The new Lithium-Ion Exacticide is built to be the ultimate workhorse for pest management professionals. Designed with a powerful, long-lasting battery, it delivers consistent precision and reliability all week long — no cords, no interruptions. The upgraded lithium system provides extended run time and faster charging, keeping you efficient on every job. A new ergonomic rubber grip ensures comfort and control, while the lightweight design makes it easier than ever to treat both large and confined areas. This redesigned unit continues to offer power, precision and performance.
About Technicide
Technicide, founded in 1989 by third-generation pest management professional Jim Harper, has been helping pest management professionals (PMPs) take control of their work with smarter tools for over 35 years. Born from hands-on experience and driven by innovation, Technicide products are crafted to save time, reduce labor, and improve results in the field — all proudly manufactured in Heber City, Utah.
From the original Injecticide to the Exacticide, to the Tech-Reach Bait Pro, Techni-Baiter and more, its tools are built to empower the professionals who protect our communities from pests every day.
AXN Growth Partners (“AXN”) has announced its ninth Arizona partnership in under 16 months through a strategic alliance with All Clear Pest Control (“All Clear”). This milestone further cements AXN’s position as a platform for top operators looking to scale, collaborate and build lasting legacies.
Brent Agee, AXN’s CEO, said in a release, “All Clear Pest Control has built an outstanding reputation for customer service and technical excellence. With this partnership, we’re thrilled to welcome Darren Hunsaker — our third AZPPO past president — into the AXN family. It’s a powerful signal that the best operators in the industry continue to choose AXN as their platform of choice. Our culture, our momentum and our commitment to building the best team in the industry are stronger than ever — and we’re only just getting started.”
Tony and Leah Gumm, brand presidents of Affordable Pest Control, will oversee the integration of All Clear’s customers and team into the AXN platform, ensuring a seamless transition and continued excellence in service.
Darren Hunsaker, co-owner of All Clear Pest Control, shared in a release, “Joining AXN was a natural next step for All Clear. The culture and growth of AXN, along with the opportunity it creates for our team, made this an easy decision. I’m excited to be part of the AXN platform and look forward to continued success into the future.” AXN’s partnership with All Clear continues its commitment to building density across the Phoenix metro, while reinforcing its broader strategy of scaling through high-quality acquisitions and operational excellence.
About AXN Growth Partners
AXN Growth Partners was formed in 2025 as the parent of ACTION Termite & Pest Control, along with 8 other brand partners, including All Clear. The AXN team is dedicated to driving success by providing industry expertise and resources to its partners. The AXN platform relentlessly pursues excellence in delivering leading pest control solutions to its customers. The company is led by Brent Agee, CEO.
From left: Emily Thomas Kendrick, Joe Thomas, Kevin VanHook and Tim Pollard.
IMAGE: ARROW EXTERMINATORS
Arrow Exterminators celebrates the upcoming retirement of Kevin VanHook, region vice president for Arrow’s North Georgia, North Alabama and Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast home services division, effective Dec. 31, 2025. Kevin’s career spanned decades of dedicated service, leaving a lasting impact on Arrow’s people, culture and growth.
Kevin joined Arrow on May 12, 2008, recruited personally by company legend Charlie Jones. He began as service center manager for the Roswell Service Center, later managed the Alpharetta Home Service Center and eventually became region vice president of the Home Services Division in several states, which includes Wildlife Control, Handyman and Insulation Services. Known for his hands-on leadership and passion for developing others, Kevin built a reputation for connecting personally with team members.
Before joining Arrow, Kevin earned a B.S. in Political Science with a Minor in History from West Georgia College. His early career included 22 years with Diageo, a global beverage company, followed by roles with Hometec Exterminators and Allgood Pest Solutions. Those experiences laid the foundation for the strong leadership and service mindset he brought to Arrow.
During his tenure, Kevin earned multiple honors, including Service Center Manager of the Year, Senior Service Center Manager and the Joe Thomas Pioneer Award. Most recently, he became the inaugural recipient of Arrow’s Legacy Award, which recognizes team members whose integrity, leadership and influence have shaped the company and inspired others to carry its legacy forward.
Emily Thomas Kendrick, CEO of Arrow Exterminators, said in a release, “Kevin represents everything that makes Arrow special. From the moment he joined Arrow, Kevin has led with heart, humility and purpose. His dedication to mentoring others and strengthening our culture has inspired countless team members.” Tim Pollard, President and COO, added, “Kevin’s example of servant leadership will continue to guide us long after his well-earned retirement.”
Reflecting on his time at Arrow, Kevin shared, “Arrow is family, and I have loved every minute of working with this team. The relationships I’ve built here will always mean the world to me.” Kevin and his wife Donna look forward to spending more time with their three grown children (Megan, Erica and Blake) and three grandchildren (Ian, Dylan and Payton). His leadership and friendship will be greatly missed, but his legacy will continue to live on in the people and culture he helped shape.
About Arrow Exterminators
Family owned and operated since 1964, Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators is the largest family-owned pest and termite control company in the United States ranked by revenue. Arrow boasts a modern fleet of more than 3,400 vehicles, 192 service centers, over 3,500 team members, with revenues exceeding $450 million and has been named a Top USA Workplace for four years in a row. Featuring QualityPro accreditation by the National Pest Management Association, the company offers innovative and environmentally responsible services to protect homes and businesses of customers in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Pro-shield Nsulation: A new frontier in pest control
Join Target Specialty Products and Jamel S. Sandidge, BCE, Ph.D., MA, National Director, Technical Services for Nisus Corporation, for a FREE webinar, “Pro-shield Nsulation: A New Frontier in Pest Control” on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 1:30 P.M. Eastern. This in-depth session, discover how Pro-Shield Nsulation goes beyond traditional insulation to deliver sustainable pest protection and energy efficiency in one innovative solution, expanding your service offerings, boosting profitability, and giving homeowners lasting comfort and confidence.
You’ll learn:
• How Pro-Shield Nsulation provides built-in pest defense and long-term protection
• The benefits of its eco-friendly, recycled cellulose composition
• Ways to add new revenue streams with minimal training and overhead • How professional installation ensures safety, compliance, and customer trust
When it comes to wildlife, being a “poopologist” helps in inspection and determining the species causing issues for clients.
Bat guano is easy to misdiagnose as mouse droppings. Remember that guano crumbles easily, unlike mouse or rat droppings. Also, if you shine a flashlight on the crushed guano, it will “sparkle” because of the insect parts.
When discussing a wildlife issue with a client, at all costs avoid the words “always” or “never” when describing behavior, what’s going to happen or what the animal is going to do. It’s why actors hate to work with animals or children: They’re unpredictable. Using “never” in discussions almost guarantees that the animal will do exactly what you said it wouldn’t do.
Wildlife Control Supplies
Gregg Schumaker
Fall and winter are peak seasons for complaints about flying squirrels (Pteromyini) in buildings. During colder months, these squirrels often form large colonies, sometimes with more than 50 individuals in a single structure.
Fortunately, trapping flying squirrels is relatively straightforward. They are naturally curious and respond well to bait and lures. Using colony traps in the right locations can significantly speed up the removal process. If lethal traps are permitted in your area, place multiple rat-sized snap traps along known runways and near latrine sites. In addition:
Check traps frequently. Flying squirrels are sensitive and can die quickly from stress or exposure.
Use strong-smelling baits. Commercial baits with a “nutty” scent are effective. Adding a piece of pecan or walnut can increase trap interest.
Identify and monitor flying squirrel latrines. These areas
emit a strong odor and may cause tar-like staining on soffits, walls and ceilings. (See photo at left.)
Seal entry points carefully. Just like with bat exclusion work, sealing must be meticulous. Improper sealing will likely result in a callback. Note that flyers can squeeze through a 1-inch hole or crack. In short, proper trapping and exclusion are the keys to
long-term success in dealing with flying squirrels.
Control Solutions Inc. (CSI) is undergoing a strategic and significant transformation, balancing respect for its long-standing history with a focused drive toward future expansion and aligning more closely with its global parent company, ADAMA.
In late September, both CSI co-founder and president Mark Boyd and executive vice president Curtis Clark announced their respective retirements. Boyd, whose family founded Ford’s Pest Control in 1958 and Ford’s Chemical in 1960, officially launched CSI in 1998. Clark, a veteran of the crop protection industry, joined CSI in 2005, serving as VP of sales and marketing before being promoted to EVP in 2013.
Industry veterans at the helm
Sam PassTrey Kendrick
Sam Pass, CSI’s newly appointed head of sales, acknowledges the scale of the changes and the enduring presence of the former leaders. “It has definitely taken some getting used to,” Pass says. “Obviously, Mark had led the company since its founding, and Curtis had managed the sales organization for more than 20 years. Mark is still around the office regularly, though, and is still with the company as a consultant. Curtis has fully retired from CSI, but he still joined our team on a recent customer visit.”
The task of leading this Pasadena, Texas-based company into 2026 and beyond falls to Trey Kendrick, who serves as CSI president and CEO. Interestingly enough, Kendrick and Boyd have known each other for most of their lives. Kendrick worked at Ford’s Pest Control while in high school and has served in leadership positions with ADAMA since 2020 — first as the director of CSI’s consumer products and then as president of Alligare, an ADAMA sibling company that focuses on four sectors of industrial vegetation management.
Kendrick’s appointment coincided with CSI and Alligare aligning to form the newly created ADAMA Professional Solutions Commercial Unit (APS CU). Kendrick also is head of APS CU, reporting directly to ADAMA COO Eric Dereudre. This alignment is designed to leverage global resources, broaden access to active ingredients and streamline the process of bringing innovative, post-patent and specialty products to market.
Investing in production and portfolio
The commitment to growth at CSI is not limited to executive appointments; it extends directly to the production floor and the product portfolio. CSI recently launched two notable new products and continues to invest heavily in its core facility in Pasadena.
At the National Pest Management Association’s PestWorld 2025 event last month, Pass highlighted the excitement surrounding the new launches: “We’ve had a great response to our two newest product introductions, Vector Kleer and Fuse Cockroach Gel Bait.
“With Vector Kleer, our customers tell us they like its light, pleasant scent, since sometimes essential oil products can have harsh odors,” he continues. “With Fuse Cockroach Gel Bait, customers tell us the bait holds up well and does not run or drip when applied to vertical surfaces.”
To support the growing demand for its specialty formulations, CSI is leveraging its ADAMA connection to access a wide range of active ingredients and it is aggressively bolstering its capacity for in-house formulation.
“We have continued to invest in our Texas production facility this year,” Pass reports. “We also have installed an additional suspension concentrate production line to help support our growth in insecticide and fungicide suspension concentrates.”
This expansion of the suspension concentrate capabilities ensures CSI can meet the increasing demand for high-quality, highly stable liquid formulations used across its four main divisions: CSI Pest, Quali-Pro (turf and ornamental), CSI Production Animal and Martin’s (consumer products).
A look ahead
In 2026, CSI will celebrate 15 years since the establishment of its dedicated microcaps plant and the launch of its successful Encapsulated Solutions product line. The technology has been a cornerstone of CSI’s insecticide offerings, providing pest management professionals with long residual control and low-odor, versatile applications. Pass says to “stay tuned,” as the company plans to ramp up investments to continue to meet the needs of PMPs.“We have a lot to look forward to at CSI,” he concludes.
Black widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.) are a genus every pest management professional (PMP) should keep on their radar. Their venom is a potent neurotoxin that can cause intense pain, muscle cramps and in rare cases, more severe reactions.
Proper identification and a thorough inspection are the first steps to safely managing black widows.
Key Takeaways:
Identification is key: Easily identify female black widows by their shiny black bodies and the distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomen.
Webs are irregular: Their webs are typically irregular, messy and tangled, unlike the symmetrical webs of many other common spiders.
Inspect dark, quiet areas: Focus inspections on undisturbed areas where they hide, paying close attention to garages, crawlspaces, woodpiles and utility boxes.
Identification
Female black widows are relatively easy to identify by their shiny black bodies and distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. Their webs are irregular and messy, unlike the symmetrical webs of other common spiders, but don’t rely on web shape alone to identify the species.
Inspection hotspots
During routine inspections, you must be thorough in checking the dark, quiet and undisturbed areas where black widows often hide. Always wear your gloves and use a flashlight.
Focus your inspection on these common harborage areas:
Inside exterior rodent bait stations or utility/electrical boxes
Being aware of these common harborage areas and performing a meticulous, safe inspection is the first step to effectively managing this medically significant pest.
: A New Frontier in Pest Control” on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 1:30 P.M. Eastern. This in-depth session, discover how 
Check traps frequently. Flying squirrels are sensitive and can die quickly from stress or exposure.
