ENTOMOLOGY TODAY - German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) are a major global insect pest in urban buildings as purveyors of allergens as well as pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Rotavirus. Control of German cockroaches is usually done with insecticide sprays and insecticide-loaded baits, but cockroach populations can evolve resistance to insecticides, and insecticides can also affect non-target animals.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), are exploring the efficacy of a novel type of chemical control of German cockroaches—the artificial sweetener sucralose (also known as Splenda). In a study published in November 2023 in the Journal of Economic Entomology, the researchers found that sucralose-water solutions were effective in reducing survival of German cockroaches via effects on their gastrointestinal system.