Cutting-Edge Identification Tips, Technical Research Discussed at UK Short Course

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 53rd University of Kentucky Short Course brought pest management professionals and educators under one roof to share technical expertise on pest management and entomology research.
PCT was in attendance to report on the latest research and technical tips, aimed to level-up PMPs’ knowledge in the field. Highlights from technical sessions included: 

Daniel Dye, who has more than 47 years of experience in the pest control industry, reviewed several ant species and best practices for identifying each species out in the field. He shared some of what to look for when identifying ant species:
o Tawney crazy ants are covered in thick hair all over the body and don’t have long legs or body scape; are single-noded; They can nest under almost anything; they have 12-segment antennae. Dye suggested getting rid of these ants as early as possible for treatment in winter and early spring.
o Fire ants are continuing to move into Southern Kentucky; they have 10 segmented antennae which are polymorphic (several different size ants have two to three segmented clubs.)
o Pharaoh ants are a common pest in Lexington, Ky.; they have two nodes and 12 segments; baiting works best for treatment; they are monomorphic species.
o Rover ants are tiny ants and easy to recognize; they have nine- segmented antennas and will appear in large numbers inside a home.
o Acrobat ants are very common in Kentucky; they are heart-shaped; they have two spines; and12-segment antennas; and are attracted to sweets in order to reproduce.

Dye also said honeydew is the main source of food for sweet feeding when out foraging. “They take it back and feed it to their larvae and the process repeats,” he said. “You got to think ahead and use [products] that work, even if it’s time consuming.”

Rentokil’s Michael Thorne touched on controlling indoor small flies in residential and commercial accounts. He has almost 23 years of experience educating PMPs. Thorne shared that pest identification is critical for helping set customer expectations and working together with customers to solve the problem. 
Thorne said small fly control “takes all of your detective skills” and said the best PMPs are problem solvers. When working in commercial accounts, he said to check under and around equipment that is hardly ever moved, and to not overlook floor drains, especially for phorid and drain flies. 

Small fly control is crucial for businesses to keep up with. Why? Thorne said it can create revenue loss for businesses, brand damage and carry diseases from animal feces, garbage and drains. 

Richard Cooper, founder of R-Cooper Consulting, entomologist and bed bug expert, reviewed the reemergence of bed bugs during the past 25 years. Cooper reviewed the ups and downs of bed bugs reemerging back into the U.S. From 2000 to 2010, Cooper said the pest control industry started to become more aware of the issue and training materials and events were available to find solutions. In 2010, the bed bug frenzy reached its peak and dual-action products were introduced in the marketplace. During the next five years, the industry worked to fine tune its bed bug management programs. Not a lot happened until 2020, during COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone sheltered in place and stopped spreading bed bugs. Now in 2024, bed bugs are back on the rise, most recently making international news in Paris during the Summer Olympics. Are we moving forward or going backward in bed bug control? Cooper said it’s been a slippery slope backwards since 2015. 

What can be done about it? Cooper said it’s best to use a combination of detection methods and to have strong protocols in place. Most PMPs rely on visual inspections, and these are fine when infestations are heavy, but research has shown that most infestations are low (65 to 70 percent), he said. The majority of bed bugs are found away from sleeping and resting areas, especially following treatment. Cooper said treatment should not be limited only to rooms where bed bug activity is found.

UK assistant professor and conference chair Zach DeVries shed light on public health risks associated with cockroaches, including the social stigma, delusional parasitosis and the allergens cockroaches spread. Twenty-six percent of the U.S. population are allergic to cockroaches, he said. Proper inspections (locating the problem and looking for conductive conditions), identification (identifying if the cockroach is domestic or peridomestic for proper treatment techniques), treatment (using all of the tools in your toolbox) and education (communication with customers to explain proper sanitation and following up post service) are critical steps in cockroach control. 

DeVries said it’s important that PMPs talk with customers and explain the treatment method you are using and why; implement a professional level of service so customers don’t resort to DIY efforts; make sure treatments actually work and follow-up with the service and it’s critical to remain educated on the biology of pests and how to manage them.

DeVries and his graduate students at UK shared the latest entomology research happening in their labs. One of his students, Olivia Katz, studies how to reduce allergens in German cockroaches. Because of how quickly infestations can build up, they could have significant impacts on human health, she said. Mechanical removal, physically removing the allergens, vacuuming with HEPA filter bags and washing hands can help eliminate allergens. “Source reduction is time dependent, and we need to be able to remove allergens efficiently,” she said.

Wildlife control was a hot topic as it is becoming a more popular service offering in the pest control industry, Drew Cowley, founder of Cowley’s Pest Services, said in a presentation on navigating wildlife in a business model. Cowley said at the end of the day, pests are pests, and it’s important for pest control companies to be a “one stop shop” for customers. Companies need to make room for equipment and storage space, like traps, cages, snares, footholds, baits, ribbons and more.