Efficacy of traps as monitoring devices of domestic cockroach populations.
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| Other Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1982.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | ProQuest, Abstract Link to ProQuest Copy |
| Abstract: | Laboratory and field studies on the grounds of Texas A&M University were conducted with commercial sticky traps and modified jar traps to investigate various parameters which influence trap effectiveness. The synthetic sex pheromone, periplanone-B, and the apple substance, RM-48, were tested in jar traps as attractants for populations of Periplaneta in sewer access shafts, a chicken feed warehouse, and an established ground cover. Periplanone-B was highly attractive only to male P. americana (L.), the American cockroach. RM-48 was highly attractive to Periplaneta nymphs and female P. americana and P. fuliginosa (Serville), the smokybrown cockroach. The RM-48 attractant is inexpensive and offers much potential as an effective bait for traps. The mark and recapture method was used to estimate populations at these 3 sites. The probability of recapturing an individual increased as time progressed since last captured. There was a stratification by depth of cockroaches in sewer access shafts. Comparisons in 195 x 72 cm arenas were made of 4 cockroach sticky traps (D-Con, Mr. Sticky, Raid, and Roach Coach) against 5 species of domiciliary cockroaches (Blatta orientalis L., the Oriental cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), the German cockroach, P. americana, P. fuliginosa, and Supella longipalpa (F.), the brownbanded cockroach). Traps varied in their effectiveness according to the species trapped. B. germanica was caught more than other species, but because of its high fecundity, significant population reduction did not occur. B. orientalis populations were greatly reduced by trapping. An infrared viewing system was used to observe P. americana around sticky traps. Most P. americana escaped from D-Con but not Raid traps. Males entered traps more often than females. Cockroaches learned to avoid traps within several hours of exposure, and this behavior, although retained, diminished significantly by 21 days after exposure. Laboratory and field tests demonstrated that cockroaches were more likely to enter traps containing the resource (food or water) which was limiting to their environment. As starvation and/or desiccation increased over time, trap catches peaked at 5 to 8 days and thereafter decreased but remained higher than when these resources were available. A low amount of harborage also increased catches. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. "Major subject: Entomology." |
| Physical Description: | xi, 146 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-143). |