[August News]

Copesan announces addition of new Partners

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Copesan recently announced the addition of two new Partners: ABC Pest & Lawn Services of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, and Gafford Pest Control Services of Lubbock, Texas.

ABC Pest and Lawn Services of DFW has been providing pest management services to clients since 1949. ABC Pest is headquartered in Lewisville, Texas, with 43 service technicians serving Greater Dallas/Fort Worth. ABC Pest has earned the designation of QualityPro from the National Pest Management Association.

Bill J. Gafford founded Gafford Pest Control in 1973 in Lubbock, Texas. Over the years, the company has operated under various names as it merged and partnered with local pest control firms in West Texas. Today, Gafford Pest Control Services has grown from a one-man operation to one of the largest pest control service companies in West Texas.

Speakers, program set for 75th annual NPMA convention

FAIRFAX, Va. — PestWorld 2008, the world’s largest pest management gathering, will be held Oct. 22-25, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac in the Greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The National Pest Management Association’s 75th annual convention and exhibition will feature more than 75 educational sessions, an expansive trade show with 175 exhibiting companies, and thousands of attendees from the United States and other nations.

“As NPMA and its annual convention celebrate their 75th anniversaries, it is fitting that we return to Washington, D.C. — the city that hosted 50 participants from Maine to Texas at our association’s first annual convention,” said Rob Lederer, NPMA executive vice president.

The PestWorld 2008 marketplace is the heart of the show and features exhibitors representing every segment of the pest management industry, including manufacturers, distributors and business services. As always, exhibitors will launch new products, showcase cutting-edge technology, and demonstrate new ways for the pest management professional to be more successful.

This year’s keynote speakers include Cal Ripken Jr., baseball’s “Iron Man” and Hall of Famer; Bob Beckel, a political analyst and consultant; and John Kasich, a former U.S. congressman and author. Beckel and Kasich will host a friendly political debate, which is fitting since PestWorld 2008 is being held in Washington, D.C., less than two weeks before the U.S. presidential election. Additionally, PestWorld 2008 will feature a hypnotic and high-energy performance by artist and showman Michael Israel at the Opening Ceremony.

In honor of the 75th anniversaries of the NPMA and the PestWorld convention, PestWorld 2008 will feature two special celebrations, including a dessert reception at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, featuring the Orkin Insect Zoo, and a black-tie-optional dinner dance at the Final Night Banquet, “Puttin’ on the Glitz.” Stepping back in time to the 1930s, the Final Night Banquet will feature the award-winning, 17-person ensemble big band Doc Scantlin & His Imperial Palms Orchestra.

Industry mourns loss of former BayerCrop Science executive Allen Haws

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Allen Haws, a longtime Bayer CropScience executive who retired in 1996, passed away from a heart attack on July 14. He was 67. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Haws was hired by Bayer CropScience in 1968, eventually rising to the position of director of marketing, Specialty Products.

A strong advocate for the specialty chemical industry, Haws played a central role in the formation of Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE). “Allen was one of the original founders of RISE,“ observed Allen James, RISE president. “He was the first Communications Committee chairman, as well as a member of the first Board of Directors. As chair of the Communications Committee, he was responsible for coming up with the name RISE and for the logo, both major contributions. He also was one of the industry leaders who realized that we not only have to communicate effective messages about our products, but vigorously defend our industry.”

Jeff Vannoy, marketing manager for Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Laboratories, who was hired by Haws, said, “Allen was a foundation in the pest control industry for nearly two decades and really helped bring attention and focus to our industry amongst the large crop science companies at that time.”

Rick Robb, a former colleague still working for Bayer CropScience, said Haws “loved the pest control business. He was extremely loyal to the people who worked for him, but you didn’t want to get on his bad side. He was extremely focused and passionate about everything he did. He’ll be missed.”
Haws was active in the National Pest Management Association, RISE, and the United Producers, Formulators & Distributors Association (UPF&DA), where he served on the Board of Directors.

“Allen served on the UPF&DA Board from 1992 to 1995,” observed Executive Director Valera Jessee. “He was one of the first manufacturer representatives and his participation helped bring uniformity to the allied industries’ common concerns and issues.”

“The passing of Allen Haws came as a shock and a complete surprise,” said Roland Rhodes, owner of Rhodes Chemical Co., Kansas City, Kan. “We spent a lot of time together when he was active with Bayer. He will be missed.”

“There were few people as passionate about the pest control industry as Allen Haws,” added Dan Moreland, publisher, PCT magazine, Richfield, Ohio. “He was a staunch defender of the industry who had great passion and enthusiasm for his work.”

A Vietnam War veteran, Haws is survived by his wife, Cynthia; son Lynn and his wife Megan; son Allen; daughter Cherie Shallo and her husband Christiaan; his mother; a brother and a sister; and a grandson.

Dr. Jim Ballard starts Ballard Pest Management Consulting

MEDFORD, N.J. — After 20 years as the technical manager, and later a product development manager for pest control products with FMC Corporation Professional Solutions, Dr. Jim Ballard has formed his own company, Ballard Pest Management Consulting.

The new company is located in Medford, N.J., and will provide the professional pest management industry with product development and consulting support.

As a consulting company, Ballard PMC will support all levels of the industry including pest management companies. For more information, call 856/979-1200 or e-mail jim@ballardpmc.com. Visit www.ballardpmc.com for a full description of the company and services offered to the pest management industry.

WHO announces book on the public health significance of urban pests

FAIRFAX, Va. — The World Health Organization announced the availability of its first book investigating the significance of health-related issues posed by urban pests. Titled Public Health Significance of Urban Pests, this 569-page book is now available to the global pest management community and is internationally recognized as the definitive source of unbiased information.

“As the only international trade association representing professional pest management, we are very pleased with the key findings in this book as it reinforces our industry position as protectors of public health and property,” said Rob Lederer, executive vice president for the National Pest Management Association. “For many years we have been connecting diseases posed by pests with the need for professional pest management services. The key findings in this groundbreaking book are critical and stress the need for us to continue to educate the public globally on disease risks posed by structural pests.”

The book relies heavily on the current status of urban pests and health in Europe and North America, and mostly draws from scientific evidence and regulatory approaches developed within these continents.

Two key chapters of the book were co-authored by Greg Baumann, vice president of technical services for NPMA. These chapters, titled “Bed Bugs” and “Integrated Pest Management,” provide a comprehensive view of the global impact of pest threats as well as treatment practices supported by NPMA.

Bob Rosenberg, NPMA’s senior vice president, also participated in the development process of this book. Both Baumann and Rosenberg were appointed as temporary advisors during the three-year creation of this definitive book. “We were very pleased to have NPMA staff play a key role in both the writing and overall development of this book,” Lederer said.

The following key findings illustrate the book’s content:

• Borders between urban and rural environments make areas more susceptible to pests and the diseases they may carry. Regulations should be in place to ensure that buildings are pest-proofed and do not create conducive conditions.
• Although regulations that cover the sale and use of pesticides exist throughout Europe and North America, a stricter differentiation between professional and over-the-counter products should be established and enforced to prevent the general public from having access to products that are more appropriately used by trained applicators.
• Through scientifically-based risk assessments and proper approval processes, products used should not pose an unacceptable risk to consumers, applicators or the environment.
• The prohibitive costs associated with obtaining pesticide approvals should be reconsidered and, when possible, lessened to encourage the development of more effective and affordable products with public health uses.
• The public would benefit from increased public health pest research.

To obtain a copy of the book, contact NPMA at npma@pestworld.org or call 800/678-6722.

Eric Eicher leaves Steritech

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Steritech Group announced that Eric Eicher has left the company to pursue other interests.

Eicher was one of the founding members of the company and played a key role in Steritech’s early development, working in both sales and operations. He served as the president and chief operating officer of the company’s Pest Prevention Division from 2001 until 2006. For the past two years, he has worked on acquisitions and alternative growth strategies for Steritech.

Eicher has been active in the pest control industry, having served as an associate director on the board of the National Pest Management Association and chairman of the organization’s Commercial Committee. In 2004, Eicher was honored with a PCT/Syngenta Professional Products Crown Leadership Award.

“Eric will forever be a part of this company’s proud history,” said Steritech Executive Chairman and founder John Whitley. “His many contributions have helped Steritech become one of the most respected companies in the industry.”

FPMA announces new board members

ORLANDO, Fla. — The 2008-09 slate of officers and directors for the Florida Pest Management Association (FPMA) was announced during the Association’s recent Summer Conference, June 25-27, at the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort and Marina in Stuart, Fla.

Tim Hulett of Hulett Environmental Services, West Palm Beach, Fla., was sworn in as association president during a dinner ceremony on June 26.
Rounding out Hulett’s team of officers are: President-Elect Jim Williamson, Florida Pest Control & Chemical Company, Palm Harbor; Vice President Tim Brock, Brock Pest Control, Lynn Haven; Treasurer George Braker, Arrow Exterminators, Boca Raton; Secretary John Cook, McCall Services, Jacksonville; and Immediate Past President David M. “Mickey” Nolen, Nozzle Nolen, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Newly elected state regional directors of the association are Sean Brantley, Emory Brantley & Sons Termite, Pinellas Park; Blair Burton, Paul’s Pest Control, Midway; Michael Cadenhead, Cadenhead Services, Crestview; Chris Chardt, Nordic Pest Control Plus, Lake Worth; Joseph Garland, Terminix International, Sarasota; Todd Geller, Nozzle Nolen, Stuart; Frances Hanson, Bug Pro Florida, Jacksonville; Jay Hebert, Florida Pest Control & Chemical, Palatka; Eric Hoffer, Al Hoffer’s Termite Lawn & Pest, Coral Springs; James Lambeth, A Better Bugman, Fort Myers; Steve Lum, Slug-A-Bug, Melbourne; Harry Myers, One Two Tree, Miami; Randy Stout, Knight Pest Control, New Port Richey; James Strickland, Brock Lawn & Pest Control, Lynn Haven; Agustin Villaverde, Gator Pest Control, Melbourne; Tom Wisdo, WME Impact Pest Management, Tarpon Springs; and Allied Board Member Pete Elbert, Residex, Jacksonville.

Texas approves crisis exemption for crazy ant treatments

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Agriculture has been granted approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue a Section 18 crisis exemption allowing the use of fipronil (Termidor SC) to control the crazy ant species (Paratrechina spp.nr. pubens/fulva) in designated counties.

The ant has become a serious nuisance pest in parts of Houston, where its infestation was calculated to be at about 50 million ants per acre in early June. This Caribbean invader is said to be responsible for causing electrical shortages in homes and businesses throughout the Houston area.

“There are many things Texans cannot control, such as the weather and current gas prices, but they should be able to control pests from invading their homes and businesses,” Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. Termidor SC, manufactured by BASF, may be applied following all directions, restrictions and precautions on the EPA-registered product label, as well as restrictions within the exemption notice. The crisis exemption was effective June 30 and will remain in effect until EPA makes a decision on the Section 18 specific exemption TDA will submit.

Only certified and licensed applicators or persons under the direct supervision of licensed applicators can apply Termidor SC to infected areas in the following Texas counties: Brazoria, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery and Wharton.

For more information, contact the county Texas AgriLife Extension Service office or TDA at 512/463-7544. A copy of the approval notice is located on the TDA Web site at www.tda.state.tx.us.

Editor’s note: To read BASF’s Tech Bulletin that explains the Termidor label changes and provides further detail to pest management professionals, visit www.pctonline.com and click on “online extras.”

Termite monitoring sample contract now available

FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association announced the development of a new model contract for “Termite Monitoring Services.” Available through the NPMA member and professional Web site, www.npmapestworld.org, the model contract provides a starting point for companies to develop their termite monitoring contracts. This project was initiated by a suggestion from Dow AgroSciences, which also collaborated with NPMA on the development of the contract.

“Subterranean termite monitoring services are becoming a hot topic in the industry,” said Greg Baumann, vice president of technical services, NPMA. “But monitoring is a relatively new service, so it is important that contract language clearly tell consumers what they are buying and spell out the pest management professional’s responsibilities.”

To draft the model contract, NPMA retained a law firm experienced in the pest management industry. The contract was written in plain language and includes minimal legalese, Baumann says. Key aspects of the model contract include exclusion of aerial infestations of subterranean termites and drywood termites; service commitment; customer understanding of the monitoring performance; ownership of components; performance of work; and additions and alterations. The contract also addresses termite damage, renewal fees, termination of service, transferability and more.

“The termite monitoring model contract is not designed to be used as is,” Baumann says. “NPMA advises companies to work with their own attorney to make sure the contract language they use complies with their state laws. Making the contract specific to your business is important because there can be great variance in how companies offer this service.” For more information, contact NPMA at 800/678-6722.

Bayer ES announces new cockroach training resource

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Bayer Environmental Science announced the availability of its newest training resource — the “Cockroach Solution Guide” in PowerPoint format.

The presentation was developed to complement Bayer’s “Cockroach Solution Guide,” and provides a simple, yet effective way for pest management companies to train their technicians on the latest technology and proper techniques for cockroach control.

The “Cockroach Solution Guide” presentation features:

• A detailed overview of integrated pest management (IPM) and the importance of its role in effective cockroach management;
• Full-color illustrations to help identify common cockroach species in each life stage: egg case, nymph and adult;
• A detailed directory of various pesticide and non-pesticide control options;
• And a treatment guide with detailed illustrations to help technicians correctly address infestations in residential and commercial environments.

The presentation is available for download at www.BackedbyBayer.com or in hard copy format from your local Bayer Field Sales Representative. For more information, call 800/331-2867.

PMi employee thinks fast, saves life

PLEASANT GARDEN, N.C. — Pest Management Systems Inc. (PMi) employee Rick Tilley found himself going above and beyond the call of his normal work duties when he performed CPR on a 65-year-old resident of Pleasant Garden, N.C. At 11 a.m. on May 6, the male victim went into full cardiac arrest and, thanks to Tilley’s assistance, survived the incident and was admitted to Moses Cone Hospital.

Tilley had arrived early that day to service a customer’s home. While working, he heard a scream from outside the house. He went to the door where the customer informed him that her neighbor had collapsed in the yard. Tilley promptly called 911 before initiating CPR, an act that played a key role in saving the man’s life. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Tilley said.

“We’re proud of Rick for responding so quickly to help a person in need,” said Billy Tesh, founder of the Greensboro, N.C.-based company. “We always hope our employees will go beyond the call of duty, but Rick’s actions are truly exceptional. We’re proud to have him as a member of the PMi Team.”

PCO News

A All Animal Control hosted its annual franchise owners conference in June in Charleston, W.Va. Franchisees from across the country gathered to learn about the latest techniques in wildlife management and business operations. Local A All Animal Control franchisees Jim and Judy Berry, along with CEO Mark E. Dotson, served as hosts.

In other company news, Chip Ayers, The Trapster (West Virginia), and Jason Jenkins, Critters R Us (Missouri), joined the firm as franchise owners.

Adams Bird Control and Consulting, Fort Collins, Colo., installed its proprietary Bird Block Wall System to prevent Flickers from harboring in a chapel at the Good Samaritan Society Loveland Village.

Dodson Pest Control, Lynchburg, Va., acquired Tom Gressette Pest Control, Florence, S.C.

Date Book

Aug. 24-27: Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, N.M. Contact: 505/522-8040 or visit www.aspcro.org.  

Aug. 27: The Winner’s Summit: Creating the Business of Your Dreams, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences and Halo Electronic Termite Detection, Dallas, Texas. Contact: www.BusinessIdeasToWin.com or 800/456-0707.

Aug. 28: The Winner’s Summit: Creating the Business of Your Dreams, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences and Halo Electronic Termite Detection, Houston, Texas. Contact: See Aug. 27.

Sept. 10: The Winner’s Summit: Creating the Business of Your Dreams, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences and Halo Electronic Termite Detection, Tampa, Fla. Contact: See Aug. 27.

Sept. 17-19: UF/IFAS Pest Management University (Foundations of Termite Management), Apopka, Fla. Contact: Faith Oi, 352/392-1901, ext. 145, or foi@ufl.edu.

Sept. 19-20: Lloyd Smigel’s Discovery Retreat (Sales Management), Dallas, Texas. Contact: 888/711-3232.

Sept. 20: B&G Chemical & Equipment’s Technician Training event, Houston, Texas. Contact: Visit www.bgchem.com or e-mail acohen@bgchem.com.

Sept. 25: B&G Chemical & Equipment’s CEU Course, Houston, Texas. Contact: See Sept. 20.

Sept. 29-30: 39th Annual Texas Pest Control Association Texas Tech Workshop and ACE Training & Testing, Lubbock, Texas. Contact: 512/835-2801, or e-mail txpca@sbcglobal.net.

Oct. 2: B&G Chemical & Equipment’s CEU Course, El Paso, Texas. Contact: See Sept. 20.

Comings & Goings

Suzy Pursell has joined Bell Laboratories as product manager.

Mark DeGeare has accepted the position of Eastern sales manager at Forshaw Distribution, expanding his current duties to include the Florida market.

B&G Chemicals & Equipment hired Ruth Cloud as sales manager for its Phoenix branch.

DuPont Professional Products hired two salespeople: Michael Kuflik as global account manager and Karen Hartman as Northeast Turf & Ornamental sales representative. Kuflik will provide sales leadership to key U.S. and international accounts. Hartman’s territory is northern Virginia through Maine.

B&G Chemicals & Equipment’s Vector Division hired Tony Stilwell as sales manager for the West Coast.

Liphatech hired Matt Traylor as the company’s district representative serving the Southeastern U.S.

Bug Doctor Termite & Pest Control, Paramus, N.J., promoted Darrell Nankivell to branch manager.

Patrick Carollo joined Arrow Exterminating Company in Lynbrook, N.Y., as a field supervisor. At the same location, Mariano Acosta and Howard Handler were promoted to project leaders.