SPP workshop is set for September

Stillwater, Okla., will become the center of stored product pest (SPP) management education when the Urban Pest Management Technical Committee (UPMTC) hosts its Advanced SPP Management Workshop at Oklahoma State University’s (OSU’s) Horticulture Center and Stored Product Research and Education Center (SPREC) Sept. 15-16, 2026.

Designed for pest management professionals (PMPs), food manufacturing personnel, quality assurance specialists and urban entomologists, the two-day event combines classroom instruction with intensive hands-on training to provide attendees with practical tools for managing pests that threaten stored commodities, food processing facilities and grain storage operations.

Addressing a critical industry need

SPP present unique challenges for food manufacturers, processors, warehouses, grain storage facilities and PMPs. Insects capable of infesting flour, grain, cereals, spices, pet food and other stored commodities can cause substantial economic losses, compromise food safety and jeopardize regulatory compliance.

Recognizing the growing need for advanced training in this specialty area, UPMTC has assembled a lineup of industry experts to deliver a comprehensive educational experience focused on pest identification, monitoring, prevention and control.

Day 1: Expert-led classroom instruction

The workshop begins at the OSU Botanical Garden Horticulture Center with a full day of educational sessions covering the latest developments in SPP management. The day kicks off with a presentation by Dr. Ravi Jadeja, OSU professor and extension specialist in food safety, who will discuss the fundamentals of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and best practices for maintaining audit-compliant integrated pest management programs in food facilities.

Throughout the morning and afternoon, attendees will hear from leading authorities on some of the industry’s most pressing topics:

• Mark Sheperdigian, BCE, chief science officer of Madison Heights, Mich.-based Rose Pest Solutions, will present strategies for identifying and controlling dermestid beetles, a persistent challenge in many food and storage environments.
• James Miller, ACE, director of global sales for Trécé and current president of industry fraternity Pi Chi Omega, will explore methods for optimizing SPP monitoring programs through data-driven approaches and effective trap deployment.
• Tom Mueller, CEO of Insects Limited (founded by Pest Management Professional (PMP) Hall of Famer David Mueller, BCE, Class of 2019), will discuss emerging pest threats and technological innovations that are reshaping SPP management.
• Independent Industry Consultant Jeff Weier, BCE, will examine the relationships among mold, fungi and the diverse organisms that thrive in these environments.
• Dr. Alison Gerken, a research quantitative ecologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, will share current research insights from the agency’s Manhattan, Kan.-based research programs.
• Eric Myers, ACE, global IPM manager for ADM, will conclude the day with a practical industry perspective on pest risks, detection methods and control strategies within modern food manufacturing facilities.

Day 2: Learning in action

While the first day focuses on foundational knowledge and industry trends, the second day shifts toward applied learning at OSU’s renowned Stored Product
Research and Education Center (SPREC).

The day begins with station assignments coordinated by Patricia Hottel, BCE, PCQI, Midwest technical director for Orkin Pest Control and a PMP Hall of Famer (Class of 2024), before participants rotate through a series of interactive field-training exercises designed to reinforce classroom concepts.

Flour mill inspection techniques

At the first station, Jeremy Southgate, ACE-I, technical support auditor with Abell Pest Management, will guide attendees through flour mill inspections and assessments. Participants will learn practical inspection procedures, evaluation techniques and tools commonly used to identify pest risk areas within milling environments.

Pest identification challenge

Accurate identification remains one of the cornerstones of successful pest management. During the “Pest ID Showdown,” Tom Mueller will challenge participants to identify a variety of SPP, helping them improve diagnostic skills essential for selecting effective management strategies.

Advanced monitoring and mating disruption

James Miller will lead a session on calculating pheromone mating-disruption dispenser requirements and proper placement strategies. This increasingly important approach offers facilities additional options for reducing pest populations while enhancing IPM programs.

Commodity fumigation innovations

Stored commodity protection requires specialized knowledge, and William Woodhouse, ACE, PHE, research and development manager for Cardinal Professional Products, will demonstrate advances in commodity fumigation. Participants will learn about carbon dioxide applications, fumigant detection technologies and grain-bin recirculation systems that improve treatment effectiveness and safety.

A powerful safety message

One of the workshop’s most impactful demonstrations will take place during lunch with Dr. Carol Jones, retired professor of SPP engineering at OSU. In a presentation titled “Seconds Matter: Grain Bin Fumigation Safety and Engulfment Demonstration,” Dr. Jones will address one of the most serious hazards facing agricultural and grain-industry workers. The demonstration emphasizes how quickly accidents can occur and reinforces the importance of proper safety procedures when working around grain storage systems and fumigation operations.

Connecting research, industry and practice

What sets the UPMTC Advanced SPP Management Workshop apart is its ability to bring together experts from academia, government research, manufacturing,
consulting and professional pest management. Participants will gain exposure to the latest scientific discoveries, regulatory requirements, field-tested management practices and emerging technologies, all within a collaborative learning environment.

By combining classroom education with hands-on demonstration, the workshop ensures attendees leave with practical knowledge they can immediately apply within food-processing facilities, warehouses, grain storage operations and commercial pest management programs. Learn more and register today at UPMTC.org or click on the QR code above.

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Sacramento CA

Bed bug product insights: Rockwell Labs

RECENT INNOVATIONS: Rockwell’s newest development in bed bug control is the addition of Aprehend to its professional product portfolio, following our 2025 acquisition of the product from ConidioTec. Combined with CimeXa Insecticide Dust, PMPs have access to two highly differentiated technologies that work together to confidently deliver highly effective, resistance-management-focused bed bug control with reduced labor and simplified service protocols.

CimeXa Insecticide Dust

CimeXa can be dusted into cracks, crevices, wall voids, furniture voids, box springs and other protected harborages where bed bugs hide and travel, as well as brushed into mattress and upholstery seams and carpet edges. It can last for years if undisturbed.

Aprehend offers an entirely different approach, using the naturally occurring fungal biopesticide Beauveria bassiana. It is applied in narrow bands where bed bugs travel between harborages and hosts, infecting bed bugs as they cross barriers. Exposed bed bugs then transfer fungal spores to other bed bugs within harborages, to control hidden populations that may not contact treatments directly. Barriers keep killing for up to 90 days.

Together, Aprehend and CimeXa offer a revolution in bed bug service. Instead of tearing apart rooms searching for every hidden harborage, technicians apply strategic residual barriers where bed bugs must travel to feed. This significantly reduces labor time and treatment disruption for customers.

PREDICTIONS: Neither resistance nor bed bugs is going away. Using Rockwell’s Aprehend and CimeXa protocol for both treatment and prevention will usher in a new era in bed bug management built around efficacy, resistance management, safety and operational efficiency.

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Sacramento CA

TCAP: Mergers & Acquisitions Advising

After both independently built successful mergers and acquisitions (M&A) firms, longtime colleagues Greg Clendenin and Graham Anthony joined forces in 2020 and created The Clendenin Anthony Partnership (TCAP).

About Graham Anthony

• Worked on Wall Street at Bankers Trust (now Deutsche Bank), completing over $5 billion dollars of M&A transactions for clients.
• Served as CFO of a large home services business, where he supported operations and growth and oversaw the acquisition of several dozen pest, termite and lawn care firms.
• Serves as an investor in and a board member of several firms and has completed acquisitions outside of the home and facilities services industries.
• Received his MBA from The Darden School and his BA from The College of Arts & Sciences, both at the University of Virginia.

About Greg Clendenin

• Built Middleton Lawn & Pest Control into the 14th-largest pest control company in the country.
• Led Middleton on the buy side from 2005-2007 in approximately a dozen acquisitions.
• Served as COO for Sears Termite and Pest Control, which achieved annual revenues of over $100 million.
• Served as CEO, COO and owner in the pest control and lawn care industries since 1982.
• Served as CEO and owner of The Clendenin Consulting Group since 2018.
• Served on the elected board of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and received the National Leadership Award in 2003.
• Received his MBA with Honors from The Crummer School of Business at Rollins College.
• Has successfully advised sellers in the pest control, lawn care and landscaping industries since 2018.

Their expertise

• They help entrepreneurs by successfully selling their home services and business services for maximum value to buyers who do a great job with the acquisition post-sale.
• Their M&A transaction expertise and entrepreneurial operating experience equal success for their clients.
• Both have started, built and successfully sold multiple entrepreneurial businesses and completed more than $500 million in M&A transactions for their firm’s clients — plus closed more than $5 billion of transactions as part of earlier organizations.
• Through their combined efforts, they have completed hundreds of transactions In the lawn, pest, termite, landscape, snow removal, heating, plumbing, electrical home services and commercial services industries.

What they do

Having completed hundreds of M&A transactions between independent entrepreneurs and strategic and private equity buyers, and having sold their own businesses, and having purchased businesses in the industry for themselves and others, they understand the needs of the seller as well as the mindset of acquirers. They are able to quell concerns at each stage of the acquisition process, helping you navigate that process more effectively.

Clendenin-Anthony.com

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/the-clendenin-anthony-partnership/
Sacramento CA

Bed bug product insights: Polti

RECENT INNOVATIONS: We have several exciting developments in the works. First, we currently are developing a new-and-improved steam applicator nozzle, designed to increase the speed of steam application during bed bug treatments. This upgraded nozzle will be fully compatible with the current Polti Cimex Eradicator unit, meaning existing customers can simply add the new attachment to their setup without purchasing new equipment. We anticipate availability in the U.S. market by the end of 2027. This improvement reflects our ongoing commitment to making superheated dry steam treatment faster and more efficient for PMPs.

In addition, we are developing protocols for small fly control in both residential and commercial settings. This expansion beyond bed bugs represents a natural evolution for superheated steam technology, and we look forward to sharing more details as this work progresses.

Finally, we have produced a comprehensive ebook guide that examines the strengths and limitations of all major bed bug control methods and how each can be combined with superheated steam as part of an integrated approach. This resource can be invaluable for PMPs looking to build more effective treatment programs. (Editor’s Note: Click here to download the guide.)

PREDICTIONS: Looking ahead, we expect bed bug resistance to chemical insecticides to continue growing. Research already shows that pyrethroid resistance is widespread, and there are signs that resistance to newer chemistries is developing as well.

PMPs will need to embrace a true IPM approach that combines multiple control methods — physical, mechanical, biological and chemical — rather than relying on any single solution. Superheated dry steam, in particular, offers a critical advantage in this landscape because bed bugs cannot develop resistance to a physical mode of action like thermal shock.

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/bed-bug-product-insights-polti/
Sacramento CA

PCI: TAPcover Recessed Light Cover

Pest Control Insulation’s (PCI’s) trademarked TAPcover Recessed Light Cover (TC900) was specially designed by the TAP team for TAP jobs. It is designed to allow the installer to insulate safely and effectively around recessed lights. Research has shown that without proper insulation, areas around recessed lights can allow a large amount of heat energy to enter or escape from a building. Features include:

• Allows insulation to be applied around and on top of light fixtures
• Easy installation
• Compatible with all types of insulation
• Manufactured in the U.S. from recycled paper products
• Perforated areas allow for the cover to be vented or solid
• Pricing is for a bundle of 10 light covers

About Pest Control Insulation

Pest Control Insulation (PCI) is a Lula, Ga.-based distribution company focused on blended, customized insulation products, accessories and equipment for sale to the pest control industry. As the manufacturer of TAP insulation, PCI’s national customer base includes some of the largest pest control services companies in the country. In 2023, PCI generated approximately $24 million of revenue. It is now a brand of TopBuild Corp.

TAPInsulation.com

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Sacramento CA

Catseye Pest Control expands in Massachusetts

Catseye Pest Control, based in Latham, N.Y., acquired two Massachusetts companies: Security Pest Elimination of Lowell and Biologic Pest Control of Walpole.

Security Pest Elimination, founded in 1993, has served residential and commercial customers throughout Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire for termite, rodent, ant, bed bug and wildlife control. Biologic Pest Control, founded in 2006, focuses on commercial customers across the region.

As part of the acquisitions, customers of both Security Pest Elimination and Biologic Pest Control now join the Catseye family of brands and will continue to receive pest control services backed by Catseye’s team, resources and service standards.

“These are meaningful acquisitions and an exciting step in our growth story,” Joe Dingwall, CEO of Catseye Pest Control and USX Pest, said in a news release. “Security Pest and Biologic have each spent decades earning the trust of their customers, and we’re honored to welcome them into the Catseye family of brands. We look forward to many more steps like this in the months and years ahead.”

About Catseye Pest Control

In 1987, Catseye began as a two-person operation. John Gagne used his mom’s old station wagon and went door-to-door offering pest control services for homes and businesses while his wife, Monica, managed their tiny office in their home in East Greenbush, N.Y. Today, the Catseye family has more than 100 employees.

Recently, Gagne explained their journey, noting he and his wife had “nothing but each other and the refusal to quit. I built it crawling through attics and crawlspaces after spending a year in a wheelchair. Not because of luck because of grit, discipline, and showing up every single day. This wasn’t built in perfect conditions. It was built through pain, pressure, discomfort, and the obsession to create something bigger than ourselves. If you want to build something real, understand this: Success comes from sacrifice, resilience, work ethic, and showing up on the hard days.”

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Sacramento CA

Veseris opens new Northeast hub, Kansas location

The Veseris ProCenter that served as a northeastern U.S. hub has relocated from Edison, N.J., to just a few miles down the road to a 64,000-square-foot facility at 201-207 Mac Lane in Keasbey, N.J. The move doubles the facility space to expand inventory and improve regional distribution.

In addition, Veseris’ Kansas City area team has relocated from North Kansas City, Kan., to 8024 Reeder St., Lenexa, Kan.

Despite the new locations, both Verseris facilities retains their existing local teams, phone numbers and core service offerings.

About Veseris

Based in Austin, Texas, Veseris delivers products, training and expertise to help drive business growth for pest management professionals, as well as pros in the wildlife, turf and ornamental, public health, post-harvest and animal health sectors. With more than 80 U.S. locations coast to coast, Veseris also has a presence in Canada, Mexico and worldwide.

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Sacramento CA