Biology and Management of the German Cockroach

The German cockroach continues to be one of the most important indoor urban pests in the world. They contaminate foods, transmit pathogens and produce allergens that trigger asthma. The last seminal publication dedicated to the German cockroach was published in 1995 by Rust, Owens and Reierson, and numerous advances in management technology, products, delivery system, basic and applied research have occurred over the last two-and-a-half decades. This book summarises the research on German cockroaches over the last 25 years with an emphasis on its biology and management. Fourteen authors contributed to this book, including university researchers and one pest management professional. In the preparation of this book, the authors provide a critical review of the research advancements in the past 25 years with the objective of making it a go-to reference on German cockroach biology and management. Biology and Management of the German Cockroach will provide the reader with a one-stop compilation of comprehensive understanding into the pest. It will be a valuable reference book to researchers, university professors, graduate students, pest management professionals, health workers, government agencies and even the general public when dealing with pests and pesticides.

Chow-Yang Lee is the Professor and Endowed Presidential Chair in Urban Entomology at the University of California, Riverside, USA. He is internationally known for his research on behavioral, ecological, and physiological adaptations of urban insect pests. He published more than 295 peer-reviewed papers and books and mentored 17 PhD and 32 MS students. Chow-Yang received many accolades, including the Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (2024), Recognition Award in Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology (2022) from the Entomological Society of America, and the Arnold Mallis Distinguished Achievement Award in Urban Entomology (2022) from the National Conference on Urban Entomology (USA).

Michael K. Rust is the Distinguished Professor of Graduate Division at the University of California. He has authored or co-authored ~200 papers dealing with urban insect pests and their control. He co-edited the seminal reference, Understanding and Controlling the German Cockroach (1995). Over the years, he has mentored 17 PhD and 14 MS students majoring in urban entomology. He has received numerous awards over the years including Distinguished Achievement Award in Urban Entomology, Entomology Society of America (1993), W.W. Woodworth Award, Pacific Branch of the Entomology Society of America (1994), Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (2001) and Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (2002). His current research is focused on the interaction of sprays and baits to control German cockroaches.