Photo Review: Purdue Pest Management Conference
West Lafayette, Ind. — The Purdue Pest Management Conference, held in January at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., provided attendees with an opportunity to hear from leading professionals, check out the latest pest control products in the exhibit hall and network with one another. The following photo review includes speakers, attendees and ceremonies from the event.
 LEFT: Greg Long, Ace Pest Control, North Webster, Ind., was selected for the IPMA Hall of Fame. MIDDLE: Jim (left) and Chuck Haggerty are recognized for 50 years of attendance at the Purdue Pest Management Conference. RIGHT: (Left to right) Purdue’s Gary Bennett, Purdue’s Michael Scharf and Pest Control Services’ Don Resetar talk after the Pi Chi Omega dinner meeting. |
 LEFT: New Indiana Pest Management Association officers (left to right): Scott Robbins, director; Mark Swihart, director; Judy Logsdon, director; Tim Kaforke, director; Ray Siegel, vice president; Syed Shah, immediate past president; Jeff Zeigler, president; John Walton, director; Sarah Florey, director; and Gary Bennett, secretary. MIDDLE: Bobby Corrigan, RMC Consulting, presented “Update in Urban Rodent IPM,” which was sponsored by Bell Laboratories. RIGHT: Mark Sheperdigian, Rose Pest Solutions, spoke to attendees about bed bug biology in his presentation “Putting Fears to Rest Through Sound Practices and Procedures |
 LEFT: Mike Parker, Jerry L. Schroder and Dan McGhiey (left to right) were recognized at the Purdue Conference for 10 years of attendance. MIDDLE: Pete Markham (left) and David Lisanby (middle) are congratulated by Purdue’s Gary Bennett for 25 years of attendance at the Purdue Conference. RIGHT: Pi Chi Omega Executive Director Vern Toblan speaks at the organization’s dinner meeting. |
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Scholarships Available from Pi Chi Omega
WILMINGTON, Del. — Pi Chi Omega will make available four $2,000 scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year. Notifications were sent to 137 entomology professors representing 61 institutions of higher education, advising them of the availability of these scholarships to qualifying students.
Applications need to be received by the executive director by March 31. Application forms and other information can be downloaded from www.pichiomega.org. Additional information is available by contacting Executive Director Vern Toblan by mail: P.O. Box 8149, Wilmington, DE 19803; phone: 302/376-6714; or email: verntoblan@verizon.net.
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Compelling Communications Redesigns Web Site
St. Louis, MO. – As part of the 15-year celebration of the establishment of Compelling Communications, the company has redesigned its web site.
The newly designed site makes it clearer what Compelling Communications does for its clients — i.e. making them stand out in their field. The site is easier to navigate, offers free articles for use in publications and web sites and showcases the company’s creative efforts.
“The new look and feel of the site makes it more user friendly,” explains owner June Van Klaveren. “It also presents a better picture of the benefits of working with my company.”
Compelling Communications (800/779-0067) is a full-service marketing company that focuses on helping pest control companies market their services. The web site address is www.compellingcommunications.com. The company also owns www.howtomarketpestcontrol.com.
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PCO Lenny Harris Remembered as a Mentor
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The pest control industry and city of Alexandria, Va., lost a friend, mentor and activist with the news that the body of Lenny Harris, age 53, was recovered from a well in Fort Washington, Md., on Jan. 26. Harris had been missing since September 2011 and was last seen talking on his cell phone before he disappeared from an Alexandria recreation center. According to the Washington Post, police arrested 49-year-old Linwood Johnson of Temple Hills in the slaying. Officers said robbery was the motive, and the two men knew each other.
Harris was founder and owner of U-Can-Trust Pest and Termite Service, Alexandria, Va. He also owned a T-shirt sales business and is remembered for his willingness to give advice to young entrepreneurs, including Cleveland Dixon, president, Holiday Termite & Pest Control, Alexandria, Va.
“Lenny was a successful small businessperson who was very involved in the community,” Dixon said. “He was always looking out for the underserved. He was an extremely selfless person. He will be missed.”
Harris was a respected figure in the community. The longtime Alexandria resident was also a respected activist who founded the nonprofit Operation Hope, which provides free mentoring and career-development services. A Facebook tribute page was set up on behalf of Harris on which former Alexandria City Council Woman Joyce Woodson wrote, “There is a big loss in Alexandria. Not many left willing to speak truth to power. Pray for his family and thank God Lenny was with us here to help us see the light...if only for a short time.”
— Brad Harbison
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Send your announcement at least 14 weeks in advance to jdorsch@giemedia.com. For additional dates, visit www.pctonline.com/events. |
Brownyard’s New Coverage for PMPs Covers Monetary Damages
Bay Shore, N.Y. — Brownyard Group (www.brownyard.com), a program administrator providing specialized insurance coverage for select industry groups, recently announced that it has introduced a new Errors and Omissions (E&O) coverage for its PCOpro pest control program to cover monetary damages.
The new protection goes beyond standard liability coverage for bodily injury, property damage and personal injury, and provides protection against claims seeking monetary damages due to the negligence of the PMP, the firm said.
“As part of treatment or inspection claims, especially those related to bed bugs, businesses can potentially seek monetary damages to cover lost revenue and other expenses not normally covered by a commercial general liability policy,” said John Culotta, program manager of PCOpro. “Our innovative E&O endorsement offers pest control professionals this important protection, which is not easy to find among insurers today.”
Brownyard Group has underwriting authority for the E&O endorsement, which is written on an admitted basis. Coverage is written through an insurance carrier rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and is available in most states.
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BedBug Central’s Boot Camp Takes a Road Trip to Pennsylvania
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — BedBug Central is collaborating with the Pennsylvania Pest Management Association to offer the Pennsylvania Bed Bug Boot Camp to educate professionals. The boot camp, to be held on April 4 and 5 at the Chester County Intermediate Unit in Downingtown, Penn., is an offshoot of BedBug Central’s BedBug University: Boot Camp.
The boot camp will focus on the knowledge and skills needed to create, run or manage a successful bed bug program. It offers a series of courses that provide in-depth, practical and actionable knowledge regarding pertinent areas surrounding bed bugs and effective treatment. Sessions will include Bed Bugs 101: Basics of Bed Bug Biology, Bed Bugs 102: Protocol Overview, Bed Bug 201: Tools of the Trade and Bed Bug 301: The Business of Bed Bugs.
It will also focus on the concepts of minimal preparation and the principles of least disruption to increase productivity by reducing labor and ultimately reducing costs for pest management companies while increasing the value and convenience for customers. In addition to the educational sessions, attendees can visit exhibits that showcase products and services from bed bug industry leaders.
The traditional BedBug University: Boot Camp is a four-day course offered six times per year and is designed to shorten the learning curve of companies that want to increase bed bug revenues and enhance their business model. The program examines the most effective and efficient treatment protocols and provides hands-on training with industry-standard tools.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Bed Bug Boot Camp, visit www.bedbugcentral.com/bedbuguniversity/pennsylvania_boot_camp.cfm or call 877/411-1142.
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Dow AgroSciences named Jill Zeller to product manager for its U.S. Pest Management Baiting and Monitoring business. Zeller joined Dow in September 2011 and replaces Lindsay Farley, who was recently named workforce planning specialist. Dean Gaiser was named Central Life Sciences’ 2011 recipient of the “Salesman of the Year” award for the Zoëcon Professional Products division. Gaiser is the Western Region manager responsible for Central Life Sciences’ vector, professional pest management and wastewater markets. Charlie Jones was promoted to senior vice president of Arrow Exterminators’ east and west Georgia Regions, which include service areas from Athens, Ga., to Jacksonville, Fla., and Macon, Ga., to Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Adam Reed was named Univar Professional Products & Services’ sales representative for California. Reed will be responsible for the San Diego and Imperial Valley regions and will replace Art Guzman who retired in 2011 after 30 years of service. Additionally, Raoul Persaud joined the firm as an account executive for the Caribbean region, based out of Puerto Rico. The company also announced a new regional structure with James Delaney, John Charleston and Kurt Grade named as regional directors, reporting to General Manager Trace McEuen. James Osuch was named director of human resources. Charleston is now regional director for the West, with the Western region increasing its geography to include the Pacific Northwest and the state of Utah. Delaney is promoted to regional director of the Central Region, which now spans Colorado and New Mexico to Ohio and includes Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Delaney continues to be located in Indianapolis and retains responsibility for the PP&S operations in Canada. Grade is now the regional director of the Eastern Region, responsible for business from Florida to Maine and west to Alabama and Tennessee. Osuch was promoted to human resources director for PP&S, reporting to John Bolanos. In his new position, Osuch is the driving force in directing the recruiting, training and development of the Univar PP&S organization. Christine Busacca was named the director of strategic communications at BedBug Central. In this position, Busacca will spearhead BedBug Central’s efforts to increase education and awareness about bed bugs. Galvin Murphy, owner of Yankee Pest Control in Malden, Mass., was the 19th recipient of the New England Pest Management Association’s Bart Eldridge Award. The award is named after the first president of the NEPMA and awarded to a member who has made a long-term commitment to the betterment of the pest control industry in New England. BASF appointed Chad Reese as product manager for the Termidor portfolio for its Pest Control Solutions business in North America. Reese joins BASF from Nestlé Purina PetCare. |
If your company has added new personnel, send a photo and press release to
WPCA President Mieszala Dies
HARTFORD, Wis. — The Wisconsin Pest Control Association announced the passing of President Jim Mieszala, 59, of Hitman Pest Control. A pest control industry veteran, Mieszala worked in pest control for more than 20 years, and operated his own firm for more than seven years.
Mieszala passed away after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Cynthia, two children, three stepchildren, three grandchildren, and many other family and friends.
In addition to pest control, Jim’s passion was music. He was the enthusiastic leader and polka musician for the “Chicago Magic” and “Music Explosion” bands.
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Invasive Species Video Now Online UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pennsylvania IPM Program (PA IPM) has posted a new online video on the Asian longhorned beetle, purple loosestrife and other invasive species titled “BugMobile vs. Invasive Species.” The video is available at http://extension.psu.edu/ipm/resources/bugmobile-vs.-invasive-species. Geared toward lower and upper secondary students, the video offers suggestions for managing invasive species using integrated pest management. Hosted and narrated by PA IPM’s talking car, The BugMobile, the video identifies the effects of humans and human events on watersheds, explains species diversity, introduces species that are classified as pests in their new environment, and analyzes the benefits to the environment and society associated with alternative practices used in IPM. In addition, a lesson plan is available as a downloadable PDF from the program’s website. For more information on school IPM, see the PA IPM Program’s web site at www.paipm.org, click the “Schools” link. The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, aimed at promoting Integrated Pest Management in agricultural and urban settings. For more information, contact the program at 814/865-2839, or visit www.paipm.org. |
Training Center To Hire PMPs as Program Presenters
SUFFERN, N.Y. — The Pest Management Training Center is expanding its programs on a nationwide scale. For the past 20 years, the company has offered training and consulting services in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Now the company has developed a series of continuing educational programs that will be offered to a nationwide audience. Programs will be offered in general pest management, IPM, ornamental and turf, termite, aquatic insect and plant, and public health.
As part of this expansion, the company is hiring experienced pest management professionals to serve as program presenters. According to the center, its experienced trainers will provide continuing education programs several times each year in the geographic areas where they live. The programs will be offered during seminars occurring in multiple states on the same day. Each program comes with workbooks produced in English or Spanish that can be used to develop a reference library for workshop attendees. Each program also will be pre-approved by the state’s regulatory agency, and re-certification credits will be awarded to eligible participants, the training center said. Visit www.pestmanagementtraining.com to learn more.
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New Book Now Available: “Wasp and Bee Management: A Common-Sense Approach”
ITHACA, N.Y. — A new book, “Wasp and Bee Management: A Common-Sense Approach,” by Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, is now available. Gangloff-Kaufmann is a senior extension associate with the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University. The book was published by NRAES, a program in Cornell’s Department of Horticulture.
The spiral-bound, 5- by 8-inch, full-color, 88-page book includes detailed identification information for wasp, hornet, yellow jacket and bee species common in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states and adjoining Canadian provinces. Recommended for professional pest managers, landscapers and homeowners, it has more than 60 color photographs and descriptive profiles of more than 20 wasp and bee species, detailing habitat, appearance, behavior, risk level and more. The risk for stings, swarms and property damage is discussed, and non-chemical recommendations are given if action is appropriate. Also included is information on IPM, preventing and treating stings, trap assembly, nest removal and exclusion and seasonal management tasks. An appendix summarizes common species and their sting-risk level. A list of resources is provided for further information.
The book is available at www.nraes.org for $14 plus $4.25 shipping and handling. Quantity discounts are available. For more information, call NRAES at 607/255-7654, email nraes@cornell.edu or visit www.nraes.org.
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Injured Iraq War Veteran’s Donated Home Protected by the Sentricon System
ORLANDO, Fla. — Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit organization that builds houses for injured war veterans, has completed construction on a new home for Army Spc. Luis Puertas, who lost both his legs in an explosion in Baghdad, Iraq. Spc. Puertas’ new home in Orlando, Fla., is handicap-accessible, environmentally friendly and protected from termites by the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System with Always Active technology.
The Sentricon System was installed by Falcon Termite & Pest Control of Orlando, which donated the time. Dow AgroSciences, maker of the Sentricon System, donated the product. The 3,000-square-foot home was constructed by NWC Construction of Orlando, and the keys turned over to Puertas in a November 2011 ceremony.
Spc. Puertas’ new home is also slated to receive the Florida Green Building Coalition Platinum Level certification and maximum indoor air quality, water conservation and energy efficiency.
Falcon and Dow also collaborated to install the Sentricon System at Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Fla., and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida.
The system has also received the Environmental Protection Agency’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, recognizing technical innovation that incorporates environmentally responsible chemistry into its design, manufacture and use.
The Sentricon System also was installed to protect the Statue of Liberty and the U.S. Capitol building, where recent subterranean termite activity dates back to 2002, when termites were swarming inside the building. It was feared that the infestation was severe, so scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service were called in to investigate the species of termite. It was discovered to be Reticulitermes virginicus, a native subterranean species. Liquid chemical treatments were applied to the soil, and termite-damaged wood baseboards were replaced but to no avail. So in August 2011, the Sentricon System was installed.
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Please send press releases about your firm to jdorsch@giemedia.com.
Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators acquired Spencer Pest Services of Florida. Spencer is a full-service company with locations in Melbourne and Vero Beach. “We made a strategic decision to focus on our future growth opportunities in South Carolina and Georgia and were looking for a home for our Florida business,” said Sheri Spencer, owner. “The family values and similar culture we share with Arrow Exterminators will make this transition seamless for our employees and our customers.” “We have been looking to acquire a quality full-service pest and termite control company in this part of Florida to complement and grow our existing Florida operations,” said Emily Thomas Kendrick, CEO/president of Arrow. “Spencer’s commitment to their customers, family values and passion for customer service as well as their full-service offerings is a perfect fit with us. “
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UK Entomology Celebrates 120 Years
LEXINGTON, KY. — The University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, part of the UK College of Agriculture, recently celebrated its 120th anniversary. The event featured presenters including Gary Miller, a USDA entomologist, and Mike Potter, UK extension professor. Items on display included a collection of insect illustrations believed to have been drawn by William C. Matthews, who worked in the department as an illustrator and photographer between 1909 and 1913. Also on display were living insects, graduate student research, Civil War artifacts and historical information on bed bugs.
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J.T. Eaton Donates Glueboards
TWINSBURG, Ohio and NEW YORK — J.T. Eaton recently donated several cases of glueboards to the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp. (NMIC), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of the people in its community. J.T. Eaton was referred to the organization by Andy Linares, president of Bug Off Pest Control Center, New York, N.Y.
“We had a surplus of glueboard pallets, and wanted to do something through our Stanley Z. Baker Foundation,” said Dale Baker, grandson of the foundation’s namesake and vice president of J.T. Eaton. “We knew that a call to Andy Linares would bring us the answer.”
“When the J.T. Eaton team called and asked me if I knew of a deserving organization for a product donation, I thought of NMIC right away,” recalled Linares. “With New York City’s high rodent population, the glueboards have made a world of difference in the level of comfort for these families and their homes.”
Barbara Lowry, NMIC’s executive director, added, “We’re very happy to distribute the donation of glueboards to our clients, tenant associations and our weatherization program buildings. We appreciate the generosity and kindness of both Bug Off and J.T. Eaton.”
Explore the March 2012 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
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