Diet quality affects bait performance in German cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae).
BACKGROUND
Bait formulations are widely used to control German cockroach (Blattella germanica) populations. To perform optimally, these formulations must compete favorably with non-toxic alternative foods present within the insect's habitat. We hypothesized that the nutritional history of cockroaches and their acceptance or avoidance of glucose would affect their food preference and thus bait efficacy. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a controlled laboratory experiment, first providing glucose-accepting and glucose-averse cockroaches nutritionally defined diets and then offering them identical diets containing the insecticide hydramethylnon as a bait proxy to evaluate the effect of diets of differing macronutrient composition on bait performance.


RESULTS
The interaction between diet composition and bait composition affected the survival of adult males as well as first-instar nymphs exposed to excretions produced by these males. Survival analyses indicated different responses of glucose-averse and glucose-accepting insects, but generally any combination of diet and bait that resulted in high diet intake and low bait intake reduced secondary kill.


CONCLUSIONS
This study represents a comprehensive examination of the effect of alternative foods on bait efficacy. We suggest that disparities between the nutritional quality of baits and the foods that are naturally available could profoundly impact the management of German cockroach infestations. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.|W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Alexander E
AE
Ko
Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.|W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Coby
C
Schal
Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Jules
J
Silverman
D000818:Animals; D020048:Blattellidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005518:Food Preferences; D005947:Glucose; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009758:Nymph; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000378:metabolism
D007306:Insecticides; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D005947:Glucose; C041642:hydramethylnon
Blattella germanica; bait; coprophagy; diet; hydramethylnon; secondary kill