Insect Growth Regulators for Roaches

Insect growth regulators, or IGR, are chemicals which can basically act as birth control, and are common in many pest control treatment programs. Due to their reproduction rates, it is imperative to include IGR treatments to prevent population growth in cockroach infestations. A single pair can lead to hundreds or thousands of offspring over their lifecycles, which is why cockroach populations can take hold and spread as quickly and problematically as they do.

IGR chemicals have many advantages when used correctly in a cockroach treatment plan. For one, roaches tend to build up tolerance and resistance to many insecticides, lessening their effectiveness in population control. IGRs work differently than insecticides by targeting growth cycles instead of their central nervous system. If a cockroach cannot reach adulthood, it won’t be able to reproduce.

How IGR for Roaches Work

An IGR is insect specific, for example, one that will work on fleas may not work on cockroaches, and vice versa. This happens because the ingredients in these materials target processes specific to a certain insect. In roaches, effective an IGR will typically prevent juvenile cockroaches from replacing their exoskeletons, preventing them from maturing into adulthood, leaving them unable to reproduce. This puts an end to that generation of cockroaches’ ability to grow a new population.

So while the chemical may not work as immediately as other insecticides at killing an individual, in the long term they are more effective at stopping a population from growing, and causes that generation to die off. When used in tandem with other pest control techniques such as flushing agents and barrier control, IGR treatments are very effective at eliminating cockroach infestations. The most prolific cockroach infestations are caused by German Cockroaches, and a full inspection, diagnosis, and treatment including a roach IGR is typically the most successful approach.

Using IGR for Roaches in Your Home

IGR for roaches are commercially available, but as in many instances with pest control products, they are simply not as effective if not used properly. As mentioned earlier, an IGR is most effective when used as part of a multi-pronged cockroach treatment plan. The best bet is to utilize a professional cockroach exterminator, like the ones at Bug Guardian, to diagnose and treat your cockroach problems.