Highlights of UPFDA’s 2024 spring conference

The United Producers, Formulators and Distributors Association’s (UPFDA’s) spring conference took place at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas,  Nev., April 23-24, 2024.

Check out some highlights from the event below, and look for complete coverage in Pest Management Professional‘s (PMP’s) June issue:

 

Prakish lyerm, CTO of Inhance Technologies. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

 

Jad Darsey, Inhance Technologies’ Barrier and Surfaces business lead. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

 

Rob Jennings, vice president of sales and marketing for Container Manufacturing. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

On Wednesday morning, a trio of experts discussed the concept of barrier packaging, which in basic terms is a broad category of plastic materials that protects products by limiting exposure to moisture, oxygen and light. Rob Jennings, vice president of sales and marketing for Container Manufacturing, reviewed how barrier containers affect the pest control industry, especially how they could impact sustainable packaging solutions. Prakash Iyer, Inhance Technologies’ chief technology officer, and Jad Darsey, the company’s barrier and surfaces business lead, then discussed fluorination and its effect on barrier packaging, particularly from a regulatory point of view.

 

Megan Moloney, NPMA’s director of meetings and exhibits. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

Megan Moloney, director of meetings and exhibits for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), presented an association update during the UPFDA meeting.

Andrej Branc, Americas business manager for PelGar USA. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

Andrej Branc, Americas business manager for PelGar USA, presented a rodenticides update. He outlined the risk mitigation measures the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing, some of the key drivers, and how the regulatory changes could impact pest management professionals (PMPs).

 

 

Manufacturing panel. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

Marty Whitford, PMP publisher and vice president of content for its parent company, North Coast Media, moderated the manufacturers panel focused on “Turning Obstacles into Opportunities.” Pictured from left are Whitford; James Osuch, vice president of sales for Rockwell Labs; Ryan Klein, vice president of sales for AMGUARD; and Joe Grippi, key account manager for UPL NA Environmental Solutions. Among the topics covered were navigating and seizing growth in pest management; protecting business amid the current consolidation boom; offsetting inflation through price hikes and tighter cost controls; and competing with lowballers in the market.

 

David Crow. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

The topic for David Crow, president of D.C. Legislative and Regulatory Services and author of The Pale-Faced Lie, was “Election 2024: The Craziest One in our Lifetimes.”

“Not since the Civil War have we as a nation been this divided,” Crow told attendees. “The election outcome will be determined by fewer than 200,000 votes in four to five states. I will not venture a guess on the winner but will say that we likely will remain divided, either way, after the presidential election.”

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/04/26/highlights-of-upfdas-2024-spring-conference/
Sacramento CA

New research show impacts of warming temperatures on mosquitoes

Showing a bursting oocyst with sporozoites exiting on the surface of a midgut of an Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquito. PHOTO: UF/IFAS

New research shows the impacts of warming temperatures in mosquito species carrying malaria-causing parasite.

In 2022, an estimated 249 million malaria cases killed 608,000 people in 85 countries worldwide, including the U.S., according to the World Health Organization. Florida was one of the states with reported cases last year.

Malaria continues to pose a considerable public health risk in tropical and subtropical areas, where it impacts human health and economic progress.

In “Estimating the effects of temperature on transmission of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum,” a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Florida, Pennsylvania State University and Imperial College combined novel experimental data creating an innovative modeling framework to examine how temperature might affect transmission risk in different environments

“In broad terms, scientists know that temperature affects key traits such as mosquito longevity, the time it takes for a mosquito to become infectious after feeding on an infected host, and the overall ability of the mosquito to transmit the disease,” Dr. Matthew Thomas, a UF/IFAS professor and UF/IFAS Invasion Science Research Institute (ISRI) director, said in the news release. “But what might seem surprising is that these temperature dependencies have not been properly measured for any of the primary malaria vectors in Africa.”

A close-up image of matured oocysts on a midgut of a blood-fed Anopheles gambiae s.s. female mosquito. PHOTO: UF/IFAS

“Our findings provide novel insights into the effects of temperature on the ability of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes — arguably the most important malaria mosquito in Africa — to transmit Plasmodium falciparum, the most prevalent species of human malaria in Africa,” said Eunho Suh, joint first-author with Isaac Stopard at Imperial College, and assistant research professor at Penn State, who conducted the empirical research as a post-doctoral student in Dr. Thomas’ previous lab.

The study involved several detailed laboratory experiments in which hundreds of mosquitoes were fed with Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood and then exposed at different temperatures to examine the progress of infection and development rate within the mosquitoes, as well as the survival of the mosquitoes themselves.

“The novel data were then used to explore the implications of temperature on malaria transmission potential across four locations in Kenya that represent diverse current environments with different intensities of baseline transmission, and that are predicted to experience different patterns of warming under climate change,” said Dr. Thomas.

The study supports previous research results in demonstrating that various mosquito and parasite traits exhibit intermittent relationships with temperature — and that under future warming temperatures, transmission potential is likely to increase in some environments, but could reduce in others. However, the new data suggest that parasites can develop more quickly at cooler temperatures, and that the rate of parasite development might be less sensitive to changes in temperature than previously thought.

The data also indicate that the successful development of parasites in the mosquito declines at thermal extremes, contributing to the upper and lower environmental bounds for transmission.

Combining these results into a simple transmission model suggests that, contrary to earlier predictions, the anticipated surge in malaria transmission, attributed to climate warming, may be less severe than feared, particularly in cooler regions like the Kenyan Highlands.

Showing a whole midgut of Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquito with dozens of oocysts growing on it. PHOTO: UF/IFAS

“Some of the current assumptions on mosquito ecology and malaria transmission derive from work done in the early part of the last century. Our study is significant in highlighting the need to revisit some of this conventional understanding,” said Dr. Thomas.

“While the time it takes for a mosquito to become infectious is strongly dependent on environmental temperature, it also depends on the species and possibly strain of malaria and mosquito,” said Suh.

The comprehensive study and findings represent a significant step forward in understanding the intricacies of malaria transmission and paves the way for future research aimed at controlling malaria on a global scale, the researchers said. The same is true for other vector-borne diseases, such as dengue or Zika virus, added Suh.

“We need more work of the type we present in the current paper, ideally using local mosquito and parasite or pathogen strains, to better understand the effects of climate and climate change on transmission risk,” he said.

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/04/26/new-research-show-impacts-of-warming-temperatures-on-mosquitoes/
Sacramento CA

Control Solutions Inc.: New size for Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait

IMAGE: CONTROL SOLUTIONS INC.

In the ongoing battle against stubborn ant infestations, pest management professionals can rejoice as Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait introduces a new size option — a 25-pound bag — to effectively tackle even the most resilient ant colonies. Also available in a 4-pound bottle, Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait is fast becoming a go-to solution for managing challenging ant populations. Specially formulated to target fire ants, this groundbreaking product works by eliminating not only individual ants but also their queen, leading to crashing the entire colony.

“Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction drives us to continuously improve our products,” said Sam Pass, PCO Director at Control Solutions Inc. (CSI). “With the introduction of the new size for Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait, we aim to empower our users with even more effective tools to combat ant infestations and maintain pest-free environments for their customers.”

Key features and benefits of Doxem Plus Fire Ant Bait include:

• Season-long fire ant protection (90 days)
• No new mounds for 3 months
• For broadcast applications or mound applications

About Control Solutions Inc.

For more than 20 years, Pasadena, Texas-based CSI has been a leader in the development of sustainable pest control formulations, with a wide array of active ingredients. According to its website, CSI is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry. As one of the 40 subsidiaries that make up ADAMA, the fifth-largest agricultural chemical company in the world, CSI is able to not only offer a large selection of products, but also introduce such innovations as Combination Chemistry, Pressurized Solutions and Encapsulated Solutions.

The company can actually trace its roots to 1958, when President and CEO Mark Boyd’s father, Richard, purchased a small pest control company in Pasadena and founded Ford’s Pest Control. By 1960, Richard Boyd launched Ford’s Chemical to formulate and sell pest control solutions to colleagues and the public. In 1976, he merged the two businesses into Ford’s Chemical and Service. Read more about the history in Pest Management Professional’s anniversary coverage in its July 2018 issue here.

CSI-pest.com

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Sacramento CA

PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists: Pest Control M&A Services

IMAGE: PCO BOOKKEEPERS & M&A SPECIALISTS

The team at PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists (PCOB), led by Pest Management Professional magazine columnist Dan Gordon, CPA, has been helping business owners build and exit pest control companies for three decades. PCOB’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) team members are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and master of business administration degree holders (MBAs) who understand it’s not necessarily the highest price that yields the most money; it’s the effectiveness of the tax minimization strategies that creates the best deal for sellers.

PCOB completed 14 M&A deals for clients in 2023 alone. The firm has brokered more than $1 billion in sell-side transactions, netting some of the highest valuations in the pest control industry. Clients report their top reasons for doing business with PCOB include:

• A focus on the maximum after-tax value for the business — not just the highest price.
• Discretion and support from the first call until the deal closes.
• Deep knowledge and relationships with key players in the pest control market.

PCOB helps clients through all phases in the deal process, including:

• Non-disclosure
• Letters of intent
• Due diligence
• M&A information/acquisition questionnaires
• Financing
• Reviewing purchase and sale agreements
• Other aspects of the deal

Sellers need a team of experts to assist them with structuring the best deal possible from a financial, tax and legal standpoint. PCOB’s approach focuses on maximizing the value of a pest control company by bringing multiple potential buyers to the table.

In addition to helping sellers exit their businesses successfully, PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists assists buyers in the due diligence process and conducts effective business valuations.

PCOBookkeepers.com

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/04/25/pco-bookkeepers-ma-specialists-pest-control-ma-services/
Sacramento CA

Truly Nolen promotes 3 employees

Joseph Mikesell

Truly Nolen Pest Control recently promoted Joseph Mikesell to business manager for Tampa Bay, Fla. When not in the field, he will be based at the company’s Tampa service office.

Mikesell joined the company in 2014 and was previously a service office manager in Mesa, Ariz., before relocation to Florida for this opportunity. Prior to joining Truly Nolen, he spent 15 years in specialty retail and the telecommunications industry.

Truly Nolen also promoted James Hayhurst to manager of the company’s Brandon, Fla., service office.

James Hayhurst

Hayhurst joined Truly Nolen in January 2023 as a manager-in-training. Prior to joining the company, he spent seven years as a store manager for Starbucks, and he spent an additional 18 years in various roles with Fortune 500 companies following 20 years of military service with the U.S. Army. He graduated with a bachelor of arts in sociology and German studies from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of arts in fine arts from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

Some of Hayhurst’s new responsibilities will include helping the service office continue to maintain visibility with the local Brandon community as well as instilling the company’s core values throughout his team.

Oscar Avila

Truly Nolen also promoted Oscar Avila to manager of the company’s Cape Coral, Fla., service office.

Avila joined Truly Nolen as a manager-in-training in 2022. Prior to joining the company, he worked for another pest control company for three years as a branch manager. Avila double majored and graduated with a degree in finance and business management from the University of Tennessee.

Some of Avila’s new responsibilities will include helping the new service office gain visibility within the local Cape Coral community as well as instilling the company’s core values throughout his team.

About Truly Nolen Pest Control

The Tucson, Ariz.-based pest control company traces its roots to 1938, and to 2006 PMP Hall of Famer Truly Wheatfield Nolen. Nolen’s son, the late Truly David Nolen, founded Truly Nolen of America and Orlando, Fla.-based Truly Nolen International, both of which feature a fleet of yellow “mouse cars” and antique vehicles. Truly Nolen of America is one of the largest family-owned pest control companies in the United States, with more than 80 branch offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. It also has independently owned and operated franchises in an ever-growing number of territories including Kentucky, Georgia, New Jersey, Canada, Puerto Rico and more than 60 countries. 

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/04/24/truly-nolen-promotes-3-employees-3/
Sacramento CA

Hawx relocates headquarters, opens sales office

The new Hawx headquarters at the AmeriCan Center in Ogden, Utah. PHOTO: HAWX PEST CONTROL

Ogden, Utah-based Hawx Pest Control recently moved from its previous location in the Business Depot Ogden (BDO) to upgrade its headquarters in the storied AmeriCan Center across town.

Echoing the company’s mission to leverage technology to transform the pest control industry, the company’s new headquarters — a converted industrial space outfitted with state of the art technology — has the kind of open office layout favored by other tech companies. In addition to maximizing transparency and opportunities for collaboration, the new headquarters offers numerous employee benefits, from lounge areas with games and massage chairs to its close proximity to local business and restaurants, bike trails and more.

Hawx serves customers across the U.S., with offices in over 30 cities. The new headquarters is the center of the company’s nationwide operation, housing several mission-critical departments, including customer success, customer solutions, inside sales, strategy and data, technology, fleet, accounting, finance, marketing, communications and more.

Inside the new Hawx office at the AmeriCan Center. PHOTO: HAWX PEST CONTROL

The AmeriCan Center was built in 1914. Originally known as the American Can Company of Utah Building Complex, the buildings were used by the American Can Company to produce millions of cans throughout the 20th century, and assisted in the efforts of both World Wars. The renovated commercial spaces that the AmeriCan Center now offers “combine a modern feel with exposed elements that remind visitors of Ogden’s industrial and culturally diverse past while also pointing to its evolving future,” per the news release.

While the company’s corporate headquarters has taken up residence in Suite 201 on the second floor of the three-story building in the AmeriCan Center, Hawx has also opened up its Ogden Sales Office on the first floor of the building (Suite 101, right beneath its new headquarters). Offering a similarly open layout, this first-floor space will be used by Hawx’s sales leaders primarily for recruitment and networking events. In addition to offices and meeting rooms, it features a golf simulator and a state of the art studio for video and podcast production.

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/04/24/hawx-relocates-headquarters-opens-sales-office/
Sacramento CA

7 ways to prevent swarms of stinging insects

Dr. Jamel Sandidge, BCE

Protecting customers from stinging insects is important, but protecting yourself as you perform services around homes and businesses also is imperative.

I can guarantee I am not the only one who has bumped into a bush or applied product to an area, only to be immediately swarmed and stung multiple times before getting away. Here are seven ways to help limit these occurrences — and hopefully avoid them altogether.

1. Know what species are commonly found in your area, including their biology and behavior.
2. Learn the nest types and preferred nest areas of honey bees (Apis spp.), yellowjackets, hornets and paper wasps.
3. Before beginning any application, perform a preliminary walk around the property to inspect for these potential threats. This extra step can save you a lot of trouble and a potential trip to the hospital.
4. Gather some “intel”: Ask the owner or occupant questions about stinging insect activity. Look for visual signs of activity during inspections, such as nests, high numbers of stinging insects at flowering plants, etc.
5. Look for early-season activity. Make notes on the service ticket for later reference.
6. Be exceptionally vigilant before climbing ladders. While on a ladder for any account, always inspect for honey bees, wasps or hornets that may be entering the structure from up high.
7. Stay on the alert during peak activity and look before treating any dense shrubbery that may camouflage nests.

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/04/24/7-ways-to-prevent-swarms-of-stinging-insects/
Sacramento CA