[PCT On The Road] Back To School

A quick look at topics for this year’s Purdue Pest Management Conference demonstrates how pest control has evolved into a technically involved profession requiring continuing training. Thus, it is appropriate that this year’s conference, held in early January at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., was dedicated to one of the industry’s foremost proponents of education — Dr. Austin Frishman.

Frishman, president of AMF Pest Management Consulting, Boca Raton, Fla., gave his final presentation at the Purdue conference on the first day of the meeting titled "Maximizing Your Own Luck to Avoid Trouble." On the next day’s opening session, the 71st Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference was dedicated to Frishman "in appreciation for his many contributions to Purdue and the pest management industry."

Purdue Pest Management Conference Chair Gary Bennett thanked Frishman for his contributions to the conference and also shared with attendees some personal information about Frishman. Bennett noted that Frishman is retiring from "cold weather" speaking engagements in order to spend more time in Florida with his wife, Barbara, children and grandchildren.

In accepting the plaque, Frishman stated that he was fortunate to enter the pest management profession at a time when it was seeking to become better educated. "You are headed in the right direction as an industry — continue on that path," Frishman said.

HIGHLIGHTS. Other memorable moments included:

• A review of the latest innovative products by Steritech’s Dean Stanbridge. In addition to talking about the pest control products, Stanbridge reviewed many office/field technologies such as hand-held devices, software, digital cameras, etc. Stanbridge is a proponent of offices becoming paperless and encouraged attendees to explore paperless technology.

• Virginia Tech researcher Dini Miller’s presentation "German Cockroach Control in 2007 — What is New?" Miller reviewed the issue of bait aversion and detailed how the industry has responded to this challenge.

• Dan Collins’ presentation "Tramp Ants and Their Management" specifically focused on odorous house ants (OHA), a particularly troublesome pest in the Midwest. Collins, owner of Collins Pest Management, Evansville, Ind., said OHAs are difficult to control because: a) they are present in large numbers; b) they have multiple nesting sites with multiple queens, and; c) they are highly mobile. Collins said the inspection is even more critical when dealing with OHAs. He says it usually takes him two to three hours to inspect an account for OHAs. Collins outlined four critical components of OHA inspections for pest professionals to follow:

1. Identify pest ant species present.

2. Identify the source, extent and severity of the ant infestation.

3. Identify conditions conducive (or potentially conducive) for
ant development.

4. Identify the safest, most effective pest management practices.

• Terminix’s Stoy Hedges gave a presentation titled "Carpenter Ants: Management Considerations." Hedges reviewed two strategies that are popular among PCOs.

1. Search and destroy

• find interior colonies

• drill and apply dust or aerosol

• make the appropriate perimeter treatments

2. Leave no stone unturned

• drill and dust all wall voids

• dust electric outlets

• dust under attic insulation into soffits

• residual treatment in crawl space

• perimeter treatment

• find and directly treat outdoor colonies

In addition to these presentations, this year’s conference featured an exhibit floor, in which manufacturers and service providers were on hand to show off their innovations and product offerings.

The 72nd Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference will be held in West Lafayette, Ind., Jan. 7-11, 2008. Contact Susan Umberger at 800/359-2968 or sumberger@purdue.edu for additional information.

The author is Internet editor of PCT magazine. He can be reached at bharbison@giemedia.com.