NAVMED P-5010-8 - Navy Medicine - U.S. Navy

8-38 CHAPTER 8. NAVY ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST CONTROL TECHNOLOGY 8-38
d. General Control. If the overall absence
or near absence of cockroaches is to be
achieved, it is essential that both sanitary and
chemical control measures be established on a
preventive rather than on a "trouble call" basis.
Preventive control requires frequent inspections
and thorough surveys. Prevention also includes
good sanitation, prevention of entry, elimination
of harborages, and supplemental chemical
control when indicated.
(1) Sanitation. Active food preparation
areas cannot be kept clean enough to eliminate
existing cockroach populations by starvation.
However, the following sanitation practices are
of proven value:
(a) All food materials should be
stored so as to be inaccessible to cockroaches.
(b) Garbage and other refuse should
be placed in containers with tight-fitting lids and
removed daily.
(c) All food preparation areas,
utensils, and equipment should be thoroughly
cleaned after each day's use.
(d) Foods should be restricted in
berthing areas.
(e) Cleanliness reduces available
food for cockroaches and may determine the
degree to which the population expands. As the
level of sanitation increases the level of cockroach
infestation decreases.
(f) Reduction in food sources and
general cleanliness may cause the population to
forage further, thus, increasing the probability
for cockroaches to encounter residual insecticides.
(2) Prevention of Entry. Although
primarily important for ship's stores, items such
as bagged potatoes and onions, bottle cases, and
food packages must be inspected prior to storage
or use to avoid re-infestation by cockroaches.
Since cockroaches may be transported in egg,
nymph, or adult stages, care in inspection is
necessary.
(3) Harborage Elimination. Cockroaches
do not normally inhabit structures that
lack suitable hiding places. As harborages are
eliminated, populations are reduced and the use of
chemicals becomes less needed. The sealing of
cracks and crevices and general elimination of
harborages is extremely important in cockroach
control. Typical harborages include the following:
(a) Old and torn insulation.
(b) Holes for plumbing and electrical
lines, as well as electrical switches and fuse boxes.
(c) Areas between walls (false bulkheads).
(d) Areas behind drawers, oven
hoods, under counters, and serving lines.
(e) Hollow-legs (e.g., stove legs and
refrigeration and heavy equipment supports).
(4) Surveys. The importance of conducting
cockroach surveys during routine sanitary
inspections cannot be over-emphasized. Early
detection of new or resurgent populations is
essential for effective control efforts. The following
points pertain to cockroach surveys:
(a) Surveys should be performed by a
PMT or other qualified personnel. The results
from each inspection should be reported in writing
to the commanding officer. Aboard ship, the
medical department representative (MDR) should
conduct a cockroach survey every 2 weeks and
appropriately log the results.
(b) Since cockroaches avoid light,
they are often overlooked in routine daytime
sanitation surveys. Some considerations that are
helpful in detecting resting sites and harborages
are:
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9 Nov 2004