Industry News, July 2000

Ft. Lauderdale — In response to widespread concerns over shoddy termite pretreatments being performed throughout Florida, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) held public meetings in West Palm Beach, May 31 and in Ft. Lauderdale, June 1.

The purpose of the meetings was to educate and raise homeowner awareness about termite pretreatments in light of an article titled, "Homeowners beware: termites and swindlers fly together" that appeared in the May 13th Sun-Sentinel.

The Florida article warned that many homes may be at risk for termite damage because of poor-quality termite pretreatments. At issue was the practice of dishonest PCOs who bid termite treatment jobs too low and then, to make up for this action, shortchange customers, either by using a highly diluted solution or not providing sufficient coverage, the article reported.

Allowing the situation to worsen in Florida are weak laws, minimal enforcement and the practices of builders hiring pest control companies to perform the work, the article stated. In particular, the article cited the fact that the maximum penalty for a "grossly deficient" pretreatment is $5,000 per violation and that Florida has only 13 inspectors to police 28,000 technicians.

Steve Dwinell, assistant director for the department’s Agricultural Environmental Services Division, represented Florida DACS at both meetings. He fielded questions from the audience consisting of concerned PCOs, representatives from the building industry and homeowners. Although homeowners made up a small percentage of the audience at both meetings, Dwinell said their involvement in these types of forums is important.

"We welcome these opportunities to educate the public because we’ve got a lot of people who move down here from the North and haven’t had to deal with termite problems," Dwinell said. "If the 20 or so people who were in attendance tell their friends and neighbors about what they learned and make them aware of who we (DACS) are, it was productive."

Contributing to the discussions and answering questions at the Ft. Lauderdale meeting was Rusty Carroll, chief structural code compliance officer, Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals.

Carroll reviewed alternative termite pretreatment options, such as building with termiticide-treated wood, and he addressed the problem of how builders have exacerbated the problem by irresponsibly choosing pest control companies.

"The problem is that builders are taking the lowest (bid) possible," Carroll said. "The good pest control companies — the ones with second and third generation PCOs — are not the problem," he added.

Dwinell said that Florida DACS has been working with pest control associations to help the department gain more resources and increase awareness.

"It’s our hope that PCOs do the job right. We don’t want it to be a situation where ‘you can’t compete unless you are willing to cheat,’" Dwinell said.

Boston — More than 40 PCOs in Massachusetts have agreed to change their advertising after receiving pressure from Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly, who said that pest control ads promoting "risk-free" pesticides were misleading to consumers.

Through the agreement, which was announced in late May, PCOs pledged to no longer run ads with images of young children (implying that pesticides are safe to use around children) or imply that the methods and products used for professional pest control are "safe" and "government approved."

"A number of the ads had representations that were both factually inaccurate and also, we believe, misleading by saying that the controller was using ‘government-approved’ pesticides," said Andrew Goldberg, assistant attorney general, Environmental Protection Division.

The attorney general’s office in Massachusetts conducted a comprehensive review of pest control advertising in the state after it learned of a similar review being completed by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MassPIRG).

"There was a two-fold impetus. In the first place our office has been very involved in deceptive environmental marketing claims in a number of different industries, so we were sensitive to this type of issue. Beyond that, a public advocacy group (MassPIRG) specifically identified a number of PCOs in Massachusetts that were using this type of advertising," Goldberg said.

After its review, the attorney general’s office concluded that 43 pest control companies in the state had misleading ads and it negotiated individual agreements with each of the companies to remedy the violations. The overall concern, Goldberg says, was that these ads tended to make consumers "less wary," rather than "appropriately wary," of pesticide use in and around their homes. "We certainly aren’t suggesting that there is anything inherently wrong with pesticides necessarily if used prudently, but it is important that consumers be in a position to weigh all the potential risks and benefits," Goldberg said.

At issue specifically are four categories of claims that the attorney general says are misleading and that PCOs must cease within 30 days in the case of business signs, billboards, vehicles, business cards, letterhead, etc., and within one year in the case of Yellow Page advertising. The four claims to be avoided in any form are: 1) implying that pesticides are "risk free"; 2) using images of young people or statements implying that pesticides are safe around children; 3) claiming that pesticides or the pest control methods used are "safe"; and 4) that the products used are "government approved," rather than government registered, thus implying that they are endorsed or recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency or another regulatory body.

Don Rivard, executive director, New England Pest Control Association (NEPCA), says his association has been in contact with the attorney general’s office on this issue for more than a year. Earlier this year, NEPCA recommended to its members that they refrain from using words like "safe" and "risk free" in advertising. However, Rivard said, the association refused to endorse the latest effort because it disagreed with several components. The association disagrees with the attorney general’s contention that certain images, mainly photos of children, should be removed from advertising and that all "environmentally friendly" language should be removed as well. "We couldn’t agree with their action, because it is too broad in interpretation," Rivard said.

Though this latest action is limited to Massachusetts, Rivard expects to see similar activity in other states that have strong Pubic Interest Research Groups, most notably Maryland and California.

In conjunction with the announcement, Attorney General Reilly also issued a pest control advisory to consumers, which addresses commonly asked questions about pest control and the attorney general’s responses to them. For the entire advisory, check out the web at www.ago.state.ma.us/pest.asp.

Philadelphia — PCOs in North Carolina can now use FMC Corp.’s FirstLine GT Plus Termite Bait Stations as stand-alone products. The change comes as a result of the North Carolina Structural Pest Control Committee recently reclassifying the stations from "supplemental" to "sole source."

Prior to the committee changing the product’s status, usage of FirstLine in North Carolina required a concurrent liquid termiticide treatment. The new classification allows PCOs greater flexibility and no longer obligates pest control operators to complete special waiver forms that require property owners’ signatures.

The committee is composed of university researchers, PCOs and representatives from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

In related news, FMC announced recently that Louisiana authorities elected to remove both FirstLine and FirstLine GT Plus termite stations from its Pilot Program, paving the way for increased usage by PCOs. The Louisiana Termite Bait Committee recommended removing the products from the Pilot Program on March 28, and the Louisiana Structural Pest Control Committee approved the move April 12.

"We appreciate the support and enthusiasm of both the PCOs and regulators during the Pilot Program, and we’re confident that our FirstLine bait stations will make a difference in Louisiana," said George Meindl, FMC’s registration manager.

Removal from the Pilot Program means FirstLine termite baits are officially recognized in the state as products that control termites.

St. Louis — Whitmire Micro-Gen’s biennial educational conference, the Institute of Technology, will be held this year at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, Aug. 27-30.

The program features keynote speaker, Bob Case, president, Sears Pest Control, Orlando, as well as research reports from universities and a wide range of business and industry topics.

The program will close with a two-part presentation on the principles of the service management chain and innovations in service businesses by Sandra Sucher. She is member of the Harvard Business School Faculty where she is senior lecturer in the technology and operations management area.

Extracurricular activities planned include an Old Town trolley tour of Boston, a reception at the John Hancock Observatory, a "Taste of Boston" dinner at the New England Aquarium and a walking tour of the Harvard campus.

Some of the educational sessions will include: Managing for the Millennium, Don Jamison, Jamison Consultants; E-Business and Pest Control, Richard Foster, GIE Media; Effective Perimeter Control, Dr. Mike Potter, University of Kentucky; and What Every PCO Needs to Know About HACCP, Dr. Bob Gravani, Cornell University.

For additional information, call 800/777-8570.

Parsippany, N.J. — American Cyanamid is continuing its "Green Connection" rebate program for PCOs making purchases of SiegePro or AmdroPro fire ant bait. Operators can now save $1 per pound on purchases of 70 pounds or more.

To receive a rebate for either product, end users must complete the rebate coupon and attach copies of the distributor invoice(s) as proof of purchase. All rebate submissions must be postmarked by Sept. 29. Redemption forms are available from distributors or from the company’s website at www.pestcontrolfacts.com.

West Lafayette, Ind. — About $25,000 in scholarships is awarded each year through the Center for Urban and Industrial Pest Management at Purdue University. The Urban Center, as it’s commonly known, was initiated at Purdue in 1992 to better serve the education and research needs of the pest control industry.

The Urban Center 21 Club was established in the mid-1990s in cooperation and consultation with a pest control industry organizing committee to promote and ensure a long-term and solid financial base for research, education and continuing education in the 21st century. The Industrial Affiliates (Dow AgroSciences, Aventis Environmental Science, S.C. Johnson Wax, Zeneca Professional Products and Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Laboratories) have worked closely with the committee in the development effort.

During the most recent Purdue Pest Control Conference, Wall of Honor members (those whose gifts have exceeded $500) in attendance gathered for the photo on page 18. Currently there are more than 400 companies and individual who have become 21 Club members.

Cleveland — Pest Control Technology, the leading trade publication serving the structural pest control industry, announces the dates for the launch of the PCT Executive Session Conference — a conference designed for pest management professionals looking for an interactive, unique educational experience.

PCT Executive Session, co-sponsored by Aventis Environmental Science, will be held Jan. 11-13, 2001, at the Renaissance Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizo. The topic — Unlocking the Secrets of Consumer Marketing — is an important one for pest management professionals seeking to tap into the large number of consumers who do not currently purchase professional pest management services.

The featured presenter for PCT Executive Session is Christie Nordhielm, professor at the Northwestern University’s JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management, the nation’s No. 1 graduate business school, according to Business Week and US News & World Report magazines.

PCT Executive Session will be an in-depth, interactive conference with a strong emphasis on problem solving, small group work and examining case studies that shed light on what consumers’ "hot buttons" are when it comes to purchasing. The content of PCT Executive Session will be based on real-world business models that will open attendees’ minds to new ways of thinking of consumer marketing.

Aside from the educational opportunities at PCT Executive Session, attendees will enjoy a premier destination in the Renaissance Scottsdale Resort, located in the shadow of Camelback Mountain in the heart of the Sonoran Dessert outside Phoenix.

For information on the PCT Executive Session Conference, contact Maria Miller at mmiller@giemedia.com or call 800/456-0707. Complete registration will be available in the September issue of PCT magazine and online at www.pctexecutivesession.com.

Wemouth, Mass. — Watch All Inc. announced the purchase of EnRoute Services of Roslindale, Mass. EnRoute provides pest control services to multi-family housing developments throughout Massachusetts. Frank Williams, former owner of EnRoute, will remain active within the organization and the companies will operate independently.