Author: Zachary DeVries
Planning Unit: Entomology
Major Program: Integrated Pest Management
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
German cockroaches are one of the most challenging indoor pests to manage indoors. They are known to have serious health effects on humans and can be responsible for asthmatic episodes, disease transmission, and various indirect effects largely related to improper pesticide use. Even worse, these effects tend to disproportionally impact people based on socioeconomic factors, particularly those who lack the means to properly suppress and eliminate pest populations, posing a substantial threat to environmental justice. Given these challenges, I have begun working with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to evaluate a novel cockroach control strategy using liquid baits. This strategy, if proven effective, would offer an affordable and sustainable solution that would be accessible to everyone.