Jan 31, 2012 – Roaches At Sea
QUESTION:
I have some questions about German cockroaches and flies. I service oil platforms once each month for 3-4 days at each site, and an inspection has discovered a lot of roaches and a very low level of sanitation. Due to the kind of site there are very strict rules and procedures in place that we have to adhere to, including treating only at night. We currently are using residual sprays, gel bait, and glue traps, but we get complaints from the workers there that the chemical is not effective because they are not seeing dead roaches, and they ask us to change chemicals. They also wonder about the use of the traps, since they are non-toxic. What kind of roach attractant could be used on the traps to enhance their effect?
ANSWER:
Hopefully you are not forced to allow these workers on these platforms tell you how to do cockroach control, because you are the one who has the training and knowledge of the insects and the products needed to handle the problem. Also, since you have noted poor sanitation you have the people who work there making life more difficult for you. Perhaps they believe that pesticides are miracle products that can overcome filth, and this simply is not the case. It may be helpful for you to do a very thorough Inspection, write down all of your findings on a Sanitation Inspection Report, and consult with the supervisor of this platform to determine how to correct these "contributing conditions". If you cannot get cooperation from the client to do their part then you will have a very difficult time eliminating the pests.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
I have some questions about German cockroaches and flies. I service oil platforms once each month for 3-4 days at each site, and an inspection has discovered a lot of roaches and a very low level of sanitation. Due to the kind of site there are very strict rules and procedures in place that we have to adhere to, including treating only at night. We currently are using residual sprays, gel bait, and glue traps, but we get complaints from the workers there that the chemical is not effective because they are not seeing dead roaches, and they ask us to change chemicals. They also wonder about the use of the traps, since they are non-toxic. What kind of roach attractant could be used on the traps to enhance their effect?
ANSWER:
Hopefully you are not forced to allow these workers on these platforms tell you how to do cockroach control, because you are the one who has the training and knowledge of the insects and the products needed to handle the problem. Also, since you have noted poor sanitation you have the people who work there making life more difficult for you. Perhaps they believe that pesticides are miracle products that can overcome filth, and this simply is not the case. It may be helpful for you to do a very thorough Inspection, write down all of your findings on a Sanitation Inspection Report, and consult with the supervisor of this platform to determine how to correct these "contributing conditions". If you cannot get cooperation from the client to do their part then you will have a very difficult time eliminating the pests.
This really would be no different than trying to eliminate roaches from a restaurant or apartment where food scraps and other resources for the roaches are all over the floor and under the equipment. Perhaps I shouldn't expect a rough and tumble oil rig to look as pristine as a well kept restaurant, but there is no reason the workers there need to accept that cleanliness is impossible. If you are forced to spray insecticides onto filth you may as well save the time.
Since you are present on each rig for several days maybe this is your opportunity to focus on exclusion instead of constant reapplication of chemicals. I assume the roaches are found primarily in the dining area, but maybe in the living quarters as well, and you should be allowed access to ALL areas to inspect and determine what is attracting and supporting the roaches where they are found. In employees' rooms there could be food exposed or spilled, and these are such easy fixes to clean up foods on the floor and store snacks in sealed plastic containers. In the dining area begin an effort to fill in every possible crack, crevice, and hole permanently, using a caulking or some other appropriate material for this. German roaches are not going to change 350 million years of adaptation and instinct and start hanging out in the open. They must get into hiding all during the daylight hours, and every hiding place you take away from them means less roaches and less other places for you to treat.
Focus your sprays of residual products directly into crevices where the roaches may hide. This puts them into contact for the longest period of time with your active ingredient, and hopefully the crevices are cleaner than the floors and walls. Continue to use gel baits, placing them as well only into crevices where the German roach prefers to feed. Change baits now and then or use alternate baits to ensure they remain attractive. Continue to use glue traps as a monitoring device, not a "control" device. Glue traps can tell you if you still have roaches, where they may be coming from, and are a measure of the success of your work, but alone they do not control a roach problem.
The fact that dead roaches are not lying around for the workers to see is not necessarily a sign that the roaches are not dying. They do not flip up in the air and die the moment they touch insecticide. Instead, the active ingredient works on them slowly, and they could well be dying in voids or their other hiding places. It sounds like it is time to make some changes in your approach here, and begin with the new inspection and written report. Then make a plea with the supervision of the rigs to get cooperation in cleaning up whatever is currently supporting the roach populations. And, focus on exclusion by slowly but surely sealing as many openings to roach harborage as you can.
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