The effectiveness of commercial gel baits against German cockroach Blattella germanica (Linnaeus, 1767) in Indonesia

Gel baits product sold commercially to the public has long been used to control German cockroach populations in urban areas. The effectiveness and resistance level of gel bait products need to be known for the successful control of German cockroaches in the field. However, there have been no reports of resistance in Indonesia. This study used toxicity tests of six gel bait products (MF, CBG, SPB, OTG, BTX, and UBA) against two populations of adult male German cockroaches (VCRU-WHO and RKMN-BKT). Fipronil, boric acid and emamectin benzoate containing gel baits were effective to knock down and kill the German cockroaches. In contrast, gel bait with imidacloprid as an active ingredient was only useful to knock down the German cockroaches. Commercial gel bait product in Indonesia are still useful in controlling German cockroaches’ populations with a time of effectiveness to cause mortality between three to four weeks after being exposed in the field and the level of cockroach resistance to gel bait are susceptible until low resistance.