Evaluation of Victor Roach Magnet Traps, 1995

Abstract

Abstract A field test determined the effectiveness of the Victor Roach Magnet™ traps in an attempt to detect, monitor or control the cockroach populations. The Munsyana Homes, a multi-family public housing complex located in Muncie, Ind., served as the test site; individual apartments served as the replicated experimental unit. Six Lo-Line™1 Cockroach traps were left in place overnight in the cabinets under and above the kitchen sink, under or adjacent to the stove, under or behind the refrigerator, adjacent to the utility area, and on the floor behind the bathroom toilet. A minimum catch of 5 cockroaches per trap was required for any apartment to be considered an experimental unit. Eleven replicate test apartments were established. Victor traps (with aggregation pheromones), used as a control tool, were placed at day 1 in 12 locations in each test apartment and left in place for 1 month to obtain the total trap catch. All filled, wet, and missing traps were replaced with new traps on a weekly basis. Locations (number of traps in parenthesis) of the Victor traps in each apartment were: the cabinets under the kitchen sink (2), the cabinets above the sink (2), under and adjacent to the stove (2), under, behind, and adjacent to the refrigerator (3), under and adjacent to the utility area where water heater and furnace are located (2), and on the floor behind the bathroom toilet (1). At the end of the test, trap catch from the Victor traps was determined noting the stage of all cockroaches. Cockroach population level in each apartment during the test was estimated for up to 4 wks by the use of six Lo-Line traps. At each sample interval, the Lo-Line traps were left in place overnight and collected the next morning to determine trap catch reduction. Weekly trap catch was counted, noting the number of adults and nymphs. Analyses among time periods, using a Kruskal-Wallis signed rank test (X2; P = 0.05), were conducted to determine whether or not the average trap catch per apartment was reduced by the treatment.