[Industry Commentary] Finding Common Ground

At the National Pest Management Association’s Legislative Day in February, I had the privilege of moderating a panel of historical importance to two industries. For the first time, representatives of the American Mosquito Control Association joined together with four prominent pest management professionals — all of whom have successfully incorporated mosquito control into their professional practice — to discuss the art and science of mosquito control.

Not everyone expected the conversation to be entirely harmonious. Because of direct contact with representatives of AMCA while marketing Altosid for Wellmark International, I heard the occasional voice questioning whether pest management professionals would get the training required to effectively reduce mosquito populations, make claims that could not be accomplished and generally complicate the mission of Mosquito Abatement Districts around the country. As the panelists introduced themselves and the audience grew to standing-room only, we were about to find out just what differences there were between those who controlled mosquitoes for a living and those who added mosquito control to their array of pest management practices.

A LITTLE HISTORY. The need for this kind of open discussion between the two organizations had been growing for more than two years since, in January 2003, NPMA held its first public health conference in New Orleans. It represented the beginning of a new endeavor for both NPMA and the pest management industry: For the first time, pest management professionals were making an organized effort to add mosquito control to their services. At that conference, representatives of the public health community, lawyers, entomologists and others explained the basics of mosquito control to more than 200 PCOs whose prior experience with mosquitoes had been more in the role of victim rather than exterminator.

In January 2005, NPMA held another public health conference. This conference reflected how rapidly the pest management profession can seize a new opportunity. A large and growing number of pest management firms now offer mosquito control using a variety of techniques, products and equipment. Mosquito suppression has become an important area of growth for pest management professionals.

That growth causes concern for some at the American Mosquito Control Association. AMCA represents public health professionals who practiced mosquito control long before West Nile virus put the spotlight on the work they do. The scope of their operations is as different to the pest management professional as fighting a 1,000-acre forest fire is to putting out a house fire. Instead of treating backyards, Mosquito Abatement Districts take responsibility for thousands of square miles. Failure of a pest management professional to reduce the population of mosquitoes in a backyard may mean a ruined picnic. But to the MAD director, failure can mean illness and death to citizens in his or her area of responsibility. Widespread outbreaks of West Nile virus can also mean, as it did in the Chicago area, that a previously unknown public health official suddenly becomes the cover story in the Chicago Tribune Sunday magazine. Still, it would seem that reducing the mosquito population, through whatever means and by whomever accomplished the task, would be a benefit to society.

THE PANEL DISCUSSION. The first concern raised by AMCA members focused on the use of automatic application units that disseminate pesticides automatically, such as so-called "misters." These devices, while not in widespread use by the pest management industry, have raised questions by some regulatory agencies and warrant further investigation. Far more troubling to members of both associations are reports of these and other devices being promoted to the general public by non-professionals. The prospect of having non-licensed applicators treating yards and even entire neighborhoods with regulated products threatens the work of both MADs and pest management professionals since they may well be held accountable for misapplications committed by a bootleg "spray jockey." All agreed that the myriad of state licensing requirements and lack of uniform standards complicate the problem. As one AMCA representative noted "we seem to be held accountable for any application whether we did it or not, so it is within our interest to see that unqualified and illegal applicators are identified and cited. The professional pest control industry can help us do exactly that."

Another concern raised by AMCA representatives dealt with potential over-application of pesticides in an area treated by a MAD and then again by a local pest control operator. To pest management professionals, this seemed unlikely primarily because they avoid aerial broadcast applications. "We just don’t do it," one pest management professional commented, "and if we’re asked to fog a yard prior to an outdoor event, it is a one-time application with a separate and very different contract that must be agreed to by the homeowner." Instead of broadcast applications, the typical backyard application offered by the panel members consists of a highly targeted application of a long-residual insecticide to border shrubbery, where mosquitoes rest during the day. Each pest management professional agreed that they also counsel homeowners about IPM and especially about the importance of eliminating standing water in the yard.

These observations led to a solid agreement that the most important way in which mosquito control professionals — whether a MAD or a pest management professional — can complement each another’s work is to communicate with each another. Several panel members told of how these meetings, whether initiated by the pest management professional or MAD representative, resulted in highly productive partnerships. In fact, the AMCA panelists commented that it was in their interest to be able to recommend qualified pest management professionals to homeowners who had mosquito problems that their MAD could not handle on a local basis.

Time limitations made it impossible for the panelists to respond to all of the questions posed by the audience. A repeat performance is already under discussion. Although this was a valuable discussion, I’d recommend two adjustments for the next time: more time and a larger room.

The author has years of marketing experience and held several marketing positions with FMC. He was most recently vice president of sales and marketing for Zoecon/Wellmark International. In May, Chalk joined Home Paramount Pest Control, Baltimore, Md., as director of sales and marketing. He can be reached at bchalk@giemedia.com.