[November News]

NPMA distributes relief funds to hurricane victims

FAIRFAX, VA. — In October, the National Pest Management Association distributed $72,000 to 284 pest control industry hurricane victims.

According to Rob Lederer, NPMA executive vice president, "NPMA, in cooperation with the Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi Pest Control Associations, hosted distribution sites in Gulfport, Miss., Baton Rouge, La., and Mobile, Ala. Pest control company owners, managers and employees were asked to present proof of employment as well as their applicator’s license. We were able to provide 284 victims with $250 each."

The National Pest Management Association is also hosting a job board to help with temporary relocation, jobs and housing. "We are pleased to offer this service and feel this is what an association should be doing in this time of crisis," Lederer said.

Georgia approves Termidor Perimeter Plus label amendment

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The Georgia Department of Agriculture has accepted an amended label for Termidor termiticide-insecticide from BASF. The amended label includes directions-for-use for exterior-perimeter/localized-interior (EP/LI) control of subterranean termites.

The amended Termidor label — described by BASF as a PerimeterPLUS treatment — provides a new option for post-construction control of subterranean termites. Termidor is the only liquid termiticide to receive U.S. EPA approval of EP/LI treatment directions-for-use.

Forty-seven states have now signed off on the PerimeterPLUS label amendment. BASF will continue working with state officials to gain approval of the amended Termidor label in Louisiana and Mississippi (Termidor is currently not registered for use in the state of New York).

Dosland, Corrigan provide in-depth look at food warehouse pest management

CHICAGO — Pest management professionals and quality assurance professionals learned some of the finer points of providing pest management in food warehouses and distribution centers at the PCT/QA Pest Management in Food Warehouses and Distribution Centers seminars, held in Chicago and Baltimore in September.Featuring Dr. Bobby Corrigan of RMC Pest Management Consulting and Ole Dosland of QCC Services, the seminars covered everything from how to conduct a thorough facility inspection to how to prepare for a successful audit. In addition, Corrigan and Dosland reviewed successful strategies for controlling commonly encountered pests such as rodents, flies, birds and stored product pests.

The format of the advanced seminars allowed for Dosland and Corrigan to explore these subjects in greater depth. For example, Dosland defined IPM as "a preventative pest management system that combines several methods to keep pests below levels that may cause a loss of profit." He then broke down IPM into the following components: inspection/identification; exclusion; housekeeping; physical controls; employee actions; monitoring; and treatments.

Dosland provided tips establishing preventive conditions to eliminate pests on grounds, buildings and in/on products. For example, pallets can often be damaged or can damage rodent bait stations when forklift operators unload pallets too close to a wall — not allowing the recommended 18- to 24-inch clearance. Dosland said this can be avoided by painting a "drop line" 48 inches out from the wall to give a forklift operator a stopping point.

Corrigan also provided his keys to pest management for food storage facilities and went into detail on pests such as rodents, stored product pests and flying insects. For example, Corrigan said a common problem he’s observed is placing too much pest management attention on the open side of a warehouse. "Don’t overlook the importance of the wind, which will blow odors back into the warehouse. Target your pest control services in areas that are downwind," he said.

Corrigan also touched on the industry’s use of scanning and bar coding equipment. While Corrigan commended firms that are using this new technology, he said he’s seen that some companies are not analyzing that data, and thus not taking full advantage of the technology.

In addition to the presentations from Dosland and Corrigan, the Pest Management in Food Warehouses and Distribution Centers Seminar provided networking opportunities and a chance to learn about products and services from the event’s sponsors: Liphatech, MGK, Steritech, Syngenta, Trece and Whitmire Micro-Gen. — Brad Harbison

Slaten & O’Connor + Paul Bello = New consulting service

MONTGOMERY, ALA. — During the past five years Cliff Slaten, founding partner, Slaten & O’Connor, Montgomery, Ala., observed a disturbing trend among his client base, which consists of hundreds of pest control operators throughout the United States. Slaten was struck by what he calls "attack suits," or litigation relating to the industry’s operating procedures. "We’re seeing the same mistakes occurring across the country," he said.

It’s also become a problem that, too often, Slaten believed, was not being addressed until it was too late — when cases were in litigation. "Based on our experience we believe PCOs can take some proactive steps to reduce the risk of litigation," Slaten said.

So, Slaten & O’Connor have joined forces with industry consultant Paul Bello to address this perceived void with the launch of Pest Management Consulting (PMC). The way this partnership works is Slaten & O’Connor will provide functions such as reviewing paperwork, policies and procedures, while Bello will lend his training and quality assurance expertise. PMC will offers consulting services such as:

• Risk avoidance programs

• Technical consulting

• Audit services

• Total quality management

• Operational audits

Slaten said he believes the partnership with Bello has made for a formidable team that brings to the table the necessary business, legal and technical background. While this service is available to all companies, partner Mike O’Connor says he thinks it will be particularly valuable to small- and mid-sized companies, many of which do not have a full-time legal/regulatory staff member. O’Connor added that in terms of pricing, PMC will first do a company-wide assessment and then make service recommendations. Once both parties agree on the services a flat, up-front fee is charged.

For more information, e-mail Slaten at cslaten@slatenlaw.com.

Orange County Choppers builds termite bike for Forshaw Distribution

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Forshaw Distribution recently has worked with Orange County Choppers to design and build a one-of-a-kind Termite Bike. The chopper is a 119-inch Super Stretch Hardtail featuring a 100-cubic-inch motor and a paint scheme that shows wood that has been damaged by termites."We plan on displaying the Termite Bike at various pest management shows, home shows, builder shows, and other public events throughout the southeast," said Tom Forshaw IV, Forshaw’s national sales manager.

The Termite Bike was on display at PestWorld 2005 and then began to tour the southeast. For more information visit www.ForshawOnline.com.

Tradition meets technology at Middleton Place

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Visitors to the Middleton Place National Historic Landmark don’t worry about fire ants thanks to a treatment of DuPont Advion fire ant bait.This summer, Middleton Place received a complimentary treatment of DuPont Advion fire ant bait from DuPont Professional Products, applied free of charge by National Exterminating, Charleston. Pest management and lawn care professionals from the Charleston area also attended the event for a continuing education session on fire ant biology and new control technologies.

More information about fire ant biology and DuPont Advion fire ant bait also can be found at the site.

"We are proud to share the history and beauty of Middleton Place with visitors and Low Country residents alike," said Sidney Frazier, vice president of horticulture, Middleton Place. "I’ve always been looking for a better fire ant treatment, and after our initial trial, Advion was far above any other products we’ve tried."

PestSure celebrates 25th anniversary

DALLAS, TEXAS — More than 110 stockholders, officers and staff of PestSure celebrated the company’s 25th anniversary in Bermuda in June. During the stockholder meeting, Chief Operating Officer Rex Jennings announced that the PestSure organization currently insures 92 companies with 11,032 vehicles and $415.2 million in payroll. Those companies represent more than $1 billion in revenues. When PestSure was founded in 1980, there were 22 policyholder companies that had revenues of $58 million.

PestSure was founded out of necessity, said PestSure President Victor Hammel (president, J.C. Ehrlich Co.). According to PestSure, in the late 1970s, the traditional insurance industry became reluctant to insure pest control companies.

The original founders of PestSure were from the Copesan organization. Dick Keenan of Waltham Services headed an insurance committee that included Hammel and Bob Sameth of Western Industries. They became the founding members and officers of CPS Insurance, a captive reinsurance company domiciled in Bermuda.

PestSure is the domestic association that assists members with loss prevention and claims management activities. PestSure is the liaison with the insurance carrier, Old Republic Insurance Company, which is A+ rated by A.M. Best. For additional information, visit www.pestsure.com.

IMPASSE Termite Blocker now available in 6-inch size

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A new 6-inch IMPASSE Termite Blocker now allows homebuilders and pest management professionals to offer pre-construction termite protection for specific areas of new homes.The 6-inch blocker was created to meet builder demand that surfaced in Texas and Florida markets. Builders needed efficient pre-construction termite protection for areas of the home where they were using 6-inch PVC pipes.

IMPASSE Termite Blocker is a long-term, pre-construction solution that stops termites at some of the most common entry points into the customer’s home, the company says. IMPASSE Termite Blocker protects utility penetrations and bath trap areas from termite invasion. IMPASSE Termite Blocker is the only product that specifically targets vulnerable points, sealing long-term protection right into the foundation, the manufacturer reports.

Installed by authorized and certified pest management professionals prior to the pouring of a home’s concrete slab, each IMPASSE Termite Blocker can be installed and tightly sealed in about one minute, so there is little interruption to the construction process, Syngenta says. Once the concrete is poured, IMPASSE Termite Blockers become built in.

For more information, visit www.impasse.com.

New label expands approved uses for ProFume

INDIANAPOLIS — More markets segments are now able to use ProFume gas fumigant, due to a new label accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The new label expands the list of available uses. Developed by Dow AgroSciences, ProFume can now be used for food-processing facilities, pet food facilities, warehouses, shipping containers and more. For a complete listing of commodities, consult the product label. This label expansion now completes the federal regulatory package sought by Dow AgroSciences for ProFume.

ProFume was initially registered by EPA in January 2004 and is recognized as a replacement for methyl bromide.

Forty-eight states, including most recently California, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, registered ProFume under the original label. Similar registration is expected under the expanded label. ProFume is also registered for use in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and Italy with additional registrations being sought in other European countries.

For more information visit www.ProFume.com.

Bird Barrier opens NE shipping warehouse

NEW YORK — Bird Barrier America has opened for its East Coast customers a new New York City location. Bird control products often can be heavy, and building owners often force the installer to rush products from California at great expense. Now, professional installers can get their goods faster and at a fraction of the freight cost, the company reports."We already ship so much to the Northeast," said Cameron Riddell, Bird Barrier’s president, "it was basically a no-brainer. We are confident that we can save our customers thousands of dollars in freight alone, and get them their goods much faster." Customers can pick up goods at the location as well.

Bird Barrier will also drop ship the products on behalf of its distributors.

For more information, 800/503-5444 or visit www.birdbarrier.com.

DeltaDust receives food label approval in New York state

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Bayer Environmental Science announced that DeltaDust received approval for its new food label in the state of New York. This new formulation is the only waterproof dust on the market labeled for use in commercial food/feed handling establishments. Pest management professionals in all states can use the DeltaDust they have in stock according to the new EPA label directions as long as they have a new Specimen Label in their possession, Bayer reports. The label addition now allows PCOs in New York to treat both food and non-food areas in commercial food/feed handling establishments as a general surface, spot, or crack and crevice treatment. DeltaDust’s new label allows for use in food-handling areas in restaurants, bakeries, hospitals, nursing homes, cafeterias, supermarkets and zoos.