Ecological investigation, density, infestation rate and control strategy of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) in two hospitals in Ismailia, Egypt

A study was conducted to investigate the ecological situation, density, infestation rate and control strategy of German cockroach, Blattella germanica indoors in two hospitals in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. The sticky traps method was used for 12 months in 2012. The cockroach index, sanitation and ventilation rate tables were tools to investigate the effectiveness of sanitation and related factors on B. germanica in Ismailia. Results showed that the population density of B. germanica increased gradually from January to July, and then decreased gradually till December of 2012 in both hospitals. The population density of B. germanica captured from hospital 1 (urban) was higher than hospital 2 (rural) in all months. Moreover, the number of German cockroach caught from different apartments in both hospitals was very significant different. Among these apartments, kitchen had the highest number of German cockroach, density, infestation rate and percent of nymphs. The highest population density was in kitchen (298.44), followed by dry food store (69.99), furniture room (25.91) and patient room (8.94), for hospital 1. However, the population was low in all apartments in hospital 2. Although several stages of B. germanica were caught from two hospitals, nymphs showed the higher infestation rate in all apartments surveyed in both hospitals. The infestation rate of nymphs was 92.5% in hospital 1 and 63.06% in hospital 2. In addition, temperature and humidity were measured in hospitals to study the relationship between population density of B. germanica and these parameters. There was a positive correlation between temperature and the population density for hospital 1 and for hospital 2. The correlation was negative between humidity and population density in both hospitals. In conclusion, integrated control measures should be taken according to the seasonal fluctuation, population density in hospitals in Ismailia. It should put the emphasis on environmental management plus physical control, chemical control and biological control. Sanitation, good ventilation has positive impact in reduction of German cockroach infestation.