Reduced Susceptibility Towards Commercial Bait Insecticides in Field German Cockroach (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) Populations From California

Gel bait insecticides have been extensively used to manage the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Ectobiidae), but issues with reduced effectiveness of such formulations are becoming increasingly common. We collected five field strains of German cockroaches in California and evaluated them against five commercial bait products [Maxforce FC Magnum (0.05% fipronil), Maxforce Impact (1% clothianidin), Advion Evolution (0.6% indoxacarb), Optigard (0.1% emamectin benzoate) and Siege (2% hydramethylnon)]. Increased survivorship and incomplete mortality towards all baits were recorded in the field strains. We assessed susceptibility to the active ingredients fipronil, clothianidin, indoxacarb, abamectin, hydramethylnon, and deltamethrin using topical bioassays with diagnostic doses (3 x LD95 and 10 x LD95) developed from the UCR susceptible strain. Low mortality was registered when tested with the 3 x LD95's of deltamethrin (0%), fipronil (0-3%), and clothianidin (13-27%); low to moderate mortality when treated with the 3 x LD95 of indoxacarb (13-63%), and moderate to high mortality after treatment with the 3 x LD95 of abamectin (80-100%) and hydramethylnon (70-83%). The mortality of all strains remained low after treatment with the 10 x LD99 of deltamethrin (0-20%) and low to moderate with fipronil (20-70%). We found negative correlations (P < 0.05) between Advion Evolution mean survival time and indoxacarb 10 x LD95 mortality and between Maxforce Impact and clothianidin 10 x LD95 mortality. These findings demonstrate multiple resistance towards all tested commercial bait insecticides except Optigard, suggesting the effectiveness of avermectin products in resistance management programs.

Automated summary

Gel bait insecticides are commonly used to control German cockroaches, but their effectiveness is decreasing. This study found multiple resistance to all tested commercial bait insecticides except Optigard in field strains of German cockroaches.