Efficacy of Sticky Trap Attractants, 1993

Lo-line® sticky traps were used to evaluate the efficacy of several German cockroach attractants in 1 × 1 m arenas. Environmental conditions were maintained at 26.6 ± 2°C and 80 ± 5% RH, with a 12:12 (L:D) photocycle. Into each arena, 500 cockroaches of mixed age groups were released 24 h before initiating an experiment. The arenas were set up with 10 × 10 cm harborage units (3 levels) in one corner, food and water in the opposite corner, and one sticky trap in each adjacent corner (15 cm from the corner and 2 cm from the adjacent wall of an arena). One of the 2 sticky traps in each arena contained the attractant, placed centrally. In total, 5 attractants and 2 controls were tested; Agrisense GP2 attractant (0.80 g); fecal contaminated filter paper (contaminated by 12 d exposure within a cockroach rearing unit) and a filter paper control; Avert PT-310 bait insecticide, cockroach culture frass (1st and 2nd instar), powdered molasses (2.0 g), and an unbaited control. After 24 h, each trap was dismantled and the total number of cockroaches was recorded. The sum difference in total catch and the nymph/adult ratios were calculated between baited and unbaited traps. Analyses were conducted upon sum differences and nymph adult ratios using the Student’s f-value (a = 0.10) to detect any significant differences in catch between baited and unbaited traps.