[News]

Terminix Professionals Help in House Fire Rescue

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. — Terminix sales professionals Craig Bush and Jennifer Medina helped save an elderly couple from a house fire in March.

Bush and Medina had just arrived at the home of a potential customer when they noticed smoke coming from a nearby house. After banging on the door until they received a response, Bush informed the homeowner, Linda Brackin, that her house was on fire and that she and her husband needed to evacuate immediately. She was in panic mode because her husband, George Brackin, who was very ill and on an IV, was upstairs in bed.

Bush said he considered carrying George Brackin down the stairs, "but he was a very frail gentleman, so I didn’t want to risk injuring him. I was able to get him up and he was able to walk under his own power. I gave him some encouragement to pick up the pace. As the smoke thickened it got close to the point of me picking him up, but fortunately it didn’t come to that."

Meanwhile, Medina stayed downstairs, called 911 and calmed Linda Brackin. "She was not in a good state of mind. She wanted to go back upstairs and get his medicine, so I had to calm her and restrain her from going back upstairs," Medina said.

Glenn Wilson, branch manager, Terminix, Muscle Shoals, Ala., said he was proud of Bush and Medina’s actions. "Not only were they at the right place at the right time, but they acted the way they were supposed to act," he said.

Bush said he thinks the whole episode was a divine intervention. "The interesting part to me is that the [prospective customer] at the house we initially went to visit, ultimately told us that she didn’t know why she called us in the first place. She wasn’t really interested (in pest control). Some folks might call that coincidence, but I think the Lord was looking over these people." — Brad Harbison

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U.S. Rep. Robert Dold to Speak at BedBug University

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — U.S. Representative Robert J. Dold, who is also president of Rose Pest Solutions, Northfield, Ill., will speak at the BedBug University: North American Summit. Dold is expected to address the key issues around federal government involvement in bed bug issues as well as potential legislation that can affect pest management firms.

The summit, which will be held by BedBug Central Sept. 25-27 at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, is designed to serve as an educational blueprint for all industries affected in the battle against bed bugs.

According to Phil Cooper, CEO of BedBug Central, Dold was invited to speak at this year’s summit in consideration of his unique perspective as both an industry professional and legislative representative.

"We are truly fortunate to have Congressman Dold accept our invitation to be a featured speaker of the summit," said Cooper. "Bob’s roots in pest management will provide attendees with a perspective that few other legislators can bring and his insights should be a highlight of this year’s summit."

Dold will address topics such as the federal government’s involvement in policies to limit the spread of bed bugs, potential legislation that pest management firms should consider and what role the government may play in assisting sectors in which bed bugs are becoming the most problematic.

As president of Rose Pest Solutions, the oldest pest management firm in the country, the Congressman is uniquely qualified to share insights from both a legislative perspective while taking into account the concerns of the pest management industry, BedBug Central reports.

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DATE BOOK

July 24-27: 94th annual meeting of the Florida Entomological Society, Ft. Myers, Fla. Contact: Visit http://flaentsoc.org/annual11.htm or call 407/884-2034, ext. 154.

July 28-30: Bed Bug Academy of the Southwest, Arlington, Texas. Contact: 512/467-6675 or www.texaspest.org.

July 21-23: NPMA Academy, Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Ariz. Contact: NPMA, 703/352-6762 or visit www.npmapestworld.org.

Aug. 2-4: Pest Control & Public Health Expo Mexico 2011, Centro Banamex, Mexico City. Contact: www.expocontroldeplagas.org.mx.

Aug. 28-31: Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials Annual Meeting, Mobile, Ala. Contact: www.aspcro.org/aspcromeeting.htm.

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Comings & Goings

Bayer Environmental Science, a business unit of Bayer CropScience, hired David Braness as Northwest area sales manager for Bayer’s Professional Pest Management (PPM) business, responsible for serving customers in Alaska, Arizona, northern California, northern Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Prior to joining Bayer, Braness was a general manager with Massey Services in Orlando, Fla.

Industry veteran Billy Blasingame joined Baccus Termite and Pest Control in Monroe, Ga., as the firm’s new general manager and training director. Blasingame, the son of NPMA Past President Bill Blasingame (1972-73), has more than 30 years of experience in the pest control industry.

Truly Nolen of America promoted Jorge Sandoval to commercial branch manager of the company’s San Diego, Calif., branch. Additionally, the firm promoted Jose Salas to branch manager of the firm’s Palm Springs location. Truly Nolen also promoted Andrew Martinez to commercial branch manager in Phoenix.

Rafael Rico, general manager of Hometown Pest Control in Boca Raton, Fla., recently became an Associate Certified Entomologist. Rico attended the Florida ACE program at the University of Florida Entomology/Nematology Department in Gainesville, Fla. He has been with the company since 2000 and held several positions before becoming general manager in 2004.

Wendy Bass joined State Pest Control, Clinton, N.C., as full-time route and scheduling manager.

Atlanta-based Orkin promoted Freeman Elliott to president of Orkin’s Atlantic Division. Elliott has worked in both commercial and residential sales and operations for the company and most recently was vice president of the company’s Atlantic division. In his new role, Elliott oversees about 70 locations.

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PPMA Launches Consumer Bed Bug Website

FAIRFAX, Va. — The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), has unveiled a new educational website, AllThingsBedBugs.org. The site is designed to provide unbiased bed bug information to the public and to serve as a resource for consumers who are either dealing with a bed bug infestation or educating themselves on ways to prevent bringing this unwanted pest home.

"As everyone in our industry is aware, bed bugs have made an astounding resurgence in recent years," says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. "In fact, according to a recent survey by the NPMA, 95 percent of U.S.-based pest control companies indicate that their company has encountered a bed bug infestation in the past year. Through AllThingsBedBugs.org, the PPMA hopes to arm consumers with the information they need to prevent bed bugs or to locate a professional to treat an infestation."

AllThingsBedBugs.org was made possible through the commitment and investment of PPMA’s guardian and contributor members. The new site offers expanded bed bug resources, information on the history of bed bugs, as well as their biology, signs of infestation and places where the pests are frequently found. Other site features include frequently asked questions, prevention tips, current bed bug news, a blog, and photography and video footage of bed bugs.

The site also provides the NPMA’s recently released Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bed Bugs. The BMPs help consumers understand the accepted best practices for detecting bed bugs, working with a professional and enacting appropriate follow up. NPMA says that adherence to the BMPs ensures consumers receive the best and most effective treatment for infestations.

If a consumer suspects that they have a bed bug infestation, they can use the ZIP code locator on the website to contact a local NPMA member company. For more information, visit www.allthingsbedbugs.org or www.pestworld.

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Pest Control and Public Health Expo Mexico 2011 Set for August

MEXICO CITY — Pest Control and Public Health Expo Mexico 2011 — a joint endeavor carried out by pest control professionals, representatives of academia, researchers and other industry leaders — will take place Aug. 2-4 at the Centro Banamex in Mexico City.

The three-day conference offers current and updated information in pest control as well as educational sessions on global industry trends, including the launch of new specialized equipment and products. Highlights include:

• Sessions led by informative educational speakers

• An exhibit hall featuring leading product suppliers

• Networking opportunities with more than 1,400 attendees

• A commercial forum highlighting new products

• Photography contest

Speakers will include distributors; wholesale representatives of pest control products; food safety practitioners; researchers; and pest control product manufacturers.

Expected attendees will include manufacturers; distributors; wholesale representatives; consultants; pest control professionals responsible for hygiene departments and industrial safety; and representatives from the purchasing departments of food and beverage companies.

To learn more about the conference visit www.expocontroldeplagas.org.mx.

For more information about this year’s venue visit www.centrobanamex.com or call
01 (55) 5268 2000.

Sponsors include Univar, BASF and A.M.Roma y Cia. S.A de C.V.
 

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GPCA Mourns Loss of Longtime Members
Watkins and Isdell

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Jack Watkins and Allen Isdell, long-time members of the Georgia Pest Control Association, have died.

Watkins, 81, was owner of Pesto Exterminating, Marietta, Ga., and an active GPCA member for 50-plus years. He was a Mason and a beloved and devoted father who was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy J. Watkins.

Isdell, 89, was a former GPCA president and member of the Structural Pest Control Commission. A native of Augusta, Ga., Isdell served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, seeing duty in both Europe and the Pacific. He began his career with Orkin in 1946. For 26 years he was involved with the expansion of Orkin into northern states. He served in many capacities during this period, including district service manager in Tennessee and Georgia. In 1972, Isdell returned to Augusta and opened A&R Exterminating Company. The initials in the company name, A&R, stand for his two sons, Allen Jr. and Richard. Isdell served as Grand Marshall for the GPCA winter conference in Athens in January 2007, where he was presented with an engraved rocking chair. In his honor, the mayor of Augusta named Sept. 9, 1995, as Allen Edward Isdell Sr. Day.

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Noted Entomologist Eisner Passes Away

ITHACA, N.Y. — Thomas Eisner, a groundbreaking authority on insects whose research revealed the complex chemistry that they use to repel predators, attract mates and protect their young, died in March. He was 81.

The cause was complications of Parkinson’s disease, said Cornell University, where he had been a professor of chemical ecology.

In the introduction to Dr. Eisner’s 2003 book For Love of Insects, the Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson called him "the modern Fabre," after Jean-Henri Fabre, the French pioneer of insect research.

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Dow AgroSciences Increases Recycled Content in Packaging

INDIANAPOLIS — Dow AgroSciences is now using shipping boxes made of a minimum of 65 percent post-consumer recycled content for its pest management and crop protection products manufactured in North America.

"Sustainability is a part of corporate culture, and so much of what we do is focused on continuous improvement," said Lindsay Farley, product manager for Dow AgroSciences structural pest management.

In 2008, Dow AgroSciences began investigating the use of higher recycled paper content in the boxes for products manufactured in North America. At that time, shipping boxes contained only 20 percent recycled material.

"We challenged ourselves to see how high we could go on the recycled content, and we were very pleased that we could go as high as we did," said Paul Ouillette, senior packaging engineer, who led the sustainability initiative. "This is about moving the sustainability bar higher for our company."

During a six-month period in 2010, more than 85,000 boxes made with the new material had been manufactured and used for Dow AgroSciences products, including the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System, with zero packaging material defects, the company said. All shipping boxes were converted by the end of 2010, and now feature a recycling logo denoting the change in packaging material.

Compared with the 20-percent recycled material boxes that were used previously, the new material represents annual savings of more than 2 million pounds of solid waste, more than 13.5 million gallons of waste water, more than 33,400 harvested virgin trees, and more than 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide release.

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PCO News

Brad Steinmetz, president of Thermal Clean in Denver, Colo., adopted Levi, a bed bug-sniffing canine. The rat terrier had been rescued by a trainer and has become a family pet for Steinmetz as well as an inspection dog for the business. According to Steinmetz, besides being a great co-worker, Levi has proven to be a "loving pet" and "adorable friend."

State Pest Control, Clinton, N.C., recently acquired Allen’s Termite and Pest Control of Rocky Mount, N.C. Paul Allen will continue with the company as the area manager. State Pest Control is a full-service company specializing in residential, commercial, pest control, termite control, and turf and ornamental services.

Viking Pest Control recently employed two full-time bed bug detection dogs, Hagar and Helga. Both Hagar and Helga are NESDCA-certified canines. The dogs have inspected commercial environments such as hotels, retail stores and multi-unit housing. Hagar and Helga are available for subcontracting; cover all of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New York; and can travel upon request.

AAA Pest Management, Milwaukee, Wis., won the Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2010. This marks the 10th year in a row the firm has been awarded this honor. Less than five percent of the companies on Angie’s List are eligible for the annual award. The company also continues to maintain an "A+" rating with the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin, having received zero consumer complaints since being accredited.

Bug Man Exterminating, Roanaoke, Va., recently expanded its green pest management services with Leaf DeFier Gutter Protection Systems. "In addition to looking good and barely being noticeable, I know for a fact that the Leaf Defier works. We’ve used it in about 40 installations to date and we have not received a single complaint about clogged gutters or needed to perform any form of callback," said Tim Nininger (above), Bug Man’s vice president of operations.