Interactions between soil invertebrates and entomopathogenic nematodes in no-till and conventional-till corn in North Carolina

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae), produces several allergens, including B. germanica allergen 1 (Bla g 1).; Using molecular and physiological approaches, my research elucidated where Bla g 1 is produced, its tissue distribution, developmental expression patterns, and its physiological regulation in the German cockroach. Bla g 1 is found predominantly in, and produced exclusively by, the midgut. Although it is produced by all stages and both sexes, adult females produce and excrete in their feces significantly more Bla g 1 than adult males and nymphs.; The best approach to allergen mitigation is to remove the source of the allergen, or cockroach control. Pest control in the confined swine production industry relies primarily on broad-spectrum residual organic sprays. I sought to develop a liquid formulation of boric acid bait for the management of German cockroaches in infested swine farms.; While three borates provided effective kill under no-choice conditions, boric acid resulted in faster kill than sodium tetraborate or disodium octaborate tetrahydrate when cockroaches were given a choice between the borate-laced water and clean water. To evaluate whether various sugars could enhance the insecticidal activity of boric acid, solutions of 0.5% boric acid and 1 M sugar were tested. From these studies, I concluded that a combination of boric acid and sucrose provided excellent control of the German cockroach.; In field evaluations, prototype J-shaped bait dispensers filled with liquid boric acid bait solution were applied in a cockroach-infested nursery of a swine farm. Results of this 2-year field study showed that the cockroach population was significantly reduced by >90% within 1--2 months. These data also showed that when baits were deployed continuously for ∼10 months the cockroach populations declined by 90--99%. In addition to providing an alternative management strategy, this approach also provides an option for the potential mitigation of cockroach allergens in infested swine farms and homes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...