africa. (St. Petersburg Times)

1986. Carl Djerassi, who invented the human birth-control synthesized hormone Norethindrone in 1951, announced the development of a birth-control spray for cockroaches that does not kill roaches but prevents them from reaching maturity and reproducing. (LA Times)

1988. GSA's National Capital Region initiated a new program that confronts the problem of pests with a set of procedures called "Integrated Pest Management." IPM means simultaneously improving sanitation; eliminating water where it doesn't belong; reducing clutter; and sealing up gaps and crevices that give pests access or shelter. (U.S. Dept. of the Interior) 

1990. "Buyers Snap Up Geckos, a Cockroach's Tyrannosaurus." The gecko is a natural predator of roaches and a natural ally of New Yorkers who don't mind falling asleep to the sound of scurrying and crunching. In one pet shop, the last gecko in stock was wedged forlornly between the tree frogs and the green snakes. "I had a girl in here whose apartment was so infested she bought two," said the storeowner. "They can eat a couple hundred a day." (New York Times)

1997. A medical research study confirmed what many allergy specialists had suspected for years – that asthmatic children exposed to cockroach infestation in their houses or apartments have more frequent and more severe asthma attacks. Health experts say the best way to alleviate the problem is to eliminate the infestation -- but without using noxious spray-on pesticides. As a result, [PMPs] are retooling their traditional pest control strategies and adopting a more ''holistic'' approach to roach control. (New York Times)

1999. A relatively new method of “cleaning out” a pest population is vacuuming. This is used to crash (greatly reduce) the cockroach population; it also removes dirt, food particles, etc. The “clean out” is followed by improved sanitation, pest prevention and, if needed, judicious use of pesticides. (Illinois Department of Public Health)

Into the Future. Even with these and other more recent innovations and updated methods, Bennett said that "German cockroach reproductive ability will keep them in the top revenue generators." However, he expects that the future also will bring "environmental concerns leading to more regulations and less pesticide use; and more non-chemical, IPM-oriented programs will come into play."