Bell Labs: FASTRAC All-Weather BLOX

Made with the acute active ingredient bromethalin, Bell Laboratories’ FASTRAC All-Weather BLOX are especially effective for knocking down large rodent populations.

Rodents can consume a lethal dose in a single feeding, and mortality may occur in as little as 24 hours. As a result, rodents consume less FASTRAC compared to anticoagulant baits, allowing pest management professionals to control more rodents with less bait. This saves money on rodenticide while eradicating infestations.

FASTRAC BLOX pair potency with palatability. Each extruded BLOX is made with purified bromethalin, small amounts of paraffin, and high-quality ingredients to achieve maximum rodent acceptance. All BLOX are moisture- and mold-resistant so they can be used in any condition — wet or dry, indoors or out.

About Bell Labs

Founded in 1974 by the late Malcolm Stack, a member of the Pest Management Professional Hall of Fame (Class of 2004), Bell Labs today is based in Windsor, Wis., and manufactures rodenticides and other rodent control products available to the pest control and agricultural industries on six continents. It is led by another Pest Management Professional Hall of Famer, CEO Steve Levy (Class of 2022). Bell’s complete line of products includes rodenticides, tamper-resistant bait stations, smart rodent monitoring devices, glue boards, mechanical traps, and attractants.

BellLabs.com

<p>The post Bell Labs: FASTRAC All-Weather BLOX first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/bell-laboratories/
Sacramento CA

Sterile technique on tap for NWS, mosquitoes

The sterile insect technique (SIT) has long provided an eco-friendly, sustainable tool for pest suppression and eradication by disrupting reproductive cycles. By releasing mass-reared, irradiated males into target environments, SIT causes wild females to lay non-viable eggs, gradually collapsing pest populations.

Because sterile insects cannot produce larvae or pose a risk to human and animal health, it’s being looked at with new enhancements for both the New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax, or NWS), as well as for Anopheles spp. mosquitoes.

Research on malaria mosqitoes

The mosquito study is especially noteworthy because SIT has been successful with Aedes species such as the Asian tiger mosquito (A. albopictus) and the yellow fever mosquito (A. aegypti) because the females of these species tend to be larger than the males, and thus easier to automatically sort. By contrast, both sexes in Anopheles spp. tend to be similar in size.

As Dr. Dongjing Zhang, of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China, a co-author of a new mosquito study on the subject, explains in an article from the Entomological Society of America’s online publication, Entomology Today: “Physical sex sorting relying on pupal size disparity works well for Aedes mosquitoes, yet Anopheles males and females show negligible differences in body size and pupation timing, rendering mechanical sex separation impractical. Manual sorting is extremely slow and cannot support large-scale field releases. Our approach leverages a fundamental biological distinction: Only female mosquitoes take bloodmeals, whereas males never feed on blood.”

Per the article, “when a spiked bloodmeal is offered, the females feed and drop like proverbial flies, while males ignore the blood and survive. The technique does not kill quite enough females to meet the threshold of less than 1 percent for direct release of mosquitoes, but it makes manually sorting out the few survivors a breeze.”

After testing 11 candidate compounds on Aedes albopictus, researchers verified the protocol’s success in the Asian malaria mosquito (Anopheles stephensi). The team hopes that further testing to streamline the process can clear a path for operational-scale Anopheles SIT programs.

Research on containing NWS

To maintain suppression and prevent spread of NWS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continuously monitors screwworm detections and adjusts sterile fly release patterns using two delivery methods:

1. Aerial dispersal: As the USDA notes on its website, “most sterile flies are released by air. After pupae hatch at a release facility, adult flies are loaded into chambers on an aircraft and dispersed through release tubes over the target area. Aerial release provides steady, uniform coverage across large and hard‑to‑reach regions.”
2. Ground Release: This method, as described by the USDA, is used “when sterile flies need to be deployed quickly or in areas beyond typical aerial coverage. Flies can be released from trucks, which disperse them much like aerial operations, or from ground release chambers — crates placed in targeted spots where pupae hatch and flies emerge, providing highly localized support where needed.”
   

To distinguish sterile flies from wild populations during trapping and public surveillance, the USDA dyes pupae with a fluorescent marker visible under ultraviolet (UV) light, and occasionally to the naked eye.

Current NWS strategies

At press time, the USDA and Panama’s Ministry of Agriculture Development (MIDA) jointly manage North America’s sole operational NWS sterile fly production facility through the Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG). Located in Pacora, Panama, the facility generates over 100 million pupae per week. To meet rising demand, the USDA is expanding domestic infrastructure and investing in new sterile fly production capacity.

Operationally, NWS pupae are exposed to gamma radiation to sterilize adult flies without reducing their survival or mating competitiveness. Because female NWS mate only once, releasing these flies leads directly to population decline.

To streamline this process, the USDA is developing NovoFly, a novel, trademarked, male-only strain designed to maximize efficiency by increasing the proportion of sterile males produced for release. While NovoFly is not yet active in field operations, regulatory reviews and field evaluations are underway.

<p>The post Sterile technique on tap for NWS, mosquitoes first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/sterile-technique-on-tap-for-nws-mosquitoes/
Sacramento CA

A better way to recruit, hire and retain pest management employees

Ask almost any pest control company owner about their biggest challenge today, and you’ll hear the same answer: finding good people.

But what if the problem isn’t that great employees don’t exist? What if the problem is that we don’t recruit, hire and onboard employees with the same intentionality we use to win customers?

Biggest hiring mistake

Most companies invest heavily in marketing. They build websites, manage reviews, create customer service standards, develop sales processes and constantly ask, “How can we create a better customer experience?”

Yet when it comes to hiring, many companies have no real system at all. The employee recruiting process is often little more than posting an ad and hoping someone applies. Interviews become casual conversations instead of a structured process designed to uncover whether someone actually can perform the job. Resumes are polished marketing pieces, not proof of capability.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is hiring based on personality instead of performance. Every position should include a practical skills assessment:

If someone will answer phones, let them handle sample customer calls.

If they will sell services, have them complete a role-play.

If you’re hiring a service technician, have them spend a day riding along with a supervisor or experienced technician.

Let them see what the job really involves and let your team evaluate how candidates interact, learn and engage. Also, pay candidates for this working interview. It’s a small investment — and far less expensive than making the wrong hire. Don’t guess what someone can do. Verify it.

Beyond skills, it’s equally important to determine whether the person is naturally suited for the role. Assessments like the Kolbe A Index help identify whether a candidate’s instinctive way of working aligns with the position, dramatically improving the odds of long-term success.

But hiring is only the beginning.

Make a good impression

Too many companies spend weeks recruiting someone, only to have them show up on day one with no plan. No prepared workspace. No structured orientation. No clear training path. No excitement. First impressions matter just as much for employees as they do for customers.

Finally, don’t ignore poor fits. Keeping employees who lack the required skills, don’t align with your culture or simply aren’t right for the position is expensive. It affects morale, increases turnover, frustrates your team and ultimately impacts the customer experience.

Here’s a simple truth: If you take care of your employees, they’ll take care of your customers.

The best way to treat employees

Treat your employees as your first customers. Market your company to them. Create a hiring process worth experiencing. Invest in onboarding. Train with intention. Hire for both capability and fit. Your customers will notice the difference.

If you need help building a hiring system that consistently attracts, selects and develops the right people, we would love to help — whether it’s designing a better hiring process, implementing practical skills assessments, using the Kolbe A Index to ensure the right fit or creating an onboarding experience that sets new employees up for success. Schedule a conversation with us and let’s build a team that helps your business thrive.

Spencer Bachman is a second-generation pest management professional, and owner of the Pest Control Business Coach consulting firm based in Canton, Ga. You can reach her at Sheri@PestControlBusinessCoach.com.

<p>The post A better way to recruit, hire and retain pest management employees first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/a-better-way-to-recruit-hire-and-retain-pest-management-employees/
Sacramento CA

Franklin Pest Solutions continues to sponsor local zoo interns

Franklin Pest Solutions, based in Lafayette, Ind., is sponsoring the Columbian Park Zoo Teen Program for the third year, providing area teens the opportunity to be involved with the zoo community.  

“The Zoo Teen program is designed to prepare young people for future careers in the zoo community by building job-transferable skills, exploring jobs and connecting with others passionate about wildlife,” Columbian Park Zoo Educator Ryan Madden said in a news release.

The program’s stated mission is to “provide an opportunity for area youth to engage with Columbian Park Zoo, gain an appreciation for the importance of zoos and conservation, to explore animal-related careers while building transferable job skills, and to empower youth to become community leaders/advocates for conservation action.”

The 30 “Zoo Teens” go through an application and interview process and, if accepted, complete training in animal husbandry, zoo safety, teaching and customer service. 

“During the summer, the Zoo Teens volunteer at least 45 hours of service working alongside zookeeper mentors to learn the inner workings of the zoo. The zoo also provides opportunities to learn about other animal-related careers, including meeting with local wildlife conservation groups and an end-of-summer trip to a larger Midwest zoo to learn how different zoos are run,” Madden said. Applications for 2027 will open in mid-January.  

“Franklin Pest Solutions is dedicated to working with children of all ages to encourage their interests in the natural world,” Janelle Iaccino, marketing director with Franklin Pest Solutions, said in a news release. “It’s so important for all of us to understand the importance of the balances in nature and why honoring and preserving natural resources including animals and insects are so critical.”

2026 Zoo Teens speak of their experience

Five of this year’s Zoo Teens explain some of their favorite aspects of the program:

“I am always getting the opportunity to do new things. I love getting to do Animal Encounters where we bring out one of our ambassador animals to have an up-close meeting with the public. I love this because it not only teaches kids about how magical animals can be, but also is a chance for adults to learn more about animals they are hesitant about.” — Kinley McCoy, 15, who hopes to pursue a career as a zoo educator or in zookeeping

“I love coming to the zoo and not knowing what I’m going to be doing or where I will be working each day. I especially enjoy working with the educational ambassador animals. They all have unique care requirements and personalities that make it one of my favorite places to work. It’s fun to engage with guests through animal encounters to teach them about an animal and how they can help conserve wildlife.” — Cohen Alfano, 17, third-year Zoo Teen who is interested in a future in wildlife biology

“My two years in the Zoo Teen Program have yielded wonderful memories and unforgettable hands-on experiences that could only be made possible by being a Zoo Teen. The program has taught me that an animal’s role goes beyond making up the food web, which helps maintain a balanced ecosystem. Animals also give insights into ecosystem health and provide resources to other species through abandoned shelters, leftovers from a hunt and more.” — Yaritza Torres-Muro, 16, who wants a career in animal psychology and anesthesiology

“My favorite animal at the zoo seems to change every year, but I always feel the most connection to the goats. It is always fun learning their names and almost growing alongside them as I am soon to age out of the program.” — Ethan Furst, 16, who plans to puruse a career in zookeeping or zoology

“[A Brazilian rainbow boa named Rio is] my favorite because he is very curious, has a fun personality and I love how well he does when I take him out for encounters with the public. The Colombian Park Zoo Teen program has allowed me to work with domesticated animals as well as more exotic and endangered species.” — Piper Burke, 16, whose dream job is either an animal behavioral scientist or a marine biologist

“Learning about the balance of humans and nature is both critical and rewarding, and working with animals helps the teens, and all of us, understand that balance. We would love to have any of the Zoo Teen Program teens work with Franklin in the future,” Iaccino said in the news release. “It’s so wonderful to see kids immerse themselves in nature and care so much about the environment. After all, they are the ones who will inherit it and with teens like this, there’s so much hope for our world.”

About Franklin Pest Solutions

Since 1929, Franklin Pest Solutions has been trusted in the Midwest to keep homes and businesses free from insects, rodents, and more. Like its sister company, Rose Pest Solutions, Franklin uses cutting-edge technology, environmentally friendly methods and personalized unique solutions to create and maintain healthy living environments.

Founded in 1860 and owned by the Dold family, Rose Pest Solutions serves communities in all of Chicagoland, the Greater Milwaukee area and South-Central Wisconsin. Franklin Pest Solutions serves Indiana and Kentucky. The company boasts three Pest Management Professional magazine Hall of Fame honorees: Company founder Solomon Rose (Class of 2001) and longtime leaders Bob and Judy Dold (Class of 2002).

About Columbian Park Zoo

Founded in 1908, Columbian Park Zoo is the second-oldest zoo in Indiana. It is approximately 6 acres in size and is located in historic Columbian Park in Lafayette, Ind. The Zoo features several “immersion” exhibits and the animal collection consists of nearly 200 animals representing approximately 90 species. 

<p>The post Franklin Pest Solutions continues to sponsor local zoo interns  first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/franklin-pest-solutions-continues-to-sponsor-local-zoo-interns/
Sacramento CA

Arrow Exterminators’ Fiscal Year Summit celebrates record-breaking year

Atlanta, Ga.-based Arrow Exterminators held its annual Fiscal Year Summit at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, where it welcomed more than 500 team members and partners to the two-day event.

The summit, which took place July 29 and 30, brought together company executives, managers and corporate support teams to celebrate a record-breaking 2025-2026 fiscal year and set the stage for continued growth in 2026-2027.

During the event, Arrow Exterminators recognized outstanding achievements from across the company, including surpassing $475 million in total revenue, while introducing its new internal fiscal year theme, “Lead Every Day: Chasing Greatness.”

“What makes this company special has always been our people and the way they care for one another, our customers and the communities we serve,” Arrow Exterminators CEO Emily Thomas Kendrick said in a news release. “This summit gives us the opportunity to celebrate everything our team accomplished together over the past year while also looking ahead to what we can achieve next. I am incredibly proud of our team and excited about the opportunities in front of us.”

The first day of the summit included company awards and recognition, along with a keynote presentation from Ryan Leak, author of Leveling Up. Leak challenged attendees to take greater ownership of their personal and professional growth and shared practical insights for continuing to develop as leaders.

Day two focused on leadership development and featured a motivational workshop led by Randy Gravitt, who challenged attendees to be intentional about the way they lead and the impact they have on those around them.

“Our theme this year, ‘Lead Every Day: Chasing Greatness,’ is about recognizing that leadership isn’t limited to a title or a position,” Arrow Exterminators President and COO Tim Pollard said in the news release. “It’s about the choices we make every day, how we support our teams and how we continue raising the bar for ourselves and our company. Randy’s message reinforced that perfectly and gave our leaders a great foundation as we begin another exciting year at Arrow.”

About Arrow Exterminators

Family-owned and -operated since 1964, Atlanta, Ga.-based Arrow Exterminators is the largest family-owned pest and termite control company in the United States, ranked by revenue. Joe Thomas, Chairman of the Board, is a Pest Management Professional Hall of Famer (Class of 2009).

Arrow has 201 service centers, more than 3,700 team members and revenues exceeding $475 million. Featuring QualityPro accreditation by the National Pest Management Association, the company offers innovative and environmentally responsible services to protect homes and businesses of customers and operates in 16 states, including Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

<p>The post Arrow Exterminators’ Fiscal Year Summit celebrates record-breaking year first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/arrow-exterminators-fiscal-year-summit-celebrates-record-breaking-year/
Sacramento CA

The silent costs of ‘good enough’ pest control

In pest management, there’s a dangerous middle ground that doesn’t get talked about enough: the space between poor service and excellent service. It’s what I call “good enough” pest control.

It’s not sloppy. It’s not negligent. But it’s also not solving the real problem. And, over time, it’s costing our industry more than we realize.

“Good enough” pest control is easy to spot in the field. It’s a technician treating baseboards out of routine. It’s a follow-up completed without a true inspection. It’s by-the-book bait placements that don’t align with actual activity.

Nothing is technically wrong. But nothing is truly targeted, either. Because the technician is on autopilot, there is an increased risk of callbacks and recurring issues, which can lead to customers beginning to lose confidence in the service. This is because customers don’t evaluate pest control the way we do. They don’t see product selection, dilution rates or treatment strategies.

They see one thing: results.

You can follow every label instruction and apply every product correctly, but if the issue persists, the customer perceives failure.

How we got here, and how to get out

This issue rarely stems from a lack of effort. In most cases, it is the result of operational pressure and routine that push service toward “good enough.”

Common contributors include tight scheduling, treating visible activity rather than identifying root causes, over-reliance on standard service patterns and lack of structured feedback from callbacks.

Take a hard look at how you’ve trained your technicians vs. what is expected of them in the field. At meetings, you may instruct them to take the time needed to investigate each account and get to the bottom of what’s causing a pest infestation. But in reality, are you scheduling enough time per stop to make that happen? Are you doing random audits of their notes for different accounts to see how detailed they are at each stop, or is there a blank space in the notes section again and again?

Callbacks are the canary in the coal mine

Callbacks are not just part of the job; they are feedback from the field. In an industry built on solving problems, the ability to learn from callbacks may be one of the most valuable skills of all.

When a callback occurs, do you automatically assume the technician failed in some way, or do you accompany them to the account to figure out what is really going on? In most cases, callbacks fall into three categories:

• Biological: The infestation was heavier than expected or still within its reproductive cycle.
• Chemical: Product selection, environmental conditions or degradation reduced effectiveness.
• Service: Missed areas, improper placement or lack of thorough inspection (“good enough” pest control).

When companies begin categorizing callbacks this way, patterns quickly emerge. If callbacks are frequently tied to service gaps, provide additional training or inspection protocols. If they’re tied to product performance, make adjustments in material selection or application strategy. Then use those patterns to guide your next steps.

When technicians understand why a callback occurred, they gain confidence in their ability to solve similar issues in the future. This shifts the mindset from reactive to proactive — one of the most important transitions in technician growth. Regardless of the callback category, the goal is to move from “good enough” toward “best efforts.”

<p>The post The silent costs of ‘good enough’ pest control first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/the-silent-costs-of-good-enough-pest-control/
Sacramento CA

Thomas Pest Services opens new branch

Thomas Pest Services, based in Albany, N.Y., officially celebrated the opening of its new branch located at 12 Shenandoah Drive in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Aug. 20 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by company leadership, community partners and local officials.

Per a news release, the new location “strengthens the company’s presence in New York’s Capital Region while improving service throughout Saratoga County and neighboring communities. By establishing a permanent northern branch, service professionals who cover the region will spend less time traveling to and from route territories, allowing for greater operational efficiency, increased appointment availability and faster response times for customers.”

“At the heart of every decision we make is our team,” Thomas Pest Services VP Sarah Thomas Clark said in the news release. “By opening a branch closer to where many of our technicians live and work, we’re creating a better experience for our employees while continuing to provide the responsive, high-quality service our customers have come to expect. When our technicians spend less time on the road and more time focused on inspections, treatments and customer care, everyone benefits.”

The Saratoga Springs branch marks another milestone in Thomas Pest Services’ continued growth. Earlier this year, the company announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters, reinforcing its long-term investment in Upstate New York and providing additional space to support its expanding operations. They also recently announced expansion of their service area into northern Ulster and Dutchess counties. The Saratoga Springs office builds upon that momentum by extending the company’s operational footprint farther north. The branch also provides a strategic base for technicians servicing residential and commercial accounts throughout the region.

“Our growth has never been about simply adding locations,” President Bill Clark said in the news release. “Each investment is made with purpose, to find ways to better serve our customers, support our employees and build a stronger organization for the future. This branch helps us accomplish all three, and we’re excited to continue growing alongside the communities we serve.”

About Thomas Pest Services

Thomas Pest Services has been protecting the health, homes and pets of the Capital Region and Hudson Valley for three generations with full-service, people-first pest prevention and treatment programs.

Thomas Pest Services provides integrated pest management services for residential and commercial customers throughout the Capital Region and Hudson Valley. Now led by a third generation of the Thomas family, the company offers comprehensive pest prevention, inspection, monitoring, exclusion and treatment services while emphasizing environmentally responsible practices and ongoing technician training. Committed to community support and exceptional customer care, the company “treats little things like big things to deliver guaranteed satisfaction.”

<p>The post Thomas Pest Services opens new branch first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/thomas-pest-services-opens-new-branch/
Sacramento CA