Wildlife Control Supplies (WCS) SealMesh Pro is a professional-grade rodent and pest exclusion material designed to seal cracks, gaps and entry points quickly and effectively. Each 4-inch x 10-foot roll combines reinforced stainless steel fiber mesh with an exclusive, non-curing sealant enhanced with synthetic diamond particles. This creates a flexible yet extremely tough barrier that helps deter rats, mice and other pests from chewing through.
Unlike standard caulks, fillers, or loose steel wool, the flexible, spongy texture of WCS SealMesh Pro compresses into openings for a tight fit while holding its shape for long-term exclusion. Built for residential and commercial use, it offers a durable, rust-resistant solution for sealing vulnerable areas where rodents and smaller wildlife may try to enter.
About Wildlife Control Supplies
WCS was founded in 1998 by the late Alan Huot and his wife, Carol — both experienced wildlife trappers and experts. The company has been helping wildlife and pest control professionals capture, control and prevent wildlife in the field, in commercial buildings and in residential environments ever since. The Suffield, Conn.-based company not only offers a variety of brands and products, but also has developed its own WCS Premium Grade Bait products and breakthrough inventions in response to customer needs.
“The Abell Pest Control Legacy Scholarship reflects our commitment to supporting the people who make our company strong and investing in the next generation,” said Abell Pest Control CEO Liz Abell. “We are proud to help students pursue their education, especially those who share our core values. By supporting their growth, we hope to help them build meaningful careers and continue the legacy of care and service that has shaped Abell for more than a century.”
The company is based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and was founded in 1942.
The Abell Pest Control Legacy Scholarship Award was established to support students who demonstrate a strong commitment to Abell Pest Control’s core values of integrity, empathy, reliability, innovation and giving back to their community. Preference will be given to students pursuing studies in fields aligned with and supportive of the pest management industry.
The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a high school senior, or university student currently enrolled at an accredited institution in the United States or Canada.
Eligibility Criteria:
Full-time student in good academic standing with an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Applicants must be currently enrolled as high school seniors or college/trade school students at an accredited institution within the United States or Canada.
Students must demonstrate a strong commitment to Abell Pest Control’s core values of integrity, empathy, reliability, innovation, and giving back to their community.
Preference will be given to students pursuing studies in fields aligned with and supportive of the pest management industry, including but not limited to pest management, environmental science, urban entomology, rodentology, biological sciences, agriculture, food safety, public health, hospitality, property and facilities management, business operations, sustainability, and technology-related programs.
Preference will be given to applicants located in Canada or one of the following U.S. states in which Abell conducts business: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Florida.
Preference will be given to applicants whose families serve in the pest management industry, or those who demonstrate a meaningful connection to the pest management industry through academic research, professional experience, or other relevant exposure.
The Pest Management Foundation’s mission and purpose is to advance the pest management industry through education, research, and training. The Pest Management Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with the National Pest Management Association, the industry’s only national trade group. The Foundation has been in existence for more than 30 years and was originally named the Buettner Pest Control Foundation in honor of William O. Buettner, the NPMA’s first president and executive vice president and Pest Management Professional Hall of Famer (Class of 1998).
The GV400 insulation removal vacuum is a powerful, commercial-grade machine designed for high-volume insulation removal projects. Built to efficiently remove loose-fill fiberglass and cellulose insulation, the GV400 is designed to deliver dependable performance for attic restoration, insulation replacement and preparing homes for the installation of PCI’s TAP Pest Control Insulation.
Made in the USA, The GV400 Gas Vacuum is designed with a steel fan and chamber, powered by a 40-horsepower Briggs & Stratton V-Twin electronic fuel-injection (EFI) or a Kohler 38-horsepower V-Twin EFI gas engine. Other features include:
Engineered and designed to eliminate engine vibration and fan blade stress
Electronic Ignition system
Input/Output safety switches
Ergonomic mounting frame with 6-inch swivel wheels and 10.5-inch flat free tires
New rotated chamber for additional safety
Durable powdercoat finish
Eight-inch input and output for batt insulation removal
Able to remove all types of loose fill insulation
Abrasion-resistant fan blade and chamber
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. It is a brand of TopBuild Corp.
This week, officials confirmed that a resident in New Jersey has become the first patient diagnosed with Zika virus in the state since 2020. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is the sixth case in the U.S. in 2026 — all of which have been traced to international travel, and not from mosquitoes in the U.S. The CDC considers the U.S. to be at low risk for an outbreak at this time.
It is making headlines this time around regardless, however, because of the domestic outbreaks of Zika in the U.S. in 2015 and 2016. Per the CDC:
In 2017, the number of reported Zika cases in the United States started to decline.
Since 2018, there have been no reports of Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States.
Since 2019, there have been no confirmed Zika cases reported from U.S. territories.
The CDC points outthat, since 2019, “all locally acquired cases of Zika in the U.S. territories were diagnosed by antibody testing. Since antibodies against Zika virus can persist for years after infection, serology cannot distinguish between a recent or past infection. Additionally, Zika and dengue virus antibodies cross-react, making it difficult to diagnose which virus is the cause of the current illness. Since 2019, there have been no confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported from U.S. territories.”
GENERAL TALKING POINTS How is Zika virus transmitted? Zika virus is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes genus of mosquitoes, which is the same mosquito species that carries dengue fever and chikungunya. Yellow fever mosquitoes (A. aegypti) are the primary carriers, but Asian tiger mosquitoes (A. albopictus) might also transmit the virus.
What are the chances of an outbreak in the United States? While we can’t speculate on the virus and its potential to spread, it is better to be prepared and practice vigilance in mosquito control by protecting yourself from coming into contact with mosquitoes and by eliminating breeding grounds at home should there begin to be cases of local transmission here in the United States. So far, all human cases reported in the U.S. have resulted from travel abroad.
How can I prevent mosquitoes? Most counties have a mosquito abatement program in place to minimize the local population and help keep the public safe. These programs typically involve trapping mosquitoes in different areas and testing them for known pathogens. This helps monitor the spread of diseases and warn the public of risks in the area. County programs may also include plans for periodic spraying or fogging to eliminate adult mosquitoes. Other preventative methods include:
If you are concerned about mosquito activity on your property, contact a pest management company or your local health department.
Eliminate areas of standing water around the home such as flowerpots, birdbaths, baby pools, grill covers and other objects where water collects. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water where the larvae develop and need only about 0.5 inch of water to breed.
Screen all windows and doors. Repair even the smallest tear or hole.
Minimize outside activity between dusk and dawn, when the majority of mosquitoes are most active.
If you must spend time outdoors during peak mosquito times, or when you will be outdoors for extended periods, wear long pants and sleeves and use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon-eucalyptus.
It is especially important to wear effective insect repellents and protective clothing if traveling outside the U.S. Mosquito-borne diseases that may be rare in the U.S. are common in many foreign countries.
Like almost all living animals, spiders attempt to settle in where they can find food with the least amount of energy to obtain it. The first question to ask is, “Why are the spiders selecting this location?” You need to think like a spider.
For spider species that rely on webbing to catch their prey, which are the majority of what we encounter as pest management professionals (PMPs), nighttime lighting is probably the No. 1 reason why they choose their spots. It helps to have points on a tree, shrub or structure to attach their web.
Effective removal method
I remember the first time I heard a technician in Florida complain about working during the holiday season. I was taken aback: “Are you kidding? That’s the best time to collect cash tips!”
Of course, I was thinking about the northern climate, where spiders are not very active outdoors in the winter. He set me straight: “Homeowners put up their Christmas lights, and that means an extra 15 minutes at each stop to remove webs that spiders begin on the strings.”
Speaking of Florida, back in 1987, I learned how a maintenance company was providing non-chemical spider management in Boca Raton by removing overhead cobwebs with long-pole spider brushes. When I asked them why they didn’t just spray for spiders, they pointed out that most of their multi-family residential accounts were built near retention ponds. Because it rains heavily almost every afternoon in the summer, the pesticide would end up in the ponds. Besides, the pesticide does not remove the webbing and egg sacs.
I was excited to bring this information to the Purdue University Pest Management Conference in January 1988. The rest is history: Distributors bought into it, and today, cobweb dusters are a standard tool.
Tips for taking action
Here are a few more proactive spider management tasks to take:
Redirect lighting. Put exterior lighting on a motion detector or mount lights away from the building. This will pull the night insects away from the structure and thereby pull the spiders away as well. In residential accounts in particular, garage doors cannot be sealed. Keeping the night light on by the garage door guarantees you are going to get spiders in the garage.
Consider airflow. What can be done to redirect or minimize airflow into a building to prevent flies and other spider prey from sailing in? Is the screen mesh too large? Are doors left open that can be closed?
Maintain the landscape. Keep shrubbery to a minimum adjacent to any structure. Keep the grass cut low. High grass can harbor thousands of spiders. Avoid clutter and debris stored near and adjacent to a structure.
Take a closer look at the exterior. Plug or screen weep holes, which serve as excellent spider harborage and entrance ways.
Inspect everything. Hollow open pipes on patio chairs, unopened patio umbrellas, firewood stacks and mailboxes are all known to harbor spiders.
Find out about new storage moves. Before your customers bring their boats or trailers into their garages to store for the season, ask them to knock off any insects and spiders first.
Minimize crawlspace moisture. Ventilate adequately to discourage both insects and spiders.
Add-on service opportunity: Gas grills often are not used for weeks at a time. Spiders are notorious for clustering inside the grill’s narrow tubes that mix gas and air. Eggs and webbing can restrict the gas flow and cause a flashback when firing up the grill. While there are purpose-built “spider brushes,” known as venturi brushes, available to avoid this issue, you also can use a pipe cleaner or a wire brush. This can avoid a dangerous experience for customers and make you look like a hero. — A.F.
Family-owned and -operated since 1964, Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators is the largest family-owned pest and termite control company in the United States, ranked by revenue. Arrow has more than 200 service centers, more than 3,600 team members and revenues exceeding $470 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: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Arrow is led by President and COO Tim Pollard, CEO Emily Thomas Kendrick, and Chairman Joe Thomas, a Pest Management Professional Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2009). The company was founded in 1964 by industry veteran Starkey Thomas and his wife, Jean. Since acquiring its first company in 1988, Arrow has grown by partnering with pest control businesses that share its values and dedication to quality. Today, it stands as the largest family-owned pest and termite control company in the United States.
Arrow offers a full range of services, including pest control, termite protection, mosquito prevention, wildlife control and exclusion, handyman work, insulation services and new construction treatments. These services are available for both residential and commercial customers.
As a third-generation family business, Arrow respects the time and effort it takes to build a successful pest management company. The team understands the importance of creating strong foundations for lasting partnerships and works closely with acquisition partners to ensure a smooth transition for both customers and employees.
Austin, Texas-based Veseris has named Jamie Young national account manager, bringing more than 25 years of experience in strategic account management, business development and customer relationship leadership.
Young spent seven years at Action Pest Control, managing a multi-market territory spanning fumigation, bird management and integrated pest management (IPM). She partnered with customers in food processing, grain, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, multi-family housing, healthcare and industrial sectors to build programs that protected operations, ensured compliance and reduced risk.
Per a press release, Young is “known for a consultative approach [and] builds customer relationships on trust, responsiveness and a clear understanding of each customer’s business goals. Prior leadership roles in healthcare operations, business development and marketing round out her ability to connect technical solutions to business outcomes. At Veseris, Jamie will help customers navigate an evolving industry through innovative products, technical expertise and strategic partnership.”
Young lives in New Jersey with her husband and enjoys cooking and traveling with her grown children.
About Veseris
Veseris has been rooted in the pest control industry for more than four decades, originating from the Van Waters & Rogers (VW&R) acquisition of Namco in the 1970s. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Veseris operates more than 70 ProCenter locations across North America, providing products and digital services like ProTraining to pest management professionals.
Few callbacks generate more urgency than a stinging insect complaint. And for good reason — as a sting can land you in the emergency room if you have a sensitivity to insect venom.
Common stinging insect callbacks in the summer months occur because early-season nests that were started in late spring got missed during a scheduled service. Familiarizing yourself with the biology and behavior of common stinging insect pests in your region is a critical first step to making sure you know what signs to look for, critical areas to inspect and when to look. Knowing where these pests are likely to nest will help you avoid getting tunnel vision during spring services.
If you missed the initial spring inspection window, it’s not too late to fend off inevitable summer callbacks. August is still a great time to incorporate harborage surveys into every service call. This means checking under eaves, inside meter boxes and light fixtures, under deck railings and around dense landscape where bees and wasps often nest. For insects that construct subterranean nests, such as fire ants and yellowjackets, walk the property to look for activity at ground level. Incorporating a stinging insect inspection into your regular service visit will pay dividends if and when a nest is found before your client discovers the problem first.
Even if you know which native species are in your area, stay current on any new invasive pests that may be making their way into your region. In the past decade, we’ve seen the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) and the yellow-legged hornet (V. velutina, pictured above) confirmed in various parts of the country. The Asian needle ant (Brachyponera chinensis), an invasive pest confirmed in the U.S. for decades, has recently expanded its range into several new states.
Stinging insect callbacks are predictable, seasonal and largely preventable. The best time to start preparing for stinging insect season may be late spring, but the second-best time to start preparing is right now.
Access to regular bloodmeals determines the number of egg batches a female bed bug has in her lifetime. The more bloodmeals she takes, the more eggs she will produce. An adult female bed bug lives an average of one year, so if she feeds every week, she will produce more eggs than she would if she feeds only once a month.
SOURCE: Virginia Tech Entomology Department
Answers to August Tech Test
1. a, 2. False, 3. a, 4. True, 5. d, 6. False, 7. b, 8. c, 9. c, 10. True
Scorpions are old. In fact, they are likely the first animals to venture onto land some 437 million years ago, probably living as semi-terrestrial arthropods. At that time, the world would have been quite harsh, with both temperature and carbon dioxide levels significantly higher than today. Ancient seas were extensive, teaming with early life and encouraging organisms to transition onto land.
Conditions have moderated since those distant days, but scorpions haven’t changed much since that early time. They certainly have adapted to becoming the second fully terrestrial animal (after millipedes), but their aquatic forebears passed on traits that have helped them survive in a changing and less stable environment than that of the ocean from whence they came.
One big change was converting their exterior book gills through which they breathed in the water to the interior book lungs for breathing on land. This change allowed them to adapt from semi-aquatic to fully terrestrial animals.
Since then, the scorpion has changed very little. Why would they? The scorpion body plan, though primitive, is perfect for survival — especially in dry environments like those of the primitive earth. Many species live in some of the most arid places on Earth today, such as the deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus), but this doesn’t preclude other species from living in a variety of other environments like forests. Let’s look at a few representative species in each region of the U.S.
East Coast: The predominant species is the southern devil scorpion (Vaejovis carolinianus). This small species is considered harmless and occupies mostly forested areas.
Central Region: The genus Centruroides, or bark scorpions, includes common species with often potent venom. The striped bark scorpion (C. vittatus) predominates in this region. It spends most of its time on the ground and often enters homes and other human structures. Stings are common, but rarely dangerous.
Southeast: In Florida and the coastal plains of Georgia and Alabama, the hentzi striped scorpion (C. hentzi) is common. Its sting is mild. The Florida bark scorpion (C. gracilis) is an introduced species common in the Sunshine State. It originates from Central and northern South America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Southwest: The Arizona bark scorpion (C. sculpturatus) frequently enters homes. It is the only U.S. species considered dangerously venomous, with human deaths reported. This species, in true bark scorpion fashion, prefers trees but will live under a variety of landscape items such as river rock. Human activity in transforming desert areas into lush green landscapes has allowed this species to thrive.
Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) [Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]
In the Sonoran Desert region specifically, two commonly encountered species are the Arizona giant desert hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) and the stripe-tailed scorpion (Paravaejovis spinigerus). The desert hairy scorpion is a long-lived burrowing species; the stripe-tail can be found under rocks and other debris, where it seeks out areas of moisture. Neither scorpion is considered dangerous. In fact, the desert hairy scorpion is considered beneficial, as it will eat bark scorpions.
Pacific Coast: The California common scorpion (Paruroctonus silvestrii), a burrowing species, occupies arid areas along the coast, while the western forest scorpion (Uroctonus mordax) lives in wooded areas. Both species have a mild venom and are not considered dangerous.
In addition to the adaptation to book lungs from exterior gills, scorpions have other features that can help them survive today and consequently make them hard to control as pests. To combat these morphological and behavioral defenses, let’s look at each of these in turn and relate their biology to a control strategy that works.
The belly of the beast
If you turn over a scorpion and look at its ventrum, or underside, you will see four pairs of small openings along the mesosoma, or abdomen. These spiracles, or slits, are the openings into the book lungs and how a scorpion breathes.
Fig. 1. Four pairs of spiracles (yellow spots) run the length of the mesosoma below the paired pectines on this Arizona bark scorpion. [Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]Fig. 2. Close-up of spiracle opening, or slit, visible below the pecten.[Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]
Unlike insects, scorpions transport oxygen via their blood-like hemolymph. Because the spiracles are on the bottom of the scorpion, it can be difficult to avoid certain chemical treatments such as dust (see Fig. 1). Appropriately labeled dusts, applied where scorpions hide during the day, can enter these lungs, get absorbed into the hemolymph, and travel throughout the scorpion’s body.
Also on the ventrum, scorpions have paired appendages used for tactile and chemical perception, which they evolved to track prey, find mates and avoid predators. These pectines, along with sensory organs on the legs, allow them to detect and avoid chemical treatments (see Fig. 2).
This has been shown in the Arizona bark scorpion. This species detects repellent chemicals and will raise its entire body off the treated surface to avoid them. This behavior is termed “stilting” and, when crossing a flat treated surface, can minimize exposure and avoid a lethal dose. However, the treatment of transition sites where the scorpion moves from a horizontal to a vertical surface or vice versa increases the likelihood of touching the treated surface and gaining a fatal dose. The treatment of these transition locations, such as ground to building foundation to J-trim, becomes critical for climbing scorpion species.
Exoskeleton defenses
Scorpions have a thick exoskeleton, coated with a thin, water-repelling wax layer that helps prevent them from desiccation (see Figs. 3 and 4). These cuticulin/wax layers also protect scorpions from physical harm. Products that can penetrate these layers can kill scorpions, including appropriately labeled, non-water-soluble products such as pyrethroids. Products that remove or cut through the wax layer also may kill the scorpion through desiccation. Products such as diatomaceous earth or silica gels, which attack this layer, also can be effective when applied correctly. These products are particularly effective when used in arid or low-humidity environments.
Fig. 3. Transverse cross-section through the arthrodial membrane (between segments) of the cephalothorax of the Arizona bark scorpion, showing a dorsal view of the hardened exterior layer of the exoskeleton (top) above the dark body cavity. The scale at the bottom shows 1-millimeter-wide blue bars.[Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]Fig. 4. Anterior (face) view of an Arizona bark scorpion, showing the thick exoskeleton.[Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]
Scorpions are strongly nocturnal, spending nights primarily hunting for prey or searching for mates. They can detect light through their entire exoskeleton and move away from light instinctively (see Fig. 5). During the day, these animals find shelter in harborages for protection. Some species reuse an established burrow for years, while others find a new shelter each day.
Fig. 5. An Arizona bark scorpion takes a defensive pose under ultraviolet light, showing light reactivity. [Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]
For burrowing species, the burrow can be treated directly. This would include species such as the giant desert hairy scorpion — a long-lived ambush predator with the potential of living more than 20 years.
Other scorpions seek tight cracks and crevices for harborage, as they are strongly thigmotactic, which essentially means they feel safe when pressed into tight places. They often seek shelter under rocks, bark or debris, so treating underneath such harborage areas is critical in scorpion control.
Granular and liquids
The Arizona bark scorpion has no permanent home but finds a new hiding spot before each dawn. For species like this, the use of appropriately labeled granular residual pesticides can be very effective in harborages like river rock and bushes. Watering in these products activates them, which the scorpions find difficult to avoid in this type of cover. Bark scorpions also hide in palms, trees and under bark, so granular or liquid treatments around tree trunks can be effective.
Arizona giant desert hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) [ Photos: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control} Stripe-tailed scorpion (Paravaejovis spinigerus) [Photos: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]Florida bark scorpion (Centruroides gracilis) [Image: iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images]Deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) [Image: iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images]
Scorpion prevention efforts
Like all pests, if food is scarce, scorpions will relocate. Insect control will help keep their numbers to a minimum.
Scorpions also hate to be exposed to daylight, so removing hiding places like trash, debris and river rock on the property can go a long way in minimizing scorpion numbers and keep them out of structures.
Move flowerpots up onto stands rather than keeping them directly on the ground. Thin out bushes, keep grass mowed, and remove leaf piles or other items under which scorpions can hide.
Inspect the structure and replace any worn or damaged weather stripping or window screens. Install door sweeps and screen rooftop vents. Trim trees away from the structure to avoid bridging onto the roof.
Scorpion anatomy explains scorpion behavior. It shows us how they hunt, hide, breathe, climb and avoid danger.
These adaptations have kept scorpions alive for hundreds of millions of years, but they also reveal the control points we need to target. Understand the animal, and the treatment becomes more precise, more deliberate and more effective.
References
1. Polis, G.A. 1990. The Biology of Scorpions. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif.
2. Romero, A., J. Agnew, E. Paysen and B. Blakely. (2021, October). “Arizona Bark Scorpions and Their Responses to Insecticides.” Pest Control Technology, 49(10), 40-44.
3. Gaffin, D.D., Bumm, L.A., Taylor, M.S., Popokina, N.V. and Del Castillo, S. (2012). “Scorpion fluorescence and reaction to light.” Animal Behaviour, 83(2), 429-436.
Remember playing Space Invaders at the local arcade back in the 1980s? Or perhaps a retro version of it since? Defending your territory against rows of pixelated aliens started out easy, but as soon as you cleared a screen, the next level fired up with faster action, trickier dropping patterns, and enemies coming at you from entirely new angles.
Derrek Pendergraff
In pest management, dealing with real-world invasive species often can feel like standing in front of that arcade cabinet: When the enemy changes its movement patterns, you have to change tactics and master new “levels.”
Derrek Pendergraff, owner of Derrek’s Pest Control in Leavenworth, Ind., is a big believer in customer education about what professional pest control is about. That includes using his company’s social media channels to discuss invasive species whenever there is news about a given species. In his market, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) continues its reign of terror on local woods and landscapes.
“Another one we’re keeping an eye out for is currently in Kentucky, the Asian longhorned tick,” Pendergraff adds, referring to Haemaphysalis longicornis. “They can be detrimental to the health of people, pets and livestock.”
The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax, or NWS) has captured national attention since reappearing this year in the U.S. after a 60-year eradication period. Pendergraff says that while he doesn’t expect NWS to become a structural pest concern, he could see industry training programs “add a section of study for applicators to be able to identify and answer questions about the parasite” in the not-so-distant future.
A faster rate of growth
In February, Clemson (S.C.) University published a study that found that in the Southeastern U.S. specifically, invasive species are entering new markets faster than scientists can study them. Florida, in particular, is a hotbed for invasive insects. One study found that 450 non‑native arthropod species were detected in the state between 1990 and 2023. Nearly 300 of these species had never been recorded in North America before.
Dr. Faith Oi
The Clemson study lumped agricultural and forest insects along with structural pests. Dr. Faith Oi, a Pest Management Professional Editorial Advisory Board (PMP EAB) member and extension professor of the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, confirms that the structural pest management industry should “absolutely” take note.
“What is more concerning is that there is no formal surveillance system for urban structural pests like there is for key agricultural pests,” she adds, “which is why pest control will always be needed.”
Dr. Oi, who also is director of Florida’s Pest Management University program, says there always will be a need for professional pest management based purely on the biological invasion curve (see chart at the bottom of this page). “There are no federal agencies or global coordinated efforts tasked with surveillance of structural pests, except for red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta),” she adds. “By the time there is ‘public awareness,’ eradication is almost impossible, and costs become prohibitive.”
Dan Baldwin, MPH, BCE, REHS/RS, FRSPH, a PMP EAB member, says the remainder of 2026 might be worse nationwide before it gets better, thanks to the Super El Niño weather phenomenon at play.
Dan Baldwin
“It probably will extend the high-pressure season of common pests as well,” adds Baldwin, VP of technical and training services for Ogden, Utah-based Hawx Pest Control. “So, you have the overall climate expanding ranges, and weather affecting activity periods.”
Dr. Oi says a number of additional factors are related to the increased spread of invasive species, such as:
Selected breeding in the wild — like hybrid fire ants (S. invicta and S. richteri) — bolsters the ability of these insects to adapt and increase their distribution range.
In many cases, there is a better level of reporting and analyzing population patterns. For example, invasive termites are being tracked by the North American Termite Survey working group, online at TermiteSurvey.org.
“Human-mediated transport,” which is a fancy way of saying pests invade new places thanks to worldwide shipping routes and passenger travel.
New home construction continues to encroach on what were previously animal habitats.
Regarding this last point in particular, Dr. Oi notes that in September, UF is launching a wildlife track to not only help PMPs learn animal control skills as a service, but also to protect themselves on the job.
This curve, which has evolved over the years since its introduction in 1995, shows how an invasive species spreads over time and how its cost to control goes up as it spreads. (SOURCE: DR. FAITH OI, MODIFIED FROM VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT (2010), TINYURL.COM/92DX8X37)
Power up your toolkit
Dr. Oi points out that, because there is no federal agency that coordinates surveillance specifically for urban structural pests, PMPs are the front line and critically important to intercepting invasive species.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and, every time an invasive species comes across my desk, it’s from a sharp PMP who knows that whatever they are dealing with, it’s not ‘normal,’” she explains. “PMPs are doers. Creating a reference collection for what is ‘normal’ in their area is a pro tip.”
Considering that some invasive species must be put under a microscope to be identified, Dr. Oi suggests pest control companies make room in their budgets for at least one digital microscope for their team.
“Magnification is inexpensive these days,” she says.
A business valuation helps owners understand what their company is truly worth, whether for a sale, succession planning, financing, or long-term growth strategy. It can also identify opportunities to increase value and improve future marketability.
Cetane provides detailed, market-based valuations backed by real transaction data and extensive mergers and acquisitions (M&A) experience in the residential and commercial service industries, giving business owners accurate insights they can trust.
About Cetane Associates
Cetane is a leading provider of financial advisory services to business owners in the propane, heating oil, pest control, lawn care, landscaping, HVAC and plumbing industries. Clients engage Cetane to advise on sales, spin-offs and acquisitions, as well as to perform valuation and ad hoc corporate finance assignments.
Cetane Associates, a Houston, Texas-based financial advisory and transaction firm providing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) expertise to the home services industries, confirms the acquisition of its client, JNJ Pest Control, to Atlanta, Ga.-based Orkin Pest Control. The transaction was completed on April 13, 2026; financial details were not disclosed. Cetane team members Bob Williamson, Danny O’Laughlin and Jack McMurchie managed the transaction.
Based in Newburgh, N.Y., JNJ Pest Control was founded in 2009 by John Taylor. In a news release, he noted that “working with Cetane made the whole process smooth from start to finish. JNJ’s customers can count on the same level of service they’ve come to expect. We know they’re in good hands with Rollins.”
Orkin Division President Art Watson added in the news release, “We’re proud to bring JNJ Pest Control into the Orkin family. Their community ties and loyal customers are an important part of our continued growth in New York. Preserving that trust and delivering excellent service will remain a top priority moving forward.”
About Cetane Associates
Cetane is a leading provider of financial advisory services to pest management companies as well as other service industries such as propane, heating oil, lawn care, landscaping and more. Cetane Pest and Lawn DirectorBob Williamson is a contributor for PMP‘s monthly “M&A Update.” Clients engage Cetane to advise on sales, spin-offs and acquisitions, as well as to perform valuation and ad-hoc corporate finance assignments.
About Orkin Pest Control
Founded in 1901 by Pest Management Professional (PMP) Hall of Famer Otto Orkin (Class of 1999), Atlanta, Ga.-based Orkin is a leader in pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects. Owned by Rollins Inc., Orkin has more than 400 owned-and-operated branch offices and nearly 50 franchises in the U.S. The company also has international franchises and subsidiaries in Canada, Europe, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and Mexico. Gary Rollins, Rollins’ Executive Chairman Emeritus of the Board, is also a member of the PMP Hall of Fame (Class of 2012).
UPG members enjoy exclusive discounts on leading brands, including Verizon Wireless, Staples, ADP, UniFirst and more. Simply join the 55,000-plus other smart businesses already saving money with the power of group purchasing. Becoming a UPG member is free and easy, and there are no purchasing minimums or obligations.
About UPG
Unified Purchasing Group (UPG) is a group purchasing organization, otherwise known as a “GPO.” UPG combines the purchasing power of collective businesses to leverage better pricing, improved service levels, and dedicated account representation from suppliers. Leveraging a GPO increases your buying power and can simplify your procurement processes. The wide-reaching network and negotiating power of a GPO is challenging for an individual procurement professional to match on their own.
A GPO enables the spend from various industries to combine and increase buying power for individual private entities and it works for businesses of all size, from small businesses to large enterprise operations. When you partner with a GPO like UPG and utilize our exclusive contracts, you can grow market share in your industry quickly with no up front costs. It’s free to become a member and there are no long term contracts or purchasing minimums, so you have nothing to lose.
UPG has been a proud supporter of the pest management industry for nearly two decades, and as a long-time sponsor of PestWorld, we are pleased to help pest management professionals across the country save money. We partner with brands you know and trust to bring you savings on the products and services you need to run your business. UPG has more than 50,000 companies who are using their free membership to secure exclusive discounts to lower their spend and increase their competitive edge in today’s market.
Visit online today to increase your organization’s purchasing power and save.
Reviewed by Mark VanderWerp, BCE, manager of education and training, Rose Pest Solutions, Madison Heights, Mich.
Slimy surroundings
Drain fly (Psychodidae) larvae and pupae live in the thin microbial films often found in drains and underground septic tank field lines, and on filter stones in wastewater treatment plants. They feed on algae, bacteria, fungi and other microscopic organisms associated with the film. Indoors, drain flies can breed in floor or sink drains, air conditioner and refrigerator condensate pans, bottoms of garbage cans, under broken or cracked tile, in tracks of sliding glass doors, in wet cracks in the floor and around dirty floor drains.
Answers to July Tech Test
1. True, 2. c, 3. True, 4. True, 5. a, 6. d, 7. False, 8. c, 9. d, 10. a
The United Producers, Formulators & Distributors Association (UPFDA) exists to empower professional collaboration, development, growth and success among the suppliers and service providers that support the pest management industry. As the premier national association representing manufacturers, distributors and industry partners, UPFDA is committed to advancing professionalism, high standards and ethical business practices while fostering meaningful connections throughout the industry.
In 2025, UPFDA concentrated on creating new opportunities for member engagement and increasing visibility among prospective members. Recognizing that strong professional relationships are at the heart of a successful association, the board introduced new events designed to deepen connections and showcase the value of membership.
Collaborative culture
One of those additions was UPFDA on the Hill, held in conjunction with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) Legislative Day event in Washington, D.C. This event provided members with an opportunity to strengthen relationships while gaining a better understanding of the legislative and regulatory issues impacting our industry. UPFDA also added a board meeting during the NPMA’s PestWorld 2025 event in Orlando, Fla., creating another opportunity for members and invited guests to experience UPFDA’s collaborative culture and see firsthand how it works to support its members.
Building on the momentum of these successful additions, the board devoted its August 2025 planning meeting to identifying new ways to enhance the membership experience and strengthen UPFDA’s value proposition.
Helping others
One significant outcome was the creation of the UPFDA Charitable Partner Program, which reflects our members’ shared commitment to giving back to the communities we serve. Each year, UPFDA will contribute $5,000 to a selected charitable organization, while also encouraging members to participate with that organization through volunteer service and other hands-on efforts.
UPFDA members nominated four organizations for consideration under guidelines established by the board, and P.E.S.T. Relief International was selected as the inaugural 2026 Charitable Partner. During the UPFDA Spring Conference in Charleston, S.C., members volunteered their time and energy at the Star Gospel Mission in support of P.E.S.T. Relief International’s mission. This initiative represents more than a charitable contribution; it demonstrates the industry’s commitment to service and provides members with another meaningful way to connect with one another while making a positive impact.
At its core, UPFDA remains an association built on relationships. Through the annual Spring Conference, PestWorld activities, committee involvement, charitable initiatives and regular member communications, UPFDA provides opportunities for members to learn from one another, strengthen professional networks and contribute to the advancement of the industry.
For prospective members and industry partners seeking a welcoming, collaborative community dedicated to professional growth and industry success, UPFDA offers a unique opportunity to connect with peers who share a commitment to innovation, ethics and excellence. We invite you to experience the friendly support, meaningful engagement and lasting relationships that define UPFDA membership.
Asthma disproportionately affects residents in affordable housing, where pests such as cockroaches, rodents, dust mites and bed bugs are common triggers. The Allergy Technologies Affordable Housing Control (ATAHC) Program now offers a science-backed approach, in conjunction with a healthcare provider, called ATAHC Asthma. This new offering is designed to improve respiratory health by targeting these allergens through integrated pest management and preventative measures. Among ATAHC Asthma’s components is ActiveGuard Mattress Liners, which help prevent both bed bug and dust mite infestations, lowering allergen levels in high-risk homes.
About Allergy Technologies
Allergy Technologies’ mission is to improve the environmental conditions in which people live. This focus led to the establishment of its trademarked ATAHC Program, which has proven to successfully control and prevent the scourge of bed bugs in both affordable housing and other community and hospitality facilities.
Allergy Technologies notes that its flagship product, ActiveGuard Mattress Liners, is “the only EPA-registered product labeled to deliver two-year bed bug and dust mite prevention, preventing future infestations by killing bed bugs and dust mites in the most challenging environments, such as affordable housing.”
Dr. Matt Cordes, associate professor emeritus in the University of Arizona Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, recently led a study about the brown recluse spider venom’s molecular mechanism of action. He says these spiders have their common name (and the dominant U.S. species’ scientific name, Loxosceles reclusa) for a reason.
“They like to hide in wood piles, sheds, things like that,” Dr. Cordes said in a news release. “They prefer dark, covered spaces. Recluse spiders are actually quite common and easy to find if you look for them.”
Related recluse species occur in in west Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, where the Arizona recluse (L. arizonica) is the most common. The news release rounds up five things that the average person might not know about brown recluses specifically. As a professional, how will you score?
1. They only bite when trapped
“There is this myth that they’re aggressive spiders, but they really are not,” Dr. Cordes said. “They generally have a worse reputation than they deserve.”
The spiders typically only bite when they are trapped, between clothing and skin, for example.
2. About 80 percent of people don’t realize they’ve been bitten
Dr. Cordes said most people who get bitten never know it: “Your average bite either has no effect or causes some kind of fairly mild irritation. It’s the maybe 10 percent or 20 percent of cases where you get something that’s necrotic, and then some even smaller fraction of those develop into something that’s really a spreading necrotic lesion.”
When that happens, however, the tissue damage can get extensive, requiring skin grafts and leaving lasting scars.
3. Bites are often misdiagnosed
According to Dr. Cordes, bacterial skin infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are prone to being misdiagnosed as recluse bites.
“MRSA produces a sore that presents somewhat like a recluse spider lesion,” he said. “One of the differences is that the recluse lesions don’t really ooze pus the same way MRSA does. Doctors who are familiar with these types of lesions are more likely to make a correct diagnosis, but sometimes it’s hard to tell.”
Dr. Cordes said a correct diagnosis is more likely if following a perceived bite, a spider is found. Location is an important tip-off as well.
“If someone believes they were bitten, and they live outside the range where recluses occur, it’s a red flag,” he explained. “You almost certainly have a misdiagnosis.”
4. Unique venom works like a ‘molecular lawnmower’
Unlike the venom in most spider species, which primarily acts as a neurotoxin that interferes with nerve function, the venom of spiders in the recluse family, known as Sicariids, is very effective at destroying tissue.
While bites from other spiders may cause necrotic lesions, too, the potential of severe, widespread tissue damage is the recluse’s “calling card,” according to Dr. Cordes. Scientist have known for a while that recluse venom contains toxins that disrupt cell membranes, but the precise mechanisms of action have not been well understood. In their recent paper, Dr. Cordes and his research team reported their success catching the toxin “in the act.” Using a technique called X-ray crystallography, the researchers resolved the atomic structure of the molecule, an enzyme known as Phospholipase D, and its active site interacting with the lipid molecules that form the building blocks of cell membranes.
“We believe a likely mode of operation for this thing is to attach itself to a cell and chew up its lipid molecules,” Dr. Cordes said. “These enzymes are what we call processive: They don’t just bite off one molecule’s head and then go away again. More likely, they move from molecule to molecule, mowing them all down, in a lawnmower-like fashion.”
The recluse’s “lawnmower” toxin can account for as much as half the dry weight of the spider’s venom, according to Dr. Cordes. Add the fact it acts a catalyst, unaffected by its destructive activity, and that means each toxin molecule can do a lot of damage. This may help explain the sometimes-extensive tissue defects that result from a bite. During this process, the toxin turns the cell’s lipids into a product that, until this study, was not known to be found in nature, the researchers report.
“It makes a highly unusual, ring-shaped product called cyclic ceramide phosphate,” Dr. Cordes said. “The interesting thing about that is that almost nothing is known about it, other than the fact it’s unique to the venom of recluse spiders.”
While all spiders carry genes encoding for the same enzyme family, they don’t use them in their venom, but for some other unknown purpose in their bodies. Only recluses express these genes in their venom glands, where they make up the bulk of the venom, Dr. Cordes said.
“It appears they kind of took it and ran with it,” he said. “In an interesting evolutionary twist, these phospholipases are also found in the venom of a scorpion species found in the deserts of Iran, and getting stung can cause a medically dangerous reaction, resulting in a necrotic wound similar to that of a recluse bite.”
5. Don’t rely on the ‘fiddle’ alone for identification
Another common name for brown recluse is the fiddleback spider, but the telltale sign of a violin shape on its cephalothorax (the combined head and middle portion of its body) is not as cut-and-dry as it seems. According to Dr. Greta Binford, an arachnologist and professor of biology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., who is the paper’s second author, the violin shape can be less prominent depending on the spider’s sex or life stage. In addition, there are other spider species that have a violin-like pattern.
“Brown recluses are often confused with a whole range of other spiders,” she said in the news release. “To identify a brown recluse beyond doubt, two things need to be present: the violin shape and three pairs of eyes. Most other spiders have eight eyes. Sicariids are the only family whose members have six.”
There’s growing public awareness and concern around ticks and tick-borne diseases in the United States in recent months, and alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) has been one of the biggest drivers of that attention. Alpha-gal, which is short for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, is a molecule found naturally in mammals (except humans), as well as in the saliva of certain ticks.
In some individuals, tick bites can sometimes trigger an immune system response that leads to AGS, causing allergic reactions after eating red meat or consuming dairy products. Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) are considered the primary vector, but reports indicate there have been some AGS cases associated with other tick species.
As awareness of AGS and other tickborne illnesses continues to grow, pest management professionals (PMPs) remain at the front lines to help reduce tick exposure and protect public health. When tick activity peaks this season, remember these five tips:
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when treating tick-prone areas. Long sleeves, long pants, gloves, boots and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered repellents can help reduce exposure while working in dense vegetation and wooded edges. Perform routine tick checks throughout the day and after completing applications.
Focus inspections on areas that support tick hosts such as rodents, raccoons, deer, and other small mammals. Identify and address harborage areas such as wood piles, dense brush, ground cover and fence lines where wildlife activity is common.
Improve the environment to make properties less favorable for ticks. Recommend trimming overgrown vegetation, clearing brush, reducing leaf litter and increasing sunlight and airflow in shaded areas where moisture persists.
Apply residual insecticides strategically to high-risk tick zones. Concentrate treatments around ornamental vegetation, shrubs, tree lines, fence rows, tall grass and ecotones, which is where maintained turf meets wooded or natural areas.
Approach tick management education for both customers and employees as an ongoing process. Combining habitat modification, wildlife management and targeted residual applications provides more consistent, long-term suppression.
BASF
By Desiree Straubinger, BCE, CP-FS, Technical Services Representative
Desiree Straubinger, BCE, CP-FS
Flea and tick infestations remain a constant hurdle for pest control specialists, requiring both skill and well-planned approaches. To effectively handle these pests, start with a comprehensive inspection, pinpointing trouble spots like pet bedding, carpets, upholstered furniture and outdoor spaces where animals, including wildlife and stray pets, may roam or shelter in crawlspaces.
Implement integrated pest management (IPM) methods, blending targeted chemical applications with environmental changes to break breeding cycles. Once hotspots are identified, customers should apply physical measures indoors, such as vacuuming and washing pet bedding. Outdoors, they should consistently mow the lawn and trim vegetation to decrease shaded, damp conditions. They also should clear away leaf litter, tall grass and organic debris to reduce breeding grounds. Encourage customers to maintain ongoing prevention, including routine pet care.
Select treatment products specifically designed for fleas and ticks and rotate active ingredients to lower the risk of resistance. For indoor chemical control, pay special attention to cracks, crevices and baseboards, using residual sprays and insect growth regulators (IGRs) for lasting results. Outdoor control should target shady areas where fleas and ticks thrive.
By merging technical expertise with client education, PMPs can provide dependable, long-term solutions for flea and tick infestations.
MGK
By Anna Hansen, Technical Services Support Specialist
Anna Hansen
The foundation of superior service and treatment of any pest is customer communication. Cooperation from the customer is necessary for any successful treatment — whether it’s exclusion work for treating fall invaders, sanitation for cockroach infestations, or prep and exclusionary work for flea and tick treatments.
It’s essential that customers understand the type of conditions that make their property friendly to fleas and ticks. Explain how a neatly mowed lawn and trimmed property perimeter can deter ticks from inhabiting the area. If the property butts up to a natural environment, like a forest or prairie, suggest they put deer fencing up to keep host animals from entering the property. Also, explain how keeping areas clear of brush and debris can deter animals that carry fleas and ticks from creating dens and burrows on the property.
Additionally, make sure to communicate your expectations for prep prior to treatment. Be detailed in your description of your expectations. Also, manage your customers’ expectations following treatment and make sure they understand re-entry standards for the products you’re using.
Nisus
By Dr. Jamel Sandidge, BCE, National Director of Technical Services
Dr. Jamel Sandidge, BCE
Fleas and ticks are more than just annoying pests. They can spread disease, trigger allergic reactions, and quickly become difficult to control once established indoors.
An IPM approach starts with reducing the conditions that allow them to thrive. Wildlife such as rodents, raccoons, stray cats and opossums often introduce fleas and ticks into yards and crawlspaces, so exclusion and habitat reduction are critical first steps. Keep grass trimmed, remove debris and seal entry points around the home.
Inside, mechanical interventions like frequent vacuuming play a major role in control by removing eggs, larvae and adult fleas hiding deep in carpets, furniture and cracks. Discard vacuum bags immediately after cleaning. Use contact sprays as appropriate to target active adult fleas and developing larvae in areas where pets rest or where wildlife activity has occurred. Combining sanitation, exclusion and targeted treatments provides long-term relief while reducing future infestations.
Neogen
By Andrew Fisher, BCE, PHE, Business Unit Specialist
Andrew Fisher, BCE, PHE
Flea management programs often focus on areas where pets rest, but don’t overlook floor-wall junctions and other protected harborages. After being deposited by the host, flea eggs readily fall from fur and accumulate in cracks, crevices and carpet edges, beneath furniture and along baseboards. These areas provide the sheltered microhabitats that developing larvae require.
Unlike adult fleas, larvae are negatively phototactic, meaning they avoid light and migrate into protected locations where they feed on organic debris and dried blood excreted by adult fleas. Floor-wall junctions frequently collect dust, hair and other organic material that support larval development.
During inspections, pay particular attention to carpet tack strips, gaps beneath baseboards, furniture edges and inaccessible perimeter areas. Treatment plans should account for these locations rather than focus solely on open floor surfaces. Thorough vacuuming and targeted applications to identified harborage areas can improve contact with immature stages and help reduce the likelihood of persistent infestations and follow-up service calls.
Ensystex
By Stephen Vanias, ACE, Technical Director
Stephen Vanias, ACE
Here’s a good way to get your technicians’ attention: Let them know the average American spends 15 to 20 minutes sitting on the toilet every day. While most people spend their idle moments mindlessly doomscrolling, they often are missing a prime opportunity to do a health check — and it has nothing to do with what’s coming out, but rather, what’s trying to dig in.
One of the best opportunities to perform a tick check is while sitting on the toilet. You don’t even need to put your phone away; just switch on the flashlight and start checking those personal cracks and crevices. Bathroom lighting is generally good. You have privacy and, more importantly, fantastic sight lines to parts of your body that often are overlooked but are prime real estate for ticks: the back of your knees, waistbands, armpits and other places where clothing tends to bunch up or have elastic bands.
I first learned of this strategy from a talk by Dr. Thomas “The TickGuy” Mather, director of the University of Rhode Island’s (URI’s) Center for Vector-Borne Disease. It might sound silly, but this is a serious public health initiative. URI even produces official, waterproof toilet check cards with actual-sized tick images. Learn more online at web.uri.edu/tickencounter.
Knowing and understanding tick biology, modes of vector transmission, and exposure times is critically important when dealing with ticks. Time always is of the essence, but it is even more important when mitigating the risk of tick-borne conditions that are quickly triggered by salivary components, such as Alpha-gal syndrome, vs. those that harbor in the midgut, such as Lyme disease, which typically requires over 24 hours of attached feeding for transmission.
Rockwell Labs
Nick Godfroid, BCE, Technical Specialist
Nick Godfroid
Although fleas and ticks are not closely related, they do share basic behaviors that can be used to control troublesome populations. Both prefer areas protected from sunlight with plenty of cover to hide in and around. Like many arthropods, they also like humid conditions. This makes piles of dead leaves and brush, as well as unkempt shrubs and overgrown grass, key areas to target for treatment. By focusing on shaded, plant-covered areas rather than open, mowed lawns, you can improve the efficiency of granular and spray applications.
Because overgrown areas can be difficult for contact-kill-only sprays to fully penetrate, using botanical granules or sprays is an effective way to increase repellency and lethality deep within these spaces. Botanical products with vapor-phase effects in particular can reach into dense cover, helping to flush out, repel and kill fleas and ticks that would otherwise remain protected.
Zoëcon
By Mel Whitson, Director of Sales and Marketing, Pest Control
Mel Whitson
Summer temperatures and humidity bring an expected increase in tick and flea activity. PMPs should implement a proactive strategy to prevent infestations and protect clients and their pets from potential disease transmission.
Ticks are hitchhikers that can infest outdoor areas. They quest, or cling to vegetation, waiting to latch onto passing animals and people. Ticks are especially active in wooded areas, tall grass, leaf litter and spots near water. Their prolonged feeding behaviors make them excellent vectors for diseases such as Lyme disease.
Aside from using insecticidal solutions, educate clients about maintenance practices to help reduce tick populations: Remove leaf litter, mow the lawn frequently and clear tall grass and brush.
Fleas also present potential health risks, transmitting murine typhus to humans and causing hair loss and skin damage to pets. Target areas where pets spend the most time, such as on bedding, toys, furniture and carpet. Fleas spread quickly, making it very important to vacuum all target areas before treatment and every day for one week or every two days for two weeks after treatment.
Syngenta
By Lisa Eppler, Technical Services Manager
Dr. Lisa Eppler
Fleas and ticks can test the patience of even the most experienced technician. When pets, wildlife and outdoor harborages are involved, it sometimes feels like these pests have more backup than we do. The good news? Successful treatment usually starts well before any application is needed.
Start with an inspection. A thorough inspection and client interview are essential. Ask where pets spend their time and look for likely flea and tick harborages indoors and outdoors. Often, fleas and ticks are exactly where you would expect them to be — right where pets like to nap!
Prepare the environment. Preparation makes a big difference. Indoors, recommend that clients vacuum, clean pet resting areas and wash pet bedding. Outdoors, recommend they reduce clutter like debris piles, firewood stacks and pet bowls. Mowing grass and improving airflow also can help treatments reach their target areas.
Target the right spots. Focus on shaded areas, pet resting sites and transition zones between landscaped and natural areas where fleas and ticks thrive.
Use the right tools. A combination of an adulticide and an IGR can be effective, for example. Always follow product label instructions.
Communicate. Set clear expectations with clients, because flea and tick control works best when everyone is on the same team.
AMGUARD
By Jason Schmidt, Director, Technology and Innovation
Jason Schmidt
Tick activity often is assumed rather than measured. That is understandable because customers usually call after a bite, pet exposure or concern about tick-borne disease risk. At the same time, ticks are easy to underestimate because large portions of a property may appear visually inactive.
During tick surveillance work years ago, one technique we used was placing a small piece of dry ice in the middle of a white drag cloth and simply waiting. As carbon dioxide dispersed from the dry ice, questing ticks would begin emerging from previously “lifeless” surrounding leaf litter and vegetation and move toward the sheet. Areas separated by only a few feet could produce dramatically different activity.
That experience reinforced how uneven tick pressure really is. Ticks often are concentrated in shaded, humid microhabitats and along host travel corridors, while nearby open areas contribute comparatively little activity.
On many properties, the difference between low and high tick pressure, and between average and highly effective control, may be only a few shaded feet.
Arkion Life Sciences
By Andrew Shipp, Gulf Coast Regional Sales Manager
Andrew Shipp
Residential IPM programs succeed through strategy, not reliance on any single tool. When treating lawns for ticks, integrating an all-natural, essential oil-based pesticide into rotation with synthetic options is a smart move.
Alternating applications prevents resistance by disrupting tick adaptation, keeping populations off-balance and your treatments effective longer. These botanicals also excel as a proactive deterrent, establishing an aromatic barrier that makes lawns less hospitable to wandering ticks before they take hold.
Gentle on beneficials, pets and the environment, they break down over time while complementing cultural practices like mowing and perimeter management. Clients appreciate the balanced approach that protects both efficacy and reputation.
Incorporate naturals wisely: Rotate for resistance management and deploy as deterrents for superior, sustainable tick control.
So, the next time you’re plotting tick defense, remember: The sharpest tool in the IPM shed isn’t always the loudest. Sometimes it’s the one that smells like cinnamon and common sense.
PestWest
By Dr. Stuart “Doc” Mitchell, BCE, MPH, Technical Director
Dr. Stuart Mitchell, BCE
I am a cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, and this is how I feed on thee:
I do not fly. In carpets, bedding and shaded resting places I wait, until I sense warmth, movement, vibration and the carbon dioxide of a passing cat or dog nearby.
Then I leap, my enlarged hind legs and resilin-rich structures spring me upward into fur, where my genal and pronotal ctenidia — comb-like spines upon my head and thorax — help me move through hair and hold to my host with care.
Now I seek the skin. My antennae and sensory bristles help me thread the coat until my piercing-sucking mouthparts meet the surface below. My laciniae pierce the skin, and channels formed by my mouthparts draw the blood that soon will flow.
Within minutes, I am feeding. The blood within my midgut sustains my life and, if I am female, helps turn each meal into eggs in time. Your companion animal is not simply my host; it is the living engine that drives my next generation anew.
To provide rescue, breaking the flea’s full cycle through and through, it takes the PMP, the veterinarian and the pet owner, too.
![Southern devil scorpion (Vaejovis carolinianus) [Image: epantha / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/GettyImages-647110172.jpg)
![Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) [Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/C.sculpturatus-TM.jpg)
![Fig. 1. Four pairs of spiracles (yellow spots) run the length of the mesosoma below the paired pectines on this Arizona bark scorpion. [Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PMP0826_Figure1R.jpg)
![Fig. 2. Close-up of spiracle opening, or slit, visible below the pecten.[Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PMP0826_Figure2R-512x1024.jpg)
![Fig. 3. Transverse cross-section through the arthrodial membrane (between segments) of the cephalothorax of the Arizona bark scorpion, showing a dorsal view of the hardened exterior layer of the exoskeleton (top) above the dark body cavity. The scale at the bottom shows 1-millimeter-wide blue bars.[Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PMP0826_Figure3R.jpg)
![Fig. 4. Anterior (face) view of an Arizona bark scorpion, showing the thick exoskeleton.[Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PMP0826_Figure4R.jpg)
![Fig. 5. An Arizona bark scorpion takes a defensive pose under ultraviolet light, showing light reactivity. [Image: BOB GILBERT, BCE, PHE, Blue Sky Pest Control]](https://www.mypmp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PMP0826_Figure5R-1.jpg)
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when treating tick-prone areas. Long sleeves, long pants, gloves, boots and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered repellents can help reduce exposure while working in dense vegetation and wooded edges. Perform routine tick checks throughout the day and after completing applications. 
