PPMA Reveals Results of Tiny Termite House Project

FAIRFAX, Va. — The Tiny Termite House, a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking study and video production by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), has revealed the destructive nature of termites like never before, the group reported. PPMA said it funded this project with the goal of educating consumers about the dangers of termites and helping them understand the importance of working with a licensed pest control professional.

“We conducted this project to help support the industry and visually tell the story of how critical it is to work with a professional to give our greatest investments a termite check. PPMA would like to thank all of our generous investor companies who made the Tiny Termite House possible,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of PPMA. “We know that education about termite infestations is key because these pests can destroy a home without anyone ever knowing they are there. The Tiny Termite House is visual proof that termites literally eat homes from the inside out despite the structures looking normal to the naked eye.”

PPMA partnered with the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board to conduct the research and production aspects of the project. The team designed a miniature, two-story dream home that included many of the same features found in a life-size home, such as insulation, plumbing and electricity — and even added a moisture source to create the ultimate termite paradise. Like many American homes, the house was constructed on a cement slab; however, there was one big difference: this house was fully equipped with cameras throughout to study the termites’ progress from introduction to decimation.

More than half a million subterranean termites were introduced into the soil surrounding the home. The Tiny Termite (www.pestworld.org/tiny-termite-house) team began documenting and observing their behaviors and the incredible damage they leave in their wake. Despite being a tiny, model home, the termites behaved and attacked the house in the same way they destroy life-size homes — finding vulnerabilities in the structure and leaving minimal clues about their presence. “There were mud tubes present, but nothing that would indicate the intensity of the infestation — that hundreds of thousands of termites were living between the cement slab and subflooring of the home,” added Mannes.

PPMA launched robust consumer media relations and social media campaigns around the results of this project, with the message of termite prevention and partnering with a licensed pest control professional front and center.

Some of the high-resolution footage and photography will be made available to PPMA investors via Mainframe, a subscription service to PPMA’s digital marketing agency. Companies can use these visuals in their own marketing programs.

For more information about PPMA or to subscribe to Mainframe, PMPs can visit www.npmapestworld.org/ppma.

New Tick Species Identified in New Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. — Following initial identification by the Center for Vector Biology at Rutgers University and the Hunterdon County Department of Health, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, confirmed on Nov. 9, 2017 the finding of an exotic East Asian tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), also known as the Longhorned tick or bush tick, on a farm in Hunterdon County. Until that time, this tick was not known to exist in the U.S. How it arrived in New Jersey remains a mystery.

Steps were promptly taken to eradicate the tick from the index property and the animals in and around it. Tests on the tick in November failed to reveal any tick-borne diseases.

Ongoing surveillance continued during the winter and on April 17, 2018, the NVSL confirmed the Longhorned tick successfully overwintered in New Jersey and has possibly become established in the state.

Local, state and federal animal health and wildlife officials, as well as Rutgers University — Center for Vector Biology, are working together to eliminate this pest from the index premises and to contain its spread to the surrounding areas. Surveillance in wildlife and livestock species will continue throughout the year.

State and USDA employees will be working with the public to determine if the tick has spread to new areas and to educate the public about protecting livestock and pets from this pest. Questionnaires will be distributed to property owners within a 3-kilometer radius of the index property to gather pertinent information vital to the investigation.

Like deer ticks, the nymphs of the Longhorned tick are very small (resembling tiny spiders) and can easily go unnoticed on animals and people. This tick is known to infest deer and a wide range of other hosts. Therefore, it has the potential to infect multiple North American wildlife species.

Alaska Approves Six PCT Online Courses for CEU Credits

Valley View, Ohio — PCT announced that Alaska has approved six online label training courses for CEU credits. The following courses have been approved:

• AMVAC Nuvan Directed Spray Aerosol
• BASF PT Alpine Flea and Bed Bug Pressurized Insecticide
• BASF PT Alpine Pressurized Fly Bait
• Bayer DeltaDust Insecticide
• Rockwell Labs EcoVia EC Emulsifiable Concentrate Part 1
• Rockwell Labs EcoVia EC Emulsifiable Concentrate Part 2

PCT’s Distance Learning Center is available at https://training.pctonline.com and as part of Univar’s ProTraining library available at www.pestweb.com/protraining.

Anticimex SMART Launched in the U.S.

Summit, N.J. — The intelligent pest control system, Anticimex SMART, has been widely used in Europe, Asia and Australia. So far, more than 75,000 SMART units have been installed in 17 countries. Now, the high-tech system has been launched in the United States.

The firm says Anticimex SMART is the most precise data-driven solution that fights the problem in all environments, including sub-ground in the sewer system, without using rodenticides. “It is a much smarter way to stay ahead of rodents,” said Jens Peter Nielsen, vice president, Anticimex North America.

Anticimex SMART is a non-toxic solution that makes rodent prevention possible without threatening the environment, the company said. It’s also proven efficient regardless of climate and surroundings, Anticimex adds.

“In today’s society, we all compete for attracting the right people. To attract customers, employees, citizens, companies or tourists there’s a need to secure a healthy environment. As companies and cities of tomorrow strive to become both green and rat-free, the SMART system provides an environmentally friendly solution that they can really get behind,” Nielsen added. “We want to help our customers to go beyond sustainable goals and create healthy environments where people want to live and work.”

Anticimex SMART has AI (artificial intelligence) to detect pests when they breach a building, giving users the best of two worlds — automation and expertise. Anticimex SMART provides digital reports to its users continually, showing results such as time and date for activity, as well as trend curves. The reports enable users to stay in control, minimize risks and see the value of their investments, the company says.

Anticimex SMART is brought to the U.S. market via Anticimex’s four subsidiaries: American Pest, Modern Pest Services, Turner Pest Control and Viking Pest Control. Learn more at www.anticimex.com/smart.

NPMA Announces 2018-19 Board of Directors

FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recently announced the results of its annual board of directors election.

“We have a fantastic board in place this year,” said incoming President Dennis Jenkins. “I look forward to working closely with this group of talented individuals as we continue to support our industry and set forth our future direction.” Each of the newly elected directors will begin their term of office on July 1.

New members of the board of directors include:

• President: Dennis Jenkins, ABC Home & Commercial Services, Lewisville, Texas
• President Elect: Chris Gorecki, Orkin Pest Control, Atlanta
• Treasurer: Scott Steckel, Varment Guard/Plunkett’s Pest Control, Columbus, Ohio
• Secretary: Justin McCauley, McCauley Services, Benton, Ark.
Immediate Past President: J. Bryan Cooksey III, McCall Service, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Past President Representative: Billy Tesh, Pest Management Systems, Greensboro, N.C.
• At-Large Member: Brian Alonso, Columbus Pest Control, Columbus, Ohio
• Associate Director: Kelly Kambs, Terminix International, Memphis, Tenn.
• Region #2 Director: Eric Frye, Wayne’s Pest Control, Birmingham, Ala.
• At-Large Member: Jeremy Clark, Dugas Pest Control, Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, La.
• Associate Director: Galvin Murphy Jr., Yankee Pest Control, Malden, Mass.
• Region #3 Director: Travis Swope, Griffin Pest Management, Santa Ana, Calif.
• At-Large Member: Marie Horner, Arrow Exterminators, Winston-Salem, N.C.
• At-Large Member: Travis Aggson, American Pest Management, Manhattan, Kan.
• At-Large Member: Darren Van Steenwyk, Clark Pest Control, Lodi, Calif.

These individuals join the current NPMA board members to round out the association’s leadership:

• Region #1 Director: Sarah Thomas-Clark, Thomas Pest Services, Albany, N.Y.
• At-Large Member: Suzanne Graham, Massey Services, Orlando, Fla.
• Allied Director: Scott Reasons, Syngenta Crop Protection, Greensboro, N.C.
• Region #4 Director: Thomas Cantu, Bug Off Pest Control, Pharr, Texas
• At-Large Member: Dayton Hylton, Dayton’s Pest Control Services, Knoxville, Tenn.
• Allied Director: James Shaffer, PestWest, Sarasota, Fla.
• Region #5 Director: Sandy Costa, GreenLeaf Pest Control, Bradford, Ontario
• At-Large Member: Kevin Lemasters, EnviroPest, Loveland, Colo.
• UPFDA Representative: Donna Giacalone, The Bug Stop, Chicago, Ill.
• At-Large Member: Faye Golden, Cook’s Pest Control, Decatur, Ala.
• At-Large Member: Jason Payne, Payne Pest Management, San Diego, Calif.

In Memoriam: George Frank

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — George Frank, former owner of Chem-Trol Exterminating Company and a longtime chemical supplier representative, died on April 6. He was 68.

Frank served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1968 to 1972. He then founded and built Chem-Trol into a successful firm. After selling Chem-Trol in 1988, he remained in the pest control industry, serving as a sales representative for suppliers of chemicals and equipment.

Paul Carbino, regional sales manager, Paragon, said Frank was one of the first pest management industry professionals he met while he was working as a distributor representative and Frank owned Chem-Trol. “Over the years, he and I became close personal friends, as well as business colleagues. I miss George both as a personal and professional friend,” Carbino said.

Frank was active in industry organizations, serving as president of both the South Jersey Pest Control Association and the New Jersey Pest Control Association. He was also a member of The Rotary Club of Runnemede/Bellmawr/Glendora.

MSU Breaks Ground on Termite Technician Training Facility

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Officials with the Mississippi State University Extension Service broke ground on a termite application training facility alongside pest control industry sponsors during a ceremony on April 6.

The Termite Technician Training Facility, or T3F, will be located near the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville and is scheduled to be completed in early 2019.

Gene Merkl, program manager for the MSU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program, said the 5,000-square-foot facility will enhance private and commercial pesticide applicators’ knowledge of various construction scenarios. This information will allow technicians to treat different types of structures with termite infestations.

“A lot of times when technicians go up to a building they’re not familiar with, they don’t know what the construction is behind the façade walls,” Merkl said. “What our goal is here is to be able to give them some insight into that so they know how to more effectively apply the termiticide.”

Construction of the two-phase project will cost $154,000, all of which is being provided by corporate donations. The first phase is the building itself, while the second will be 11 training stations. Each station will show different types of construction — such as conventional foundations, floating slab foundations and retaining walls — in a nearly finished state.

“The donations will construct the entire facility and provide technology and educational resources that will be used for pesticide safety application certification,” said MSU Extension Director Gary Jackson. “The building would not be possible without the private donations by the Mississippi Pest Control Association, as well as other companies, corporations and industry leaders.”

Merkl said the project began as a result of requests from association members and industry partners. Extension then worked with the MSU Foundation to engage these partners in contributing toward construction of the facility.

“When I was asked to get involved in this project, I knew I could count on the support of the Extension Service,” Merkl said. “We began to visit various termite applicator training facilities. In the process of talking to the companies, their interest became apparent, and they came through with funds. This whole operation is about a working relationship between private sector dollars and public sector intelligence and ingenuity to make this happen.”

Robert DiJoseph Announced as Incoming President of BedBug Central

HAMILTON, N.J. — With the recent acquisition by Terminix of BedBug Central’s former parent company (N.J.-based Cooper Pest Solutions), BedBug Central has announced a change at the top of its organization. Longtime Vice President of Sales Robert DiJoseph will be taking over as president.

The acquisition of Cooper Pest does not include the N.J.-based BedBug Central, which will continue to operate financially and strategically as a separate and distinct entity, focusing on education under the BedBug University brand and distribution of bed bug monitoring and interception devices under its SenSci brand.

“Due to my new responsibilities with Terminix, I will be stepping down as CEO and president of BedBug Central,” said former CEO Phillip Cooper. “It’s been almost a 10-year labor of love, but I leave knowing the company is in capable hands.”

DiJoseph, along with Director of Innovation and Technical Content Jeff White, will continue to handle BedBug Central’s day-to-day operations. “I’m thrilled for Phil as he embraces his new challenges with Terminix, and I’m truly excited for this opportunity to guide the company, along with Jeff, that I helped to develop back in 2009,” said DiJoseph.

White also said he is looking forward to BedBug Central’s future. “BedBug Central is excited to begin exploring opportunities beyond bed bugs, including new product innovation and development for both bed bugs and other pests,” White said.

BedBug Central, based in Hamilton, N.J., offers education under the BedBug University brand, and product innovation, development and distribution under its SenSci brand.