Available early next year, Ridesco WG Insecticide from BASF combines two trusted active ingredients (AIs), alpha-cypermethrin and dinotefuran, to control difficult-to-control pests such as spiders, occasional invaders, large cockroaches and more. The quick release formulation means the AIs hit pests immediately, resulting in a swift reduction of pest populations. The insecticide has a flexible label that allows for use outdoors, on and off structure, and indoors, including food-handling areas, with one simple rate.
About BASF
BASF Corp., headquartered in Florham Park, N.J., is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $25.7 billion in 2022.
BASF creates chemistry for a sustainable future by combining economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of its customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. BASF’s portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions.
For her October PMP PestTalk column, Truly Nolen President Scarlett Nolen chats with the company’s COO, Justin Bellet to discuss the impact hurricanes have on Florida, as well as the pest control industry in the area.
In this vlog, the pair share tips for companies on how to prepare before a hurricane, the biggest challenges to overcome during hurricane season, the aftermath of the storms and more.
Transcription
Scarlett Nolen: Hello. I am Scarlett Nolan, president of Truly Nolen America. And today I am here to talk with Justin Bellet, our COO, our storm command center and BBC’s hurricane coordinator, aficionado, to talk all things hurricane and how they impact the state of Florida, the southeast region and the pest control industry. So I want to go back to 1992 Hurricane Andrew, of course, hit, and it was absolute devastation. It was recorded to have $25 billion worth of damage, and it was category four. And in Dade County alone, 250,000 people were temporary, temporarily without homes. It was a pretty catastrophic hurricane, to say the least.
Justin Bellet: We had a branch in Homestead at the time.
SN: We did, we did, and surprisingly, the branch was still standing. We didn’t really have too many customers left, but the branch was still standing. And, you know, we’ve, we’ve navigated so many hurricanes for good reason. My father’s first chapter of his book truly original is titled hurricane relief, because that impact with our industry and Mother Nature is so prevalent. So 32 years later, we’re still navigating the storm. We’re still weathering the storm and more of them and more of them, absolutely. So we’re, you know, just off of back to back hurricanes right here in Florida. And like many people have questions. So let’s get into it. So let’s talk about before, before the hurricane starts, we get notice on the news, just like everybody else does, besides securing assets, what advice logistically do you have for companies? Pre hurricane?
JB: I would say it starts off with knowing that you’re going to have to have flexibility with your people. You know as soon as the warnings start to come in, and you can usually tell when it’s serious versus just precautionary. You’ve got to start to ramp up and know that your people need to start to think about their property, their families do. They have to evacuate. And then you kind of start to wait until you start to hear the school closures. Right when you start to hear the school closures, you’ve got to accept the fact that you’re going to have a disruption to your business and start to really embrace your people being able to prepare for their own personal disruption.
SN: How do you gather the team in that preparation time?
JB: So, you know, we have a lot of protocols that we send out on how to, you know, get prepared, whether it’s vehicles, the buildings, and then it gets into establishing communication. Communication throughout the entirety of the event is what, to me, is the top priority. So we establish a first line of communication, a second line and a third line with all of our team members that we think are going to be impacted. And then we have kind of like our own Storm Team that we create that are, you know, positioned geographically, that if one person is unavailable, there’s a secondary everyone knows what their role is, and that Storm Team kind of like they take on their area of expertise, and it’s constant communication every 30 to 60 minutes, we’re we’re in communication with one another. Really critical today.
SN: Really critical. Yeah, before, during and after, what have been some of the biggest challenges during hurricane season that you’ve seen?
JB: You know it really comes down to a the amount of issues that are created with your team members. You’ve got to know that they’re they’re trying to, you know, navigate the challenges of their life with a storm or an impending storm, and you’ve got to keep them in a in a good head space, because if they’re not in a good head space, they can’t go out and treat our customers great. And you also have to think about how to keep their income flowing, because they may be fighting a personal challenge with a tree in their house, or their house is flooded, but if 2-3-4, weeks from now, their income is disrupted, it you just add. Stress to their lives.
SN: After a hurricane, lot happens and Truly Nolen. We’re typically shoulder to shoulder or just behind our first responders. What are the some of the things that you’re most proud of in the aftermath of hurricanes that we do for our people?
JB: One you know, internally, for our team members, you know, we do a lot, as far as you know, giving them food gift cards right after the storm. We offer no interest loans to people. We advance PTO time you and the family. You know, you look at individual situations and you also contribute to their recovery. You know, we ensure that our benefit set their medical benefits. There’s adjustments that are made to give them faster access to prescription drugs. We have a whole team that does wellness checks constantly after the storm. There’s a lot of things that we do, as far as you know, trying to make sure our team members are in a good place. And then there’s the external customer, right? Our actual customers. You have to know that. You have to make you have to adjust your business for the next four to six months. You’ve got to be way more flexible. You have to understand how balances and money is going to kind of get shifted for a little while. And you have to have offerings for the community that serve the community. You can’t just go and look at, you know, how we’re going to go, you know, capture revenue and you’ve got to be about giving back to the people that are supporting your business.
SN: Absolutely. So you’re a Bug Guy, been in this business for almost a quarter of a century. But through your journey, I’ve definitely seen, I’ve noticed you make it your personal mission, mission to really help us weather the storm. This is something that you take on very personally to ensure the safety. Where does that that passion or that mission mind come from?
JB: So for me, you know, I had the opportunity to work with truly for for quite a while. And as you had mentioned in the first chapter of the book, you know, this was something that he really saw as an opportunity to support the team members of the company. And so because of that, to me, this is part of his legacy. And I, you know, that’s why I kind of own it on my sleeve is, you know, out of respect for him and the Nolan family. I know how much they truly cared about this and the family, and you know, that’s why I kind of own it.
SN: And we all appreciate it, how much you put into it, because it’s a lot. So like I said, almost a quarter of a century into navigating hurricanes specifically with Truly Nolen, what have you learned?
JB: You know, I learned that a you know, first and foremost, take care of your people, make sure that they’re in a good place, and then, you know, you’ve got to expect that you’re going to have some real, you know, from small to large, short term impacts to your business. But when you think about what is the long term impact, how you can impact your the community that you serve, how you can kind of cement yourself as the provider, because there is going to be a lot of opportunity when you have a storm that hits you have, you know, whole new ecosystem for bugs that has to be created. But more importantly, you have billions of dollars that’s being pumped into the economy, whether that’s insurance money, however you look at it, people have to spend money right now, and there’s a lot of long term opportunity. So you got to get through the short term. It hurts for a little bit, absolutely. But once you do you come out, if you do it right and you serve the community, you come out right on the other end.
SN: Absolutely. And every single business in Florida is impacted in some way. Some come out financially on the upswing. Certainly, contractors talk to us specifically, the specifics in the pest control industry. What are we thinking about right now?
JB: So we’re thinking about right now houses that are flooded, debris everywhere. All new entry points for rodents, you know, and the entire, as I said a second ago, the ecosystem has been, you know, disrupted. You know, all colonies are trying to re establish themselves. You have, you know, in commercial you’ve got dumpsters full of old food. You know, there’s going to be rats, rodents, ants. Everywhere. And then that’s kind of like in the in the first couple months in the lawn care, you have salt damaged lawns, you have a recovery program to help the lawns come back. And then long term, you know, we do insulation, and there’s a lot of roof leaks with this one attic damage that’s going to create termite and insulation opportunities,
SN: Absolutely. So last question, right now we’re, you know, just after back to back hurricanes between Hilton and Helene and Milton combined them but they felt like one in the same. It felt like one, one big hurricane. What should leaders be thinking about right now?
JB: Right now, it should be, are all your people in a good place? And if not, what do you have to do to get them in a good place? And then you know, what are, what is your offerings to the community? And you have your short term recovery offerings, and then what is your long term strategy on how you’re going to serve the community and look for the opportunities to gain business
SN: Absolutely. Thank you very much. I’m so glad to have you as our hurricane command center and navigating us through all these storms, because they certainly won’t be it won’t be the last and many more to come. So please stay safe out there and see you next time.
from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/10/30/truly-nolen-leaders-share-helpfu-hurricane-tips-for-pest-control-companies/ Sacramento CA
Atticus’ new, trademarked Tirade Ultra SC controls more than 100 labeled insect pests indoors and outdoors with low use rates. Its active ingredient is beta-cyfluthrin, offering broad-spectrum control with quick knockdown and long residual activity. In addition, Tirade Ultra SC is a fast-acting, pre-binning and residual treatment for stored grains and livestock housing.
Tirade Ultra SC’s liquid formulation means less agitation during use, making it user-friendly and ensuring a more even spray dispersion, resulting in thorough insect control. It also offers low toxicity without compromising effectiveness, and leaves no odor or staining. It is available in packages of six (240milliliter bottles), eight (900milliliter bottles) and 48 (32milliliter bottles).
Tirade Ultra SC joins several other Atticus insecticides for pest management professionals (PMPs) and vector control specialists, including:
DeVito With EnduraCap Technology (lambda-cyhalothrin)
Simterro 9.7 (lambda-cyhalothrin)
Nix IGR Concentrate (pyriproxyfen)
About Atticus LLC
Bootstrapped and independently operated. Atticus, a demand-driven manufacturer of battle-tested chemistries, was established in 2014 and built from the ground up. With a stated purpose to “Enhance Daily Life,” Atticus has created a relevant portfolio of branded-generic herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to support and sustain life; plants, animals and the basic needs of people; food, clothing and shelter. Whether Atticus serves you with agriculture or ecocore products, the goal is to operate in a way that is nimble, accessible and reliable. As an independent company, Atticus makes decisions at your speed. To ensure that is always the case, Atticus lives by its value proposition: Relevant. Simple. Reliable.
October through December is the peak holiday season for families around the globe, as dozens of religious and traditional celebrations occur this time of year. No holiday celebration would be complete without an endless buffet of sweet and savory foods often accompanying the festivities.
Unfortunately, the overabundance of food also can mean homes and businesses are primed for stored product pests (SPP) and other pest issues, as a long list of hungry arthropods will be waiting to take advantage of any leftovers. Here are three tips to offer your clients now to avoid the inevitable post-season callbacks after the dust settles and the holidays are over.
1. Pest prevention always will be your first line of defense. For SPP, this means proper storage of dried foods. Over the holiday season, kitchen pantries often become stocked with ingredients that may not be used again for months. These items often sit undisturbed where they can become a target for a new infestation, or they may even serve as the source of a new introduction if they already are infested. To protect these goods, recommend your clients store food items in hard plastic or glass containers with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Dried goods such as nuts, spices and flour may be commonly infested items, but they are not the only potential food sources for insects looking for an easy meal. Many holiday decorations also can contain edible materials such as dried flowers, feathers and furs that can attract hungry pests. To protect seasonal decorations from damage and avoid any unwanted guests next year when decorations are unpacked again, encourage your clients to ditch the cardboard boxes and store holiday decorations in sealable storage containers made of plastic or metal.
3. Be sure to review a recommended course of action for your client in the event an unfortunate pest encounter does occur. Some helpful steps may include contacting you at the first signs of any pest activity, containing and removing any infested items as soon as possible, and saving pest samples for positive identification.
Read more tips to combat pests during the holiday season:
“Mainframe is a one-stop-shop for pest control companies looking to market their business. It offers subscribers access to hundreds of customizable and ready-made marketing materials that have been created with guidance from entomologists and pest control professionals,” said Dr. Jim Fredericks, BCE, executive director of PPMA. “Through this redesign process, we sought to improve the site’s look, flow and functionality to provide subscribers with an elevated experience that is equal to the value Mainframe provides.”
The redesign, which has been underway for the past year, includes a fresh look for all pages, including the customizable assets and learning resources. Additionally, the homepage now features a personalized welcome message, a featured assets slider, a customizable favorites bar, an events calendar and callouts for both trending pests and trending content.
“At the start of the development process for this redesign, we spoke with Mainframe users to better understand what is most important to them when using the site and how we can enhance their overall experience,” said Fredericks. “Elements of the new site, like our events calendar, customizable favorites bar and trending content callouts came directly from those conversations. Our goal is to create an enhanced user experience in combination with upgraded functionality and design to showcase key benefits of Mainframe.”
For PPMA Guardians, the new Mainframe also features ‘locked’ content that will be exclusively available to these investors including research, photos, videos and more.
from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/10/29/professional-pest-management-alliance-updates-mainframe-site-with-fresh-features/ Sacramento CA
Get rid of blood-feeders with Steri-fab! As a nonresidual, multipurpose spray, Steri‑fab can be applied to human contact surfaces like mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets and other, similar places to get rid of labeled pests, odors and germs. With Steri-fab, people and pets can re-enter rooms treated per the label as soon as those areas are thoroughly dry and ventilated, getting right back to life as normal.
With its flexible label for treating both hard and soft surfaces, Steri-fab is a critical addition to a pest management professional’s (PMP’s) toolkit. Steri-fab is not only ideal for applications in residential accounts, but also for treating areas with high volumes of foot traffic where these pests can be transferred from person to person. These spaces include hotels, gyms, healthcare facilities, daycares, schools, retail spaces, dormitories, and more.*
Steri-fab offers a broad range of applications that make it a must-have product for PMPs. As a non-residual insecticide that also works as an antimicrobial on soft, porous surfaces like upholstered furniture or mattresses, it is ideal for bed bug accounts. Its versatile label also can enhance specialized pest management services, such as those for lice and mites.
About Nisus Corp.
Nisus Corp. is a privately held company that manufactures sustainable products for the professional pest control industry, industrial wood protection industry and the agricultural liquid micronutrient industry at its manufacturing plant based in Rockford, Tenn.
*Do not apply Steri-fab directly to people or pets.
Standing water, even as shallow as 0.5 inch, is an incubator for Aedes egypti mosquitoes.
Ohio State News reported on a new study, published in the journal Insects, that found that hemp leaf extract – which contains the active ingredient cannabidiol, or CBD – kills mosquito larvae from two different strains of the yellow fever mosquito (Aedesegypti) within 48 hours, one that was resistant to typical insecticides and another that was not.
“Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, mainly because as adults they serve as vectors of disease,” Erick Martinez Rodriguez, lead author of the study and a graduate student in entomology at The Ohio State University, told Ohio State News. “It’s very important to be able to control these pests at an early stage, when they are at the most vulnerable.”
Unlike adult mosquitoes that can fly across great distances and transmit disease by biting, mosquito larvae are aquatic organisms often found in standing water.
The hemp plant is related to marijuana, but does not contain its levels of the ingredient that makes people feel “high.” CBD from hemp is used in a variety of products like gummies and oils to treat anxiety, pain, insomnia and other conditions.
To test hemp’s toxic effects against mosquito larvae, the team took air-dried hemp leaves, pulverized them into a fine powder and soaked the material in methanol for a few weeks to reach the desired CBD concentrations.
The methanol was later removed from the solution to make it easier to chemically analyze, resulting in an extract that was eventually given to the larvae with their food.
Depending on the concentration of hemp extract used, the team discovered that the hemp leaf was potent enough to be equally toxic to both strains of mosquito larvae. What was surprising, though, said Martinez Rodriguez, was the small amount needed to be so deadly.
“If you compare the amount of hemp extract needed to kill 50 percent of the population to other synthetic conventional insecticides, it is on the high side, but when you compare it side-by-side to other natural extracts we have tested in our lab, only a relatively low amount is required to produce high mortality values in larvae,” he told Ohio State News. While CBD eventually led to 100 percent mortality for the larvae, different concentrations of the hemp extract caused different mortality rates in the hours leading up to that time.
The mosquito larvae were considered dead if no movement was recorded after scientists gently touched their abdomens with a needle or pipette tip. Although it’s still unclear how the extract affects larvae biologically, the team’s findings showed that CBD was the primary active ingredient in the extract and that it can successfully bypass the larvae’s metabolic resistance to other insecticides, which aligns with past work that found CBD has notable growth-inhibiting properties against other insects.
While this discovery bodes well for developing future natural-based mosquito control products, said Dr. Peter Piermarini, co-author of the study and a professor of entomology at Ohio State, further research would have to be done to investigate how safe hemp and CBD would be for non-target organisms, like honey bees or other pollinating insects that scientists don’t want to disrupt.
“CBD is a compound that appears to be safe for people and our companion animals to ingest,” Dr. Piermarini told Ohio State News. “It’ll be interesting to learn more about how CBD interacts with various proteins in mammals and insects to understand why it’s safe for people but not insects.”
Zoëcon Professional Products, a pioneer in pest control innovation, introduces its trademarked Formitrol Ant Bait Gel, designed for the immediate knockdown and long-term control of a diverse range of nuisance ants. All ants belong to a single family, Formicidae, which is why the Schaumburg, Ill.-based manufacturer chose the name Formitrol.
This innovative combination gel bait features a dual-action formula, combining the adulticide dinotefuran and Zoëcon’s pioneering insect growth regulator (IGR), S-methoprene, to break the ant life cycle. This approach ensures quick results and sustained control of the ant colony. The attractive bait palatability of Formitrol Ant Bait Gel, the company says, attracts a broad range of ants.
Formitrol Ant Bait Gel consists of a syringe-style format for easy and precise applications, for areas with both known and suspected nuisance ant activity. The Formitrol label includes odorous house ants (Tapinoma sessile), Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), little black ants (Monomorium minimum), pavement ants (Tetramorium immigrans), ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum) and more than a dozen other species.
Formitrol Ant Bait Gel is labeled for both indoor and outdoor use. For excellent rotational control of numerous ant species, the company suggests pairing it with its trademarked Antack Liquid Ant Bait, which features both contact and ingestion toxicity.
About Zoëcon Professional Products
Central Life Sciences’ Zoëcon Professional Products offer insect growth regulators, adulticides and other pest management solutions to control bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, flies, ants and other pests in both residential and commercial markets.
According to CLS’ online history, Zoëcon was founded by Dr. Carl Djerassi, where his team was able to commercially produce a group of molecules called insect growth regulators (IGRs) which revolutionized insect control by introducing a method that interferes with the development and reproduction of insects. Beginning with methoprene, and the later discovery of hydroprene and kinoprene, these compounds became the building blocks of the comprehensive Zoëconportfolio of insect control solutions.
The event, which took place at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, N.J., brought together more than 50 exhibitor booths manned by industry distributors and manufacturers. Continuing education unit (CEU) credits from the state of New Jersey (valid in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware) were available to licensed PMPs.
After cheering on the 21st Presidential Candidate Cockroach Derby — which has an 84 percent success rate of correctly predicting the winning candidate — attendees participated in informational and training courses. Presenters included Drs. Bobby Corrigan, Changlu Wang, Fred Whitford, Stanton Cope, Chad Gore, Phil Koehler, and many more. Next year, the event will take place Aug. 21, 2025. Learn more here.
I recently attended a conference in Boston, Mass., where I took some clients out for drinks and dinner at an Irish pub near our hotel. The next morning, I realized I had left my credit card at the bar.
I verified there was no activity on my credit card, so I headed to the bar at 11:30 a.m., when it opened. I was greeted at the door, and I told the employee, Mara, that I had likely left my credit card there the previous evening. Mara asked me the color of my credit card and we walked over to the cash register. She proceeded to pull out a stack of credit cards left there from the previous night, sorted by color. She checked my ID and gave mine back.
Mara said about 25 credit cards are left at the bar each night. The staff shreds them after holding them for 72 hours.
On my walk back to the hotel, I reflected that wow, I’m certainly not the only person who made this mistake and I’m glad the bar has a good process in place. In that vein, what processes does my business develop for similar customer events? Let’s consider where this applies to your pest control business.
After interviewing several customers, here is a list of what I think are the Top 5 “human behavior tendencies,” or HBTs, as they relate to running a service business.
Employee reviews lag behind schedule, if they are conducted at all. Most company managers I talk with fail to execute performance reviews on a timely basis. The best way to fix this is to simplify the process: Schedule reviews three months ahead of time for all parties involved. Conduct them first thing in the workday, before schedules get disrupted. Limit the time to one hour and meet again to cover anything that requires more time.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are published, then forgotten about on a shelf. Ideally, SOPs should be reviewed and updated with each service offering. That may sound insurmountable, but really, ticking a checkbox for many of the routine items makes filling out and processing easier. Not only should SOPs be regularly updated, but the latest version should be prominently hanging on an office wall — or available on your company intranet, if you have one. Being able to give new technicians the latest SOPs without worrying about any outdated information makes training much easier.
There are many reactive and zero proactive staff meetings. The best approach is similar to employee reviews: Put routine, short (30-minute) meetings on the schedule and consider allowing virtual attendance where appropriate. Make sure to include some good news and fun stuff for staff. Issues still should be dealt with as soon as they occur, of course, but a proactive approach should reduce the frequency of problems.
There’s no knowledge of new hires until they show up. You need to consider a new hire as the most important person on your staff. Everyone should know their name when they walk in the door. Their first day is stressful and should be choreographed like a Hollywood movie. As a service manager, I started staff on Thursdays to better allow us to prepare and make their first week quick and easy.
There’s no benchmarking in place for staff. Again, this needs to be simple. It should be a one-page scorecard that includes attendance, vehicle accidents, stops completed and stops not completed. I like to compare it to a baseball card without the stale gum included.
Recognizing and addressing HBTs is a great opportunity to master the obvious without blame or complaint, and with far less frustration.
The power of Fendona meets the precision and convenience of PT in PT Fendona Pressurized Insecticide. Providing fast knockdown of key pests and a flexible label, PT Fendona Pressurized Insecticide is a go-to crack-and-crevice solution for maintenance accounts. It can be paired with the System III Applicator for the ultimate in precision, power and professionalism. It knocks down key pests in less than 30 seconds and provides 90-day residual activity on houseflies and 30 days on bed bugs.
PT Fendona Pressurized Insecticide contains less active ingredient than many other pressurized products, the manufacturer says, while still killing scores of pests. It’s labeled for 60 arthropod pests and 65-plus use sites, including residential and outdoor areas and food-handling establishments. It is also a great option for rotational treatments.
About BASF
BASF Corp., headquartered in Florham Park, N.J., is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $25.7 billion in 2022.
BASF creates chemistry for a sustainable future by combining economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of its customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. BASF’s portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions.
From left: Sean “Bogs” Bogdanowicz and Scott Swanson.
Bird Barrier recently added two new product specialists to its team. Veteran bird specialist Scott Swanson is the company’s senior product advisor and Sean “Bogs” Bogdanowicz serves as the northeast account manager.
Swanson has many years of technical and sales experience as a bird control professional. He will work from Bird Barrier’s Carson, Calif.-based headquarters and will assist others on the team with the goal of helping current and future pest management professional (PMP) customers grow their bird control business through training and support.
“I am thrilled to add Scott to our team. He is a great communicator and has a wonderful, supportive style with customers,“ said Cameron Riddell, Bird Barrier’s president. “I want our customers to enjoy their interactions with our product specialists and with Scott they certainly will.”
Bogdanowicz lives in and will work from the New York area. He comes to the team with a background in business to consumer sales and customer service, and will bring product support, site visits and training to PMPs in his sales region.
“Sean will focus on our customers from Maine to Virginia, as we continue to grow in this densely populated part of the U.S.,“ added Riddell. “He brings great energy to the team and has hit the ground running with in-person training classes in major cities throughout the east.”
Dr. Corrigan serves as an advisor to cities nationally and internationally, as well as to large food corporations and urban transportation entities.
“Our relationship with Dr. Bobby developed out of some innovative field projects he has conducted with EverSmart Rodent over the past 18 months, and we could not be prouder about his decision to join our Advisory Board,” said Ron Rock, Microshare CEO and co-founder. “There is no one we’ve encountered in this industry in North America of Europe who does not know and listen to Dr. Bobby’s wisdom on rodent control.”
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he attended the State University of New York at Farmingdale, where he was inspired by Dr. Austin Frishman, a fellow PMP Hall of Famer (Class of 2022), an eminent entomologist and a pest control pioneer. Upon graduation, Dr. Corrigan ran a pest control route for three years, enhancing his understanding of the challenges faced by service technicians. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in rodent behavior and pest management from Purdue University.
About Microshare
Microshare is digitizing with its EverSmart line of data products, including EverSmart Rodent and EverSmart Washroom. These products are helping transform basic industries and infrastructure with targeted alerts filtered by our AI/ML-powered Alert Platform.
Environmental science company Envu is set to acquire In2Care, a technology company headquartered in the Netherlands that specializes in the development and commercialization of novel mosquito control products. The acquisition will further diversify the Envu mosquito management portfolio, offering pest control operators, mosquito abatement professionals and other customers even more nature-positive innovations for nuisance mosquito control and preventing the spread of vector-borne diseases.
In2Care has developed a patented technology called InsecTech. Applied on netting, the static-charged coating can bind all types of biocide powders and transfer lethal doses to mosquitoes. This technology is currently available in a professional mosquito station that thousands of pest control operators are already leveraging in the U.S. to control mosquitoes for homeowner customers.
“As a company committed to 360-degree innovation, nature-positive solutions and helping protect public health, Envu is delighted to welcome the In2Care team to the Envu family,” said Gilles Galliou, Envu CEO. “Together, we will build upon and accelerate the growth of their exciting mosquito-management technologies and bring them to more customers around the world as we work to advance healthy environments.”
Envu has been partnering with In2Care for two years, prior to the acquisition. In addition to the professional mosquito station, In2Care has other environmentally friendly products in the works featuring InsecTech that will be relevant globally for mosquito management.
“We admire the commitment Envu has to the mosquito management segment, its deep expertise and resources, and the strength of its presence on the ground,” said Anne Osinga, CEO of In2Care. “We are excited to join them in partnering with customers across the globe to help effectively manage the threat of mosquitoes while minimizing our impact on the environment.”
The transaction is expected to close by year-end 2024. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In addition, during the National Pest Management Association’s PestWorld 2024 opening ceremonies on Oct. 22, Envu confirmed it is in the process of acquiring FMC’s Global Specialty Solutions (GSS) business, which Pest Management Professional first reported on July 12.
After starting in the industry in 1987 at age 25, PMP Hall of Famer Judy Black(Class of 2019) decided to retire. The last day of work for Rollins Inc.’s former VP of quality assurance and entomology was Aug. 30.
1. What made you decide now was the time to retire, Judy?
The time felt right because my department is in great shape for the future, with talented teams in place. My husband, John, retired five years ago, and we are now free to travel and do whatever, whenever.
2. What will you remember most about your pest control industry career, which includes stints with Terminix, Steritech, Rentokil and Rollins?
I am very happy that during my tenure at Rollins, we digitized several processes that made things easier for our operations teammates. On a more amusing note, we were able to change the name of the Technical Services Department to the more descriptive Rollins Entomology Department. Ultimately though, what I am most proud of is the development of the teams I oversaw. They are capable, values-driven, and prepared to move the departments forward without me. What I will remember over my entire career are the great people I got to know, both customers and teammates, and the fun times we had.
PHOTO: PMP ARCHIVE
3. You’ve long championed training women to be industry technicians and managers, as well as office and sales professionals. Do you believe pest control is on the right path these days in that regard?
Definitely. There are so many more women business owners now. Previously, a father of a company would leave it to his son. Now more daughters are saying ‘How about me? Why don’t I run this company?’ Women are also being considered for management roles. There is more open-mindedness all around.
4. How do you foresee professional pest control evolving in the future?
Universities are losing urban entomologists, and the industry will have to step up and support these departments. Part of our problem in fighting regulatory challenges is we don’t have the data to advance a counterpoint. There will be a technological aspect in what we do, but the role of people will remain the most important.
5. You’ve been an educator, mentor and role model for many. How would you like your pest control career to be remembered?
I attribute my success to hard work, and I never shied away from an opportunity. I wanted to do a good job, and I made the most of the opportunities presented to me.
Dr. Harold Harlan, BCE; Pat Hottel, BCE; and Dr. Bill Robinson, members of the PMP Hall of Fame Class of 2024, received plaques at the induction ceremony on Oct. 21, 2024. PHOTO: PMP STAFF
Pest Management Professional (PMP) inducted the 2024 class of its Hall of Fame at a black-tie reception Oct. 21, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver, Colo.
Dr. Harold Harlan, BCE, an Army entomologist and educator whose eponymous bed bug strain has been the benchmark for specimens in research. After studying entomology at The Ohio State University, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1967. A year later, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He learned he could become an Army Entomologist if he earned his master’s degree, so that’s what he did. After a successful 25-year active-duty Army career, he retired in 1994. He has been an active member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) for 56 years, coined the term Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), and helped develop related requirements and procedures for the designation. In December 1996, Dr. Harlan was hired as the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) staff entomologist, a position he held until December 2005. Despite these achievements, Dr. Harlan is best known for his work with bed bugs. His fascination with Cimex lectularius took off while in the Army, where he acquired his first population that he carried with him throughout his career. This population, known as the Harlan strain, is still widely used in insecticide resistance research.
“I was surprised and humbled to be chosen for this award,” he said as he took the stage to accept his PMP Hall of Fame plaque. “My entomology career has been less focused on pest management than those of my three fellow awardees.”
After thanking PMP magazine, its staff, and those who selected him for the honor, he continued, “I want to thank Norma, my wife of 56 years and counting … for all her love and support. She has been a key part of every success I’ve had in all that time. I want to thank the NPMA, and especially their staff, for helping me learn and function in the world of pest management. Many pest management professionals and current NPMA members have befriended me and taught me a lot as well. I’m still learning from them today.
“I’ve always felt very welcome in the pest management community, more than I typically have been in certain academic situations,” he said. “Yours is the real world, and you offer practical solutions to pest problems of all sorts and to all people.”
Patricia Hottel, BCE, whose talent for industry training and mentoring has aided the careers of countless pest management professionals nationwide. She is a respected pest management trainer and leader whose career was shaped by Dr. Austin Frishman, a fellow PMP Hall of Famer (Class of 2002). Hottel’s journey in entomology began at The State University of New York at Farmingdale, where she switched from biology to entomology under Dr. Frishman’s guidance. Hottel’s career spans nearly five decades, starting at Bermuda Pest Control and later at McCloud Services. She now works for Rentokil Terminix following the acquisition of McCloud by Terminix and Terminix by Rentokil. Throughout her career, Hottel has focused on providing technical support and training for technicians. As one of the founding members of Professional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM), Hottel has been a strong advocate for women in the industry. She earned her master’s degree in instructional technology from the University of Missouri in her 50s, demonstrating her commitment to learning. She continues to build a wide network of professional relationships.
“It certainly is an honor and a privilege to receive this award tonight. But it’s not a journey that I did on my own,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Some of those individuals have been recognized already, I have a lot to be thankful for, including my family and professional assistance over the years.”
She went on to thank her husband Andy, who was unable to attend in person but was their virtually, her three sons — Ben, Juston and Robby — and two daughters-in-law who were at the ceremony. She also thanked her sister Sue, whom she called her “best friend and person who knows me the longest,” who was in the audience with husband Tom.
She also thanked several colleagues with whom she worked throughout her long career. “We all need to thank those who have been part of our lives, part of our success that means so much to us,” she said.
“Whether you’re in the field, and I love to be in the field, or in the classroom, that feeling of discovery that science brings is certainly important…. When you’re out in the field and see an insect, behaviors of insects that you haven’t seen before, solving a customer’s problem. Sharing that, more importantly, not just for your own success but with others,” she said. “That feeling of joy that you get from those like-minded people joining you in that experience of science makes me stay and do what I do today.”
Dr. William H. Robinson, whose research and presentations have enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of the pest control industry’s practices. In 1970, he joined Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where he spent three decades teaching and conducting research on structural pests. He published nearly 100 research papers and served as the director of the Urban Entomology Research Center. When he became a visiting professor at Zhejiang University in China, his work expanded globally. Dr. Robinson has written two seminal textbooks on urban entomology and developed five technician training manuals. After his academic career, he spent 20 years as technical director at B&G Equipment Co. and currently serves as technical products director for The Fountainhead Group. He also holds a patent for insect control in pallets, and is awaiting approval on a sprayer innovation.
“This industry has a very strong research base,” he said as he accepted his PMP Hall of Fame plaque. “We know what we’re doing. The problem is, I don’t know if we use that research as much as we should.”
He continued, “I’m indebted to people who took the time to explain to me. It’s been very important for me and a mission for me to take the work that my students have done … and take that to the people that use it: the service technicians.
“I’ve been very happy to train service technicians around the world…. They’re all cut from the same cloth,” he added. “I believe they strive to be professionals, and I believe they want to have a research base for what they do. I think they want to know why, and they want to know how. I respect those people; they carry this industry every day.
“I write training manuals because I want service technicians to have something to take home with them and to explain to them not just how but why you’re murdering stuff,” Dr. Robinson quipped.
Posthumously, we honor Austin “Brick” Kness, who successfully founded a multi-generational manufacturing business based simply on “building a better mouse trap.”
A pioneering figure in the pest control industry, Kness was born in 1889. In 1924, he took worked as a high school custodian in Audubon, Iowa, where he faced a persistent mouse problem at the school, Kness invented an innovative multiple-catch mousetrap using everyday items. This invention, which could capture several rodents without needing to be reset, became the prototype for the Ketch-All Multiple Catch Mousetrap, still in use today. In 1927, he founded Kness Manufacturing Co. to produce his mousetrap and other inventions. The company’s true breakthrough occurred around 1971, when federal regulations began to mandate the use of box traps in food- processing facilities. The Ketch-All trap soon became a go-to solution for the pest control industry. Kness remained a tinkerer and inventor until his death in 1974. Kness Pest Defense continues Brick Kness’ legacy, producing about 100,000 Ketch-All traps annually as a family-owned company.
PMP Publisher Marty Whitford accepted the PMP Hall of Fame plaque on behalf of Kness.
PMP’s Class of 2024 inductees join the ranks of 106 other pioneers and visionaries who have shaped the pest management industry. Their contributions will be immortalized on a “Wall of Fame” at Purdue University, generously sponsored by Bug Off Pest Control Center.
Visit PMP’s Hall of Fame website to learn more about past inductees, or to nominate a deserving individual who has made notable contributions to the pest management industry.
The “OG” — the J.T. Eaton Bait Block Peanut Butter Flavor — is an industry favorite for a reason!
Simple and effective first-generation solution to rodents
Active ingredient is 0.005 percent diphacinone
Palatable peanut butter flavor
Labeled for both rats and mice
Tamper-evident pail (4-pound or 9-pound options) for storage also prevents accidental use
The company notes: “Sorry, California, this bait is off-limits! Try our Top Gun bromethalin rodenticide — while you can still use rodenticide at all!”
About J.T. Eaton
Founded in 1932 by Jasper T. Eaton as a mail-order house for pest control products for professional use, J.T. Eaton was brought to prominence when Pest Management Professional (PMP) Hall of Famer Stanley Baker (Class of 1999) purchased it in 1949. Before his death in 2005 at the age of 87, he built it up to a multi-million-dollar company. Baker was a lifelong innovator, and is credited for creating the paraffin rodent bait block in 1962. He is also credited with developing the modern glue board design, in 1980. In 1999, he helped patent an ant and cockroach product that uses just 1 percent boric acid. Still family-owned and -operated by the Baker family, J.T. Eaton’s product line includes products for rodents, wildlife, bed bugs, mosquitoes and other flying insects and more.
As a busy owner or manager of a pest management firm, you have to juggle operations, management and marketing, as well as customer service and several other functions. Unless you have someone on staff with all the requisite skills to manage finances and accounting, this important function can be a massive source of frustration. The key is to stay organized. The following four tips can help you organize and control your finances:
1. Talk to a certified public accountant (CPA). When most people think of a CPA, they think of taxes. A competent CPA, however, should not only be able to file taxes, but also prepare financial statements for banks, creditors and other stakeholders in your business. The overall goal of your accountant should be to help you accumulate and preserve wealth. Saving taxes is just a small part of this overall task. A competent CPA is a member of your management team and can provide many more added-value services than just tax preparation.
2. Look at your business entity structure. There are a variety of ways to organize a company legally. While choosing a business organization should be one of your earliest business decisions, changing the legal structure as you grow may be advantageous.
For the most part, there are three business structures that may be set up in different ways: sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. A fourth choice, which is an excellent fit for how our industry conducts business, is a limited liability company (LLC). For accounting purposes, an LLC can be set up like either of the first three and taxed accordingly. Under the current law, S corporations can minimize your federal taxes. You should consult your CPA or lawyer, as they are in the best position to assess federal tax consequences. They can also consider how your state tax laws fit into your overall picture.
3. Separate your personal and business finances. Seems obvious, right? For legal purposes and to keep tax records straight, however, you want to ensure both are separate. This starts with tracking your business expenditures accurately without commingling your personal expenses. The easiest way to
do this is to maintain separate bank accounts.
Make sure your business expenses and revenues are transacted in your business account. Personal items like home mortgages should be transacted using your personal account. Use a business credit card separate from your personal credit cards, and only use that card for business purchases.
4. Set up your chart of accounts to match your objective. Financial statements are the culmination of the accounting process. They are used to convey a concise picture of your company’s profitability and financial position.
The two most important financial statements that allow you to get an accurate snapshot of your business results are the profit-and-loss statement (P/L) and the balance sheet (B/S). The P/L shows your firm’s profit or loss for a given period. The B/S shows what you own, what you owe, and how much accounting equity you have in the company.
More importantly, financial statements show how the profit or loss was derived and how the assets, liabilities and equity are categorized. The categories are defined by the chart of accounts set up when you begin your business; they are constantly updated to provide helpful information. It is extremely important that the person setting up the general ledger chart of accounts understands accounting concepts and the pest management industry so items such as direct labor, material percentages, marketing expenses and sales expenses are appropriately tracked.
Understanding your finances is a crucial success factor in operating your business. The more you know, the more effective you’ll be at guiding your company through seasonality, growth and times of complex cash flow.
Target Specialty Products unveils its redesigned website for delivering a seamless shopping experience. Leveraging industry insights, the platform introduces features that improve convenience, personalization and accessibility. Users can benefit from advanced search options and customizable user roles, making navigation and management easy. The site offers a smooth checkout process, with quick-order capabilities and effortless reordering through order history access. Customers can create custom purchase lists and enjoy exclusive online promotions. With one of the broadest product selections and extensive educational resources, including training and webinars, the new site significantly improves the overall shopping experience.
About Target Specialty Products
With more than 80 years of industry experience, Target Specialty Products is a leading value-added solutions and service provider of pest control, vector, turf and ornamental solutions, application and aquatic equipment, supplies and education and training programs. Target Specialty Products serves the vector, pest and turf and ornamental management markets from 44 locations across the United States and Canada.
From left: Neil Parker, Court Parker and Daphne Bertholf, after winning a local award. PHOTO: BUG BUSTERS
Atlanta, Ga.-based Bug Busters celebrated its 40th anniversary on Oct. 1. Bug Busters was founded by Neil Parker in the basement of his family home in Acworth, Ga. The company has grown from a one-man operation to one of the largest pest control companies in the southeast with branches in Georgia and Tennessee.
”After 40 years, I’m proud of the fact that we are still here,” Parker said while reflecting on the milestone.
Today, Bug Busters is led by Neil’s children, Court Parker as CEO and Daphne Bertholf as CFO. In a news release, Court Parker said he is optimistic about the future of Bug Busters and the pest control industry.
“I consider myself a caretaker of what my father started in 1984,” he explained. “Connections — whether with our customers, our team members, our vendors or our local community members — are at the heart of what we do. Neil’s legacy is teaching Bug Busters the importance of every interaction and to value it.”
About Bug Busters
Bug Busters has been serving the Southeast since 1984. With branch offices in Georgia and Tennessee, the company offers environmentally friendly pest control services including general pest control, termite control, wildlife control, mosquito control and more.
People don’t quit jobs; they quit bad bosses. No one wants to work for a boss who makes them unhappy. However, the problem usually runs deeper than just the boss. In many cases, the company’s overall culture is the real issue. A company with a negative culture can make even a good manager seem terrible.
A toxic culture encourages bad behavior and poor leadership. Employees often blame their managers for issues, but the root of the problem may be that the company doesn’t support or promote good leadership.
Healthy company culture
Companies with strong, positive cultures help managers do their best. While some managers might still try to do things “their way,” a healthy culture makes identifying and correcting these issues more accessible. In today’s world, where fewer employees feel engaged at work, it’s more important than ever for leaders to focus on creating a healthy company culture.
Managers sometimes develop bad habits because they don’t have proper guidance. Companies can help by creating a culture that supports good behavior and success. A positive culture benefits everyone and helps develop better managers. These managers can support and motivate their teams more effectively, starting with these two steps:
1. Build a company culture based on trust and accountability. Employees respect managers they can trust. A culture that promotes honesty and strong relationships helps workers feel confident in their bosses. Leaders should create a work environment where employees feel safe speaking up, knowing their managers will listen.
Trust is powerful. It improves communication, teamwork and overall performance — signs of a well-managed team.
Accountability also is necessary. It helps employees do their best work. Managers should expect accountability from their teams and show it themselves. Employees admire bosses who take responsibility for their actions and the company culture.
A culture of accountability makes it easier to remove employees who don’t follow the company’s values. Managers who are good role models are more likely to lead successful teams.
2. Lead by example. Business owners must demonstrate the behaviors they want their managers to show. They also must find ways to keep the culture strong, so culture remains a vital part of the company. By doing these things, leaders give managers the tools to build employee confidence and engagement.
The manager’s role
Managers are more than just bosses — they are leaders who can create real change. When managers fully embrace the company’s core values, they set an example for everyone else.
A company’s culture can make or break employee engagement. Managers are the glue that holds everything together. By engaging employees and nurturing a solid culture, managers help pave the way for success.
The Game Plan
Leaders should focus on certain behaviors to help managers succeed, including:
Clear communication. Employees often get frustrated when they don’t know what’s expected of them. The company’s culture should emphasize setting clear expectations and ensuring employees feel comfortable asking questions.
Constructive feedback. Regular one-on-one meetings are a great way to provide advice and encouragement. Employees appreciate bosses who help them improve.
Meaningful recognition. Feeling unappreciated is another reason why employees become unhappy. Managers should regularly and sincerely recognize their teams’ hard work.
from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/10/18/why-good-managers-matter-for-improving-company-culture-and-keeping-strong-talent/ Sacramento CA
Established in 1949 in San Antonio, Texas, ABC was bought by our parents, Bob Sr. and Sandy Jenkins, in 1965. At that time, ABC had one service technician and one truck. Dad hit the streets, knocking on doors and selling our services while Mom handled the phones and cared for three little rug rats.
From these humble beginnings to today, ABC has grown into a statewide brand. The three young rug rats — Raleigh, Dennis and me — each run our own ABC, headquartered in Houston, Dallas and Austin, respectively. We offer a variety of residential and commercial services, and our three companies collectively employ more than 2,100 people.
Separate yet collaborative
Dad built his business in San Antonio and eventually sold it, along with several franchises, to Waste Management in 1987. He was then able to essentially set up each son to build and grow their own businesses. While my brothers and I share the ABC brand, information and ideas, and compete monthly, we do not share any ownership or money in one another’s business. We have three separate corporations with separate owners and separate bank accounts.
As I often tell people, my brothers and I are as close as three brothers I’ve ever met, and I believe a big part of why is that we have kept our businesses separate. We compete and cheer each other on, but because we don’t share money, my wife doesn’t need to be concerned with what kind of car my sister-in-law drives.
I think it’s unusual that all three of us wanted to come into the family business. We all started working at a very early age, starting as technician helpers before we could drive. We each had summer jobs at ABC, providing janitorial services for the office and keeping the warehouse clean. We all ran routes in high school and during the summers while in college.
Our interest in the business started when we were young, sitting around the dinner table. As a family, we always sat down and had dinner together. This was a special time, where each of us could share what was happening in our lives. All five of us shared the good and the bad. Dad would tell us what was going on at ABC, so my brothers and I always felt we were part of the company and knew what was going on in the business.
From left are Bobby, Sandy, Dennis and Raleigh Jenkins today. Bob Sr., a PMP Hall of Famer (Class of 2005), passed away in 1997. PHOTO: THE JENKINS FAMILY
Shared values
While my brothers and I have each built our own business, one thing we all have in common is our commitment and involvement in the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). I’m very proud that my brothers and I followed in Dad’s footsteps and served the NPMA as president: Dad in 1987, me in 2002, Raleigh in 2009 and Dennis in 2018. Our love and commitment to the industry is something we learned from Dad and are passing along to our children.
The Jenkins clan also has loyalty to and fondness for Texas A&M University. Dad graduated from A&M in 1959, I’m class of 1981, Raleigh is 1983 and Dennis is 1985. All three brothers married women who graduated from A&M. All eight of our children graduated from A&M, and six of our children married Aggies.
From oldest to youngest, Bobby, Raleigh and Dennis Jenkins have spent their lifetimes bonding as brothers and business owners. PHOTO: THE JENKINS FAMILY
Another common value is our commitment, instilled by our parents, to our communities and the understanding and passion for giving back. We all work hard to improve our communities and provide a work environment promoting philanthropy and volunteering for all our people. Our values are centered on family, our team, our customers and our community. All three of our organizations prioritize these values.
Reflections and looking ahead
When I look back on ABC’s history, I think about the incredible people with whom we’ve had the privilege to work. I think about Dad’s first vice president, Don Harris, who helped my brothers and me learn how to sell our services. I think about Richard Zulacha, who mentored us on properly performing pest management and customer service. And then I think about Juan Campos, the service manager who taught the three of us how to drive a stick shift!
Here in Austin, I’ve been incredibly blessed to have a team of senior managers whose average tenure with me is more than 26 years. Matt Burns, my best friend since fourth grade, and I have worked together for more than 40 years. He has been part owner and vice president — and the glue that holds the team together. Both Matt and I worked for my dad in San Antonio running pest control routes during college at A&M.
Both my brothers have been equally blessed to have key people in their organizations who are the foundations of their businesses.
As I look forward to the next 75 years at ABC, I’m incredibly excited and optimistic. I know my children and my brothers’ children are all committed to the thought of ABC continuing to be a multigenerational family business. We all have grandchildren, and I can assure you that we are recruiting them to attend A&M and someday come to ABC to be part of Gen 4!
My brothers and I are so proud and excited that 
