Besides rodents, bed bugs are the pest that seems to come to mind most frequently regarding pests and the pandemic. Check out this package of articles about PMPs, bed bugs and the COVID-19 virus.
Expert says elderly, disabled people are at greatest risk. “We need to be checking on them.”
When bed bugs are found on an airplane or in a hotel room, the world takes notice. “Traveling is what gets all the notoriety,” said Dini Miller, an entomologist and bed bug expert from Virginia Tech.
The real bed bug issues lie elsewhere. “Our biggest problem in the United States is elderly-disabled and multi-unit housing,” she said.
And with nursing facilities, group homes and individual residences locked down for months due to COVID-19, these bed bug problems are likely getting much worse.
“I would bet after COVID some of these infestations are just going to be spectacular,” said Miller.
Before the pandemic, Miller was doing field research at a residence in Vinton, Va., where three elderly people and one disabled person lived. “There were zillions of bed bugs in there,” she recalled. Her team was able to eliminate all but a few of the bugs before the pandemic hit. The residents were high risk for COVID-19 and didn’t want outsiders entering their home and potentially exposing them to the virus.
“I can only imagine how many zillions of bed bugs they must have right now,” said Miller.
In follow-up interviews conducted for the PCT 2020 State of the Bed Bug Control Market report, which was sponsored by Bayer, pest management professionals said the bed bug jobs they were called to during the pandemic were more severe and widespread.
“We’re seeing larger infestations in homes overall because people are stuck at home,” said Tracy Rice, CEO of Rice Pest Control, Anniston, Ala. With greater access to blood meals, the pests are “building more numbers in that infestation before we get a call,” he said.
But the industry doesn’t often get calls from elderly people with serious bed bug problems. “We’re seeing bed bug calls going down, but I would make the argument that the demographic that is suffering the most, we just don’t hear from them,” says Miller.
A number of reasons may keep seniors from seeking help. Their skin doesn’t tend to react to bed bug bites like that of younger people; they don’t see very well; some may have reduced mental acuity; some may be struggling with financial issues.
And of course, there’s the embarrassment of having bed bugs. “A lot of people have shame associated with it, so they don’t want to talk about it and then the numbers get ridiculous quite quickly,” said Miller.
She also is concerned that fear of bed bugs is keeping some social service agency personnel from going into homes to sign people up for meal delivery or drive them to medical appointments. The agencies are arbitrarily making policies that may cause the health of elderly and disabled people to further deteriorate, said Miller.
She urged PMPs to understand that the elderly and disabled are most at risk for bed bug infestations. “We need to be checking on them. Everybody needs to be checking in on their elderly parents,” she said.
Effects Of Color Contrast On Trap Efficacy
Bed Bug Supplement - Bed Bug Supplement
Is there a difference in the number of bed bugs trapped when using black or white traps? Researchers from Rutgers University put different traps to the test.
The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has resurged as a common pest in the past two decades in the U.S. and many other countries. It is one of the most difficult urban pests to control due to their small size and cryptic behavior, coupled with a lack of effective insecticides. Early detection of infestations is a key element in reducing the costs associated with the elimination of infestations and curbing the spread of bed bugs.
The use of monitors/traps for detection of bed bugs has been shown to be a very important tool in bed bug management to detect infestations and to confirm bed bug elimination (Cooper et al. 2015). Pitfall-style monitors have been proven to be highly effective for detecting bed bugs and can be enhanced by adding a chemical lure or carbon dioxide. In a community-wide survey of bed bug infestations, placing ClimbUp insect interceptors under furniture legs for two weeks detected 89 percent of the bed bug infestations, whereas residents were only aware of 41 percent of the infestations (Wang et al. 2016).
Efficacy of pitfall-style bed bug monitors is affected by the color and texture, making some monitors much more effective than others. Comparison between black and white traps, and red and white traps, revealed that bed bugs were more attracted to the black and red traps. Previous studies show interceptors with black tape were significantly more effective than those with white tape. Monitors with fabric or a similar texture are preferred over wood, metal or plastic (Singh et al. 2015).
In addition to the color of traps, the color contrast between the trap and its background can influence insect movement and subsequent orientation to the object. For example, funnel traps with a white lid on top of the black funnel were significantly more attractive to gravid females of yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) compared to the same trap with a black lid on the black trap (Prokopy and Owens 1983). The effect of contrasting colors on trap effectiveness with bed bugs is unknown. We examined how trap catch is influenced by the contrast between the color of the trap and trap exterior wall, and between the color of the trap and background color. Information from this study will help in designing more effective bed bug detection tools in the future.
EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. All experiments were conducted in a 9-square- meter walk-in chamber at 30 ± 2°C and a photoperiod of 12:12 hours (light: dark). A fan (13 cm diameter) was placed in the center of the chamber. A red light was placed at center of the room during dark phase. Four white plastic tray arenas (55.5 by 43.5 by 7.5 cm) were lined with black fabric (two arenas) or white fabric (two arenas) (see Figure 1). The interior vertical surface of the arenas was coated with a light layer of fluoropolymer resin (BioQuip products, Rancho Dominguez, Calif.) to prevent bed bugs from escaping. Two red harborages were placed along the sides of each arena. Prior to being used in the assay, the harborages had been used in rearing containers for immature bed bugs, thus each harborage contained numerous bed bug feces but no eggs. These paper harborages were to stimulate movement and subsequent arrestment of bed bugs wandering in the arena (Wang et al. 2017)
. Figure 1. Experimental set up evaluating the effect of color contrast on trap effectiveness. A: Black trap vs. white trap with black tape in a white arena. B: Black trap vs. white trap with black tape in a black arena.
ClimbUp Insect Interceptors (15 cm diameter), hereafter referred to as traps, were used to evaluate trap efficacy. Traps with three color schemes were tested: black traps with black tape (BB), black traps with white tape (BW), and white traps with black tape (WB). We did not include white traps with white tape because it was less preferred when compared with white traps with black tape in a prior study (Singh et al. 2015). The black color of the BB and BW traps was achieved by applying Fiebing’s leather dye to either the trap surface and cloth tape around the exterior perimeter (BB) or to the cloth tape around the exterior perimeter (BW).
Two traps of different color patterns were placed in each arena. Among the three-color schemes, there were three possible paired comparisons: BB versus WB, BB versus BW, and BW versus WB. Each pair was tested both in white and black arenas.
EXPERIMENTS. Experiment 1 was a comparison of traps with different color combinations.
BB vs. WB traps. In each arena, BB and WB traps were placed on opposite corners of the arena. In the center of each trap, a lure was placed. The lure consisted of nonanal, L-lactic acid, 1-octen-3-ol and spearmint oil (Singh et al. 2015). A total of 200 µl lure was pipetted onto a piece of cotton in each 1.7 ml centrifuge vial and was sealed with a lid which had a 1.5 mm diameter opening. Approximately 400 bed bugs, consisting of nymphal stages and adults (males and females), along with their harborages, were placed at the center of each arena and confined with a plastic ring (13.3 cm diameter and 3.4 cm height) approximately 16 hours prior to the experiment started. The bed bugs were last fed one to two weeks prior to the experiment. The confinement ring was removed approximately two hours into the dark photophase. Trap catch (bed bugs found in the inner and outer trap wells) was recorded after six to seven hours. Two black arenas and two white arenas were used on each day. They were placed at four corners of the walk-in chamber. This experiment was repeated four times over four days, yielding eight replications for each type of arena. The arenas were rotated in a clockwise fashion each day to eliminate any potential location effect on the mean trap catch.
BW vs. WB traps. In each arena, a BW and WB trap were placed on opposite corners of the arena. The procedures and experimental conditions were the same as those in the last experiment. The bed bugs in inner and outer well of the traps were recorded at the end of the experiment.
BB vs. BW traps. In each arena, BB and BW trap were placed on opposite corners of the arena. The procedures and experimental conditions were the same as those in the other two experiments. Bed bugs in the inner and outer well of the traps were recorded at the end of the experiment.
Experiment 2 was an escape test experiment designed to evaluate if there are any differences among the traps in their ability to retain trapped bed bugs. The results would allow us to determine whether any observed differences in trap catch were indeed due to differences in color scheme rather than the differences in the traps’ ability to retain trapped bed bugs. We hypothesized that a very low percentage of trapped bed bugs could enter the inner well of the traps or escape from the traps. The procedures/conditions were the same as experiment 1. Each trap was placed on an inverted dog bowl (600 ml volume, 18 cm diameter, 6.4 cm depth) (see Figure 2 on). Five sets of traps were prepared, yielding five replicates. The inside surfaces of the dog bowls were coated with a light layer of talcum powder to make the traps slippery and prevent trapped bed bugs from escaping. For each trap, 40 bed bugs (20 small nymphs, 10 large nymphs and 10 adults) were placed into the outer well. If bed bugs escaped from a trap, they would be found in the dog bowl. After six to seven hours, the number of bed bugs in the inner well, the outer well and outside of the trap were recorded.
Figure 2. Experimental set up for testing the ability of bed bugs escaping from the traps.
RESULTS/DISCUSSION. Following are results and discussion of the experiments.
BB vs. WB traps. In this experiment, the median number of bed bugs caught in the two traps in each arena was 41.5 (range: 15-116). In each arena, the proportion of bed bugs caught in BB trap was significantly higher than that in the WB trap (see Figure 3). The mean difference in the proportion of bed bugs caught between BB and WB traps in the black arena and white arena was not significantly different. Therefore, regardless of the color of the background, black traps are more effective than white traps with black tape.
BW vs. WB traps. In this experiment, the median number of bed bugs caught in the two traps in each arena was 124 (range: 42-182). In each arena, the proportion of bed bugs caught in BW was higher than that in the WB in black arenas (see Figure 4). The mean difference in the proportion of bed bugs between BW and WB traps in black arena and white arena was not significantly different.
BB vs. BW traps. In this experiment, the median number of bed bugs caught in the two traps in each arena was 52.5 (range: 15-144). In each arena, the proportion of bed bugs caught in the BB and BW traps was similar in both arenas (see Figure 5 on ). Therefore, for black traps, the color of the tape placed on exterior wall does not affect the trap efficacy.
The escape test. At seven hours after releasing bed bugs, the mean percentage of bed bugs that escaped from BB, BW and WB traps into dog bowls was 9 ± 1, 4 ± 2, and 3 ± 1%, respectively (see Figure 6). There were significant differences in the traps’ ability of retaining trapped bed bugs. Significantly more bed bugs escaped from BB traps than from WB traps. Among the total of 30 bed bugs that escaped, 87 percent of them were adult males. Adults were more likely to escape than nymphs. Bed bugs also went to the inner well of the traps. The mean percentage of bed bugs that moved from the outer well to the inner well was not significantly different. Among the total of 34 bed bugs moving into the inner well, 79 percent of them were adult males. Adults were more likely to move into inner well than nymphs.
Previous studies have shown interceptors to be more effective than trained bed bug sniffing dogs or visual inspection (Wang et al. 2010, Bennett et al. 2016) for detecting bed bugs present in low numbers. Better monitoring tools would allow for more efficient detection of bed bugs which, in turn, enables earlier detection and more effective evaluation of the effectiveness of bed bug management programs. Previous studies also have shown that black traps are more effective than white traps. Based upon the results of our study, traps that are entirely black (BB) traps are superior to traps with an outer white surface (WB) in catching bed bugs, however color contrast between the trap and the background did not affect trap catch.
From the escape test results, more bed bugs escaped from BB traps than WB traps. This difference could be due to two reasons: 1) the black dye altered the surface texture which made it easier for bed bugs to escape or 2) bed bugs on a black substrate are more active than those on white substrates, making the escape rate higher. Since the traps were lubricated with talcum, the first factor is probably negligible. Despite its higher escape rate, BB traps caught more bed bugs than WB traps as shown in Figure 3, regardless of whether the color of the arena floor. Thus, the higher catch in BB traps compared to WB traps was due to bed bugs being attracted to the black color of the exterior wall, rather than texture difference. The finding further proves that black color is preferred by bed bugs compared to white, whereas black and white color contrast is not important.
CONCLUSION. All previous studies used white interceptors for bed bug detection and treatment evaluation. This study demonstrates that: 1) black traps are more effective than white traps and 2) color contrast does not influence the effectiveness of traps. Using the more effective black interceptors as shown in this study, greater detection or control efficacy can be achieved. Additional field studies on the effectiveness of various trap designs will be helpful to provide further evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different monitors for monitoring and controlling bed bugs.
The authors are with the Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
References
Bennett, GW.; Gondhalekar, AD.; Wang, C.; Buczkowski, G.; Gibb, TJ. Using research and education to implement practical bed bug control programs in multifamily housing. Pest Manag Sci. 2016, 72, 8-14.
Cooper, R.; Wang, C.; Singh, N. Evaluation of a model community-wide bed bug management program in affordable housing. Pest Manag Sci. 2015, 72, 45-56. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.3982
Prokopy, RJ.; Owens, ED. Visual detection of plants by herbivorous insects. Annu Rev Entomol. 1983, 28, 337-364. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.28.010183.002005
Singh, N.; Wang, C.; Cooper, R. Role of vision and mechanoreception in bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. behavior. PLoS One. 2015, 10, e0118855. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118855
Wang, C.; Saltzmann, K.; Chin, E.; Bennett, GW.; Gibb, T. Characteristics of Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), infestation and dispersal in a high-rise apartment building. J Econ Entomol. 2010, 103, 172-177.
Wang, C.; Singh, N.; Zha, C.; Cooper, R. Bed bugs: prevalence in low- income communities, resident’s reactions and implementation of a low-cost inspection protocol. J Med Entomol. 2016, 53, 639-646. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjw018
Wang D, Wang C, Singh N, Eiden AL, Cooper R, Zha C. Effect of feeding history and time elapsed from field collection on the movement behavior and response to stimulation in Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae). J Econ Entomol. 2017, 110, 1719-1727.
For Rose Pest Solutions Senior Service Technician Greg Retlewski, a pair of routine rodent bait station checks in June 2019 proved to be anything but routine.
Within the span of a week, Retlewski encountered an eastern milk snake and a blue racer snake inside rodent bait stations in residential settings in Northwest Michigan.
“In both situations, I didn’t hear anything when I approached the stations,” Retlewski recalled.
While surprised by these encounters Retlewski was able to keep his cool, although the blue racer snake encounter frayed his nerves a bit.
“Of the two snakes the blue racer is more aggressive. I have seen them chase people across parking lots,” said Retlewski.
Retlewski said he does not have the expertise and equipment to remove snakes, but in his experience once the stations are opened snakes (or other animals) will leave quickly because they lose the comfort and darkness of the bait stations.
“They were both there long enough for me to snap a few photos and then they were gone,” Retlewski said.
It’s not unusual for Retlewski to find non-rodents in rodent bait stations; he said he has found insects such as cockroaches and leopard slugs.
Greg Retlewski
Greg Retlewski found an eastern milk snake (left) and a blue racer snake (right) inside rodent bait stations in summer of 2019.
Retlewski added that he thinks that an unusually wet spring/summer in Michigan in 2019 was the reason the snakes found their way to rodent bait stations. “They were looking for a dark place to hunker down and stay dry,” he said.
The photo Retlewski took of the eastern milk snake was good enough to be included as part of the 2020 Copesan Pest Calendar. The write-up noted that “the snake pictured here is non-venomous and beneficial around strucures, as one study found that mice make up over 40% of their diet by volume; it may not, however, be beneficial to your fight or flight response.” — Brad Harbison
An Insect That Can Withstand Being Run Over by a Car?
University of CaIifornia-Irvine professor and principal investigator David Kisailus has been seeking to identify what makes the diabolical ironclad beetle so strong.
The beetle’s survival depends on two key factors: its ability to convincingly play dead and an exoskeleton that’s one of the toughest, most crush-resistant structures known to exist in the biological world. In a paper published in October in Nature, researchers from UCI and other institutions revealed the material components — and their nano- and microscale blueprints — that make the organism so indestructible, while also demonstrating how engineers can benefit from these designs.
Lead author Jesus Rivera, a graduate student in Kisailus’ lab, collected the beetles from sites around the Inland Empire campus and brought them back to Kisailus’ lab to perform compression tests, comparing the results to those of other species native to Southern California. They found that the diabolical ironclad beetle can withstand a force of about 39,000 times its body weight. A 200-pound man would have to endure the crushing weight of 7.8 million pounds to equal this feat.
Source: University of California, Irvine
Diabolical ironclad beetle.
Ironclad beetle: Jesus Rivera
Technician of the Year Awards Finalists
Technician of the Year Awards Supplement - Technician of the Year Awards Supplement
The following service professionals were named as finalists in this year’s Technician of the Year Awards program.
Daniel Frangione, Northwest Exterminating, Marietta, Ga.
Dave Biddle, McCall Service, Trenton, Fla.
Thabiso (Julian) Nkosi, Alternative Pest Solutions, Marshall, Wis.
Viral Desai, Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta, Ga.
Joseph Slupski, Orkin (dba, All-Bama, Inc.), Dothan, Ala.
Vinny Biondo, Lake Norman Pest Control, Mooresville, N.C.
Mike Ballard, Rottler Pest Solutions, St.Louis, Mo.
COMMERCIAL
Eric Biester, Northwest Exterminating, Marietta, Ga.
Obed Vasquez, Versacor, Southlake, Texas
Jeff Lewis, Pinnacle Solutions, Shawnee, Kan.
Scott Lovelace, Rentokil, Clover, S.C.
Bernard Amanze, Orkin, Naperville, Ill.
Mark Constantineau, Elite Pest Solutions, Salem, Mass.
TERMITE
Brian Dockery, Northwest Exterminating, Marietta, Ga.
Branko Drakulic, Hughes Exterminating, Dunedin, Fla.
Allen Roy, Arrow Exterminators, Houston, Texas
Eddie Sermiento, HALO Home Services, El Monte, Calif.
JUDGES
The process for choosing this year’s winners involved a thorough review of each candidate’s credentials, including materials submitted by their respective companies. A panel of well-respected industry professionals had the difficult task of deciding the winners. PCT would like to thank our panel of judges:
Dr. Robert Corrigan, RMC Pest Management Consulting, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
Dr. Robert Davis, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions, Pflugerville, Texas
Dr. Richard Kramer, Industry Consultant, Brookeville, Md.
Dr. Fred Whitford, Purdue University Pesticide Programs, West Lafayette, Ind.
BASF Solutions Help PMPs Adapt
Technician of the Year Awards Supplement - Technician of the Year Awards Supplement
The old adage that “change is the only constant in life” is especially true when it comes to pest control. The most successful PMPs don’t simply rely on what previously worked, but instead continually refine their operations to provide their customers with innovative pest management solutions.
This ability to pivot and adapt has perhaps never been more important than in 2020, when COVID-19 drastically altered the way PMPs do business. PMPs reinvented their business models, in some cases breaking into different lines of work to generate new revenue streams.
They also changed their service protocols to meet the demands of pest control in the age of COVID-19. With many homes and businesses completely shuttered or drastically limiting access, PMPs chose — or in some cases were forced — to offer “exterior only” pest management treatments.
Helping PMPs with this shift is BASF, manufacturer of a complete portfolio of products, many of which are ideal for “exterior only” pest management programs. “Being able to use these products from the exterior without the need to enter inside the structure helped us service our customers without jeopardizing our technicians’ and customers’ health due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Mohammed El-Damir, technical and training director for Adam’s Pest Control, Medina, Minn.
Here’s a look at BASF products that are outstanding for exterior treatments, and how some PMPs are using them as part of their exterior only programs.
Broadway
FENDONA CS. Featuring an advanced encapsulation and the active ingredient alpha-cypermethrin, Fendona CS is the centerpiece of many PMPs’ exterior pest management programs. PMPs love that it holds up in extreme conditions for extended periods of time.
“The Fendona micromesh formulation really adheres to surfaces. It just lasts longer,” said Kyle Franklin, sales specialist for North Carolina and Virginia, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions.
One PMP who has observed the long-lasting performance of Fendona CS is Eric Broadway, president of Remedy Pest Control, Charlotte, N.C. “We are in an area that receives a lot of rainfall and experiences windy conditions, and Fendona CS holds up well because of the way it is [formulated],” Broadway said. “It has a long residual, provides broad coverage and seems to work very fast. Our technicians like it because they aren’t getting callbacks, so they are more productive.”
Remedy has been focused on growing its commercial business, and an important account is an auto dealership the company recently took over, Broadway said. “I felt comfortable leading with Fendona CS because of the track record we had with it and, so far, it has really met our and our client’s objective of keeping the facility pest-free.”
When COVID-19 hit and Remedy was relegated to exterior treatments, Broadway was concerned because it happened in spring when pest pressure is highest in his company’s service areas.
Fendona CS, Phantom Termiticide/Insecticide and Termidor SC are popular for exterior treatments.
“Between my technicians doing really good IPM work and using Fendona CS we were able to provide excellent perimeter treatments. We also received really good feedback from our clients during this time,” Broadway said.
PHANTOM TERMITICIDE/INSECTICIDE. Another BASF product with long-lasting residual that has become an important tool in PMPs’ exterior only programs is Phantom termiticide/insecticide.
Phantom, featuring the active ingredient chlorfenapyr, can be applied indoors and outdoors and is widely used by PMPs for the control of ants, cockroaches, house flies and other perimeter pests.
One of the reasons Phantom is a popular choice outdoors is because it is effective on both porous and non-porous surfaces. And because it is non-repellent, PMPs don’t have to worry about pests traveling from treated areas into non-treated areas.
Many innovative PMPs use Phantom as part of a combination treatment strategy, applying Phantom for initial visits, then following up with a rotation of products.
TERMIDOR SC. Featuring the active ingredient fipronil, Termidor SC is a non- repellent, non-detectable termiticide/ insecticide for the control of termites, nuisance ants and other perimeter pests. The product works using Transfer Effect technology; pests freely cross through treatment areas then become donors of the treatment when they return to the colony, resulting in complete colony elimination.
While many PMPs are familiar with Termidor SC as a termiticide, “It is used extensively for ants and a broad range of other general pests on the outside of structures,” said Travis Chambers, senior sales representative, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions.
Alpine Water Soluble Granule (WSG) gives PMPs power and flexibility to control ants, cockroaches and more.
At American Pest Management, Manhattan, Kan., Travis Aggson, the company’s executive vice president and A.C.E., said they use a lot of Termidor SC during their spring season (March, April and May). “We started using Termidor SC in conjunction with a granule bait four years ago. Immediately after the switch we noticed a difference in our ant recalls. Recalls dropped 50% in the first year.”
El-Damir said Adam’s Pest Control uses Termidor SC for ant control. “Because of its efficacy we have no or few callbacks for ants.”
ALPINE WSG. PMPs have come to appreciate the power and flexibility of Alpine WSG (Water Soluble Granule), featuring the non-repellent active ingredient dinotefuran. Its label allows PMPs the flexibility to use the product both inside and outside.
“Our original statement when we introduced Alpine WSG still stands today: It’s a product that can be used from the attic to the curb,” said Chambers.
Indoors, El-Damir likes to use Alpine WSG for tough roach infestations because of its non-repellency, which gives him confidence that roaches won’t spread to other areas. “Similarly, with indoor-nesting ants Alpine WSG’s formulation helps by leaving behind residual effects on porous surfaces, which helps dealing with springtails invading from the outdoors.” Outdoors, El-Damir likes that Alpine WSG can be used to treat walls over impervious surfaces such as concrete patios and driveways. “This is important for dealing with fall invading insects in areas where pyrethroids are restricted.”
Aggson said American Pest will use Alpine WSG to get a quick pest knockdown or when a versatile label is needed. “We love it for flies, cockroaches and bed bugs,” he said.
In addition to its effectiveness on these pests, Aggson likes the product because “the material mixes very easily, has no odor, and the mixture is clear.” He added that American Pest technicians love the fact that it leaves no residue in their compressed air sprayers or backpack sprayers.
Chambers added that a trend he has noticed among his clients — especially in 2020 — has been the use of Termidor SC and Alpine WSG in tandem. “You can treat on the structure outside with Termidor SC and you can use Alpine WSG away from the structure where needed. This type of treatment has proven to be successful in the year of COVID-19.”
LOOKING AHEAD. BASF’s extensive product portfolio has given PMPs the tools to offer innovative pest control programs. And the need for outside-the-box solutions (e.g., exterior only programs) was perhaps never more apparent than 2020. With BASF’s pest control solutions PMPs have the tools to navigate the challenges of today (operating amid COVID-19) and help them grow their businesses in an exciting future.
