Cascade Pest Control Announces Laurel Hansen Scholarship

SNOHOMISH, Wash. -  Cascade Pest Control of greater Seattle-Tacoma/Puget Sound area announced it is creating the Laurel Hansen Scholarship at Washington State University. The scholarship will be used to support students and researchers in the Washington State University Department of Entomology.     

Hansen has contributed more than 50 years service in urban pest management entomology with particular focus on carpenter ant research and ant identification and biology seminars for the pest management industry. She has provided support and education to pest management professionals in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and a number of other states over the years. Her down-to-earth nature and willingness to go into home substructure crawlspaces gained a great deal of respect from those of in the pest control industry.

Prior to founding Cascade Pest Control founder Kurt Treftz collected samples for what was to become Hansen’s PhD thesis on carpenter ants. “Quickly I learned that she needed workers and not winged reproductives to key out the species,” Treftz said.

Hansen educated PMPs on carpenter ants, particularly camponotus modoc, including stressing that they have multiple nest sites per colony and how critical this was to understanding how to gain control of these pests.  Hansen’s ant identification seminars have proven extremely valuable and popular with a hands-on classroom experience.  

This scholarship is open to contributions by other pest management professionals and is greatly encouraged, both in Dr Hansen’s honor and to promote further work that supports the pest management industry.