New Study Finds Major Benefits to IPM Approach in Fight Against Cockroach and Bed Bug Infestations

A new study has found major benefits to the application of IPM techniques against cockroach and bed bug infestations in multi-family housing units.

“In a recent paper published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, Changlu Wang, Ph.D., an entomologist at Rutgers University, confirmed the benefits of building-wide integrated pest management (IPM) after applying IPM techniques to a low-income, high-rise apartment building. Wang and his team of researchers compared the effectiveness of a researcher-led cockroach program and a contractor-modified IPM program for one year and compared the results with a control building that received monthly, conventional pest control…..The infestation rate after one year in the IPM building resulted in a 63% reduction of bed bugs and 75% reduction in German cockroaches. In comparison, the control building had a 117% increase in bed bugs and only a 39% reduction of German cockroaches.”