SCUECA Endowment Fund Hopes to Keep Clemson Urban Entomology Program Alive

CLEMSON, S.C. — The South Carolina Urban Entomology Charitable Alliance (SCUECA) is on the frontlines raising endowment funds to fill the open urban entomology faculty position at the Clemson University Urban Entomology Program.

Pest management industry leaders across South Carolina have joined in support of Clemson’s Urban Entomology program by helping raise funds for the continued unbiased and educational research provided by the program, said Amy Chapman, a Corteva Agriscience national account manager and president of SCUECA.

The endowment efforts have approximately $3 million in pledges with about $1.5 million already provided to Clemson.  This includes large donations from Terminix Service, Corteva Agriscience, Gregory Pest Solutions, Aiken Pest Control, the South Carolina Pest Management Association, Modern Exterminating, Palmetto Exterminators and more.

Chapman said that with more than $500 million in revenue generated by pest control companies in South Carolina alone, the loss of an urban entomology focus would be huge for not only the pest control industry but for the residents of the state. 

“South Carolina has Formosan termites that continue to expand. While someone with a degree in entomology could learn about termites, the intimate knowledge of construction types, soil challenges and termite pressure zones is key,” Chapman said. “The risk for an increase in damages goes up without urban entomology leadership.”

In June 2019, Dr. Eric Benson, professor emeritus and extension specialist for Clemon’s Urban Entomology program, retired from the program as the last urban entomologist leading research and studies at the program.

Clemson did not replace his position with a new hire, Chapman said, adding that Benson does not plan to leave the university until somebody is in his position but getting the position filled sooner than later is more desirable.

“Most of his time is spent doing the training program for the pest management industry,” Chapman said. “He also responds to a lot of requests for technical information and insect identification from South Carolina residents, county extension agents and pest management professionals.”

Benson runs the following training programs through Clemson’s urban entomology program for pest management professionals in the industry:

• Apprentice Termite Technician Program (first in the country);
• Master Termite Technician Program (first in the country);
• Wood Infestation Report Training;
• Master Pest Control Technician Course;
• Clemson Fall Forum (one-day conference).
  

Before urban entomologists retired and were not replaced at Clemson, they taught more than 3,000 undergraduate students in general entomology, Chapman said.

Now, the program currently has zero students in the labs conducting research for the pest control industry and South Carolina residents.

“Clemson still has one post-doctorate, one technician and one training program coordinator,” Chapman said. “That group must bring in funding for them to be paid and supported. Benson teaches about three or four industry-sponsored research projects per year to help fund the lab.”

The overall trend at land-grant universities in the last 10 to 20 years in the U.S. has been to reduce or eliminate urban entomology programs, Benson said. Reduction in urban entomology programs reduces the flow of a new generation of trained scientists expanding knowledge and strategies for the pest management industry.

“Driving research to address industry-wide challenges like insecticide resistant strains of insects, changing environmental requirements and the research and understanding of the ever-increasing number of invasive pests is often powered by urban entomology programs,” he said. “Urban entomologists are often involved with the training to enhance the skills of new pest management technicians and their adherence to required regulations and safety.”

Chapman said that with the endowment, SCUECA’s goal is to get the program back to previous staffing levels with multiple scientists leading it, as well as lab technicians and graduate students.

“It's very important for technician and company owner confidence to be able to have that role that can then teach the application portion of it out into the field,” she said.

Clemson urban entomologists and graduate students have evaluated more than 80 different professional pest control products, including termite bait systems, liquid termiticides, borates, ant baits, cockroach baits and a wide variety of insecticide sprays, dusts, powders and granules, Chapman said.

Chapman said manufacturers like Corteva value the unbiased research conducted by the team at Clemson.

“We can build labels and we can create PowerPoints to explain how to use a product. Success, however, happens when you can teach how to apply in the real world,” Chapman said. “Clemson has tested and provided our company with research data we have used to help bring our products to the market.”

What’s important for SCUECA is that the industry keeps moving forward.

“We need that urban entomology piece in order for us to continue to be relevant,” Chapman said.

She noted jokingly that the endowment fund has also been called the “Please let Dr. Benson finally retire fund.”

“He is a relentless pursuit of excellence,” she said. “Everything that he does, he looks through the lens of how can we make things better? How can we make people safer?”

To contribute to the endowment fund, visit https://www.scueca.org/.