Education and Provision of a Pest Management Tool Kit to Residents in Low-Income Housing: Effect on Cockroach Reduction.

High rates of pest infestations are frequently reported in low-income homes in the U.S. However, even with access to effective insecticides, most residents are unaware of how to properly control indoor pests. We designed and evaluated the effect of in-home integrated pest management (IPM) education and provision of pest management tool kit on German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) infestations. Twenty-nine apartments were enrolled based on the presence of German cockroaches. They were divided into two groups: an intervention group (12) and a control group (17). The intervention group received a cockroach prevention and control flyer designed by the researchers, gel bait, a bottle of boric acid dust, sticky traps, and in-person brief education on how to prevent and control cockroaches. The control group did not receive education or pest control materials. The intervention resulted in a significantly higher reduction in cockroach numbers and infestation rates compared to the control. At 6 months, the geometric mean cockroach count per apartment decreased by 99% in the intervention group and 51% in the control group. Cockroaches were no longer detected in 58% and 6% of the intervention and control groups, respectively. However, the IPM education did not result in significant improvement in the sanitation rating.