Maxforce^® FC Select Roach Killer Bait Gel sets the standard for cockroach control

by Dr. Nonggang Bao & Deborah Koufas

Two cockroach gels, Transport^® Roach Bait (0.35% acetamiprid) and Matrix^® Roach & Ant Bait (2.15% hydramethylnon) are both making bold claims against the “leading brand”. Neither company provided much evidence to support their claims, so we decided to put them to the test.

The first thing we noticed is that both Transport and Matrix labels state the products contain peanuts. Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies, affecting 1.5 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Even in tiny amounts, peanut protein can cause severe reactions. Peanuts are responsible for nearly 100 deaths and 15,000 emergency room visits each year, says the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a nonprofit group based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Maxforce baits – by design – do not contain peanut products.

At Envu , we are well aware of this issue because we regularly receive enquires from concerned consumers asking whether or not our baits contain peanut products.

Head-to-head comparison

Data in this bulletin compares each product against three different German cockroach strains collected with the help of PMPs from problem accounts, and maintained by Envu Environmental Science at our Development and Technical Center in Clayton, North Carolina. Envu has studied more than 50 different strains of German cockroaches to help solve the problem of bait aversion. The following strains were selected to provide product comparisons across a range of different degrees of bait aversion.

1. Bait preference test

When given a choice in side-by-side testing, cockroaches preferred Maxforce FC Select Gel regardless of whether the strain was bait averse or not.

(Note: Position of each bait placement was changed in different replicates to remove any variance or preference due to proximity.)