A Purdue University study concluded the evolution of the German cockroach is being born with an immunity to a wide range of pesticides.
What We Know:
- According to Live Science, the Blattella germanica species develop the immunity within a single generation of offspring.
- Researchers tested three different insecticides on roaches in apartment buildings in Danville, Illinois, and in Indianapolis, Indiana, over six months. They tested one pesticide on the first group of roaches, two pesticides from different classes on the second group, and tested three different pesticides on the third group. They also kept track of the effects of the insecticides across multiple generations of roaches.
- The study reported that the roach population either increased or remained the same, and rotating different pesticides was not effective in reducing the number of roaches. However, using a single pesticide showed the most positive results.
- Michael Scharf, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology at Purdue University in Indiana, said in a statement “Cockroaches developing resistance to multiple classes of insecticides at once will make controlling these pests almost impossible with chemicals alone.”
To get rid of these pests, it will require more complex approaches that don’t solely rely on pesticides such as improved sanitation, traps and even vacuums to suck them up.
