PMPs Gathered for 50th University of Kentucky Short Course

Editor's note: Zach DeVries, assistant professor, University of Kentucky, provided the following recap of November's University of Kentucky Short Course.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -  In November, PMPs gathered in Lexington, Ky., for the 50th anniversary of the University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course —  a welcome return to in-person training.  While originally designed as a short training experience, the conference has grown to a 3-day program with one of the strongest lineups of speakers and topics in the country, and training provided at this year’s Short Course didn’t disappoint!  

This year’s conference had attendees from 10 different states comprised of those working in pest management, multifamily housing, public health, school systems, and food processing.  In addition, this year’s conference recognized two outstanding technicians for their contributions to the industry.  And in an effort to ensure training was accessible to all pest control personnel interested in attending, a live-stream option was offered to those unable to attend in person.

On the final day of the conference, talks were given on bed bugs and cockroaches (Dr. Zachary DeVries; Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of Kentucky), the business of bed bugs (Panel Discussion), termite biology and control (Dr. Faith Oi; Department of Entomology and Nematology, Univ. of Florida), and battling the brown recluse (Dr. Jamel Sandidge; Nisus Corporation; Rockford, TN). These presentations provided important updates and reminders on some of the most challenging pests in the field.

This year’s Short Course was not only educational, but a lot of fun.  It was great to see and interact with so many friends and colleagues as we begin to return to normal.  Next year’s Short Course is sure to be even better, and is scheduled for November 1-3, 2022 in Lexington, KY.  Regardless of where you live, if you want to learn and improve as a pest control operator you should consider attending.