PCT and Syngenta will recognize five industry professionals at NPMA PestWorld as 2018 Crown Leadership Award winners. This is the 30-year anniversary of the awards program which was has honored more than 250 industry professionals since its inception. The 2018 winners are:

• Dave Fisher, Rentokil Steritech, Reading, Pa.
• Jerry Gahlhoff, Rollins Inc., Atlanta, Ga.
• Karl Kisner, Univar Environmental Sciences, Austin, Texas
• Dan Collins, Collins Pest Management, Evansville, Ind.
• Dr. Faith Oi, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

“It’s been 30 years since PCT and Syngenta began recognizing individuals who have contributed positively to the growth and development of the structural pest control industry, and I believe this year’s class carries on the tradition of that inaugural class, as well as subsequent classes,” said PCT Publisher Dan Moreland.

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Since 1989, the Crown Leadership Awards have been presented annually to pest management professionals, university educators, industry distributors and association officials who uphold the highest standards of industry ethics, while contributing their time and talent to a broad range of professional and civic organizations.

PCT and Syngenta will honor this year’s winners during a special ceremony to be held during NPMA PestWorld 2018 in Orlando, Fla. Also at the ceremony, PCT and Syngenta will present a “Lifetime Achievement Award” to a past Crown Leadership Award winner, as voted on by previous honorees.

If you know of a member of the pest control industry you would like to nominate for next year’s awards, email Dan Moreland at dmoreland@gie.net.

Editor’s note: With this year’s NPMA PestWorld being held in Orlando, PCT decided to profile an Orlando-based firm that is one of the pest management industry’s true success stories: Massey Services. Founded in 1985 by Harvey L. Massey, Massey Services has grown from four service centers to 154. The company services more than 600,000 residential and commercial Pest Prevention, Termite Protection, Landscape Services and Irrigation Maintenance customers throughout Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and North Carolina while employing more than 2,100 team members. The following is a look at Massey’s celebrated past and a glimpse into how the company has positioned itself for future growth under the leadership of Harvey L. Massey, chairman and CEO, and Tony Massey, president.

While much has changed at Massey Services throughout its 33-year history, the one constant has been the company’s commitment to its customers and team members. Massey is committed to “total customer satisfaction” and provides beneficial services that protect health, food, property and the quality of our environment. This customer service legacy has grown under the leadership of Harvey L. Massey, a former Orkin and Terminix executive who purchased Walker Chemical and Exterminating Company in 1985 for $4.9 million and later renamed it Massey Services.

Massey Services’ bedrock is its mission statement — to be “a leader in providing an environmentally responsible and superior service and to be recognized as the best service company in our industry” — which was developed in 1991 by Harvey Massey. With this goal in mind, the company has remained focused on customer satisfaction and innovation with the services it provides and how they are delivered to customers. Valuing image, truth and integrity are core elements of their guiding philosophy. They conduct business with a corporate perspective while remaining flexible in order to take advantage of new opportunities that present themselves.

A well-known Massey Services phrase is “At Massey Services, Our People Make the Difference!” The focus at Massey Services has always been, and continues to be, centered on ongoing team member training, education and development.

PARADIGM SHIFT. Key to Massey Services’ success has been the company’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. As a leader in innovation, Massey Services is continually researching and testing better ways to provide effective services to customers, while at the same time protecting the environment. With that in mind, Massey has developed several innovative programs during the last 33 years. Here’s a look at a few:

Money-Back Guarantee. In the early 1990s, Harvey Massey took an unprecedented step and launched one of the industry’s first money-back guarantees. He reasoned, “If you tell someone you’re going to do something, you ought to do it and if you don’t do it to their complete satisfaction, they deserve their money back.” This commitment remains a cornerstone of the company’s guiding philosophy.

Pest Prevention. In 1990, Massey Services changed service and training protocols creating a shift from traditional pest control, which relies on the application of pesticides whether needed or not, to control or eliminate pests, to pest prevention. Pest Prevention is a customized environmental management program that eliminates the conditions, avenues and sources of pest infestation from in and around a structure.

Irrigation Maintenance Program. Massey Services provides environmentally beneficial landscape services that enhance the beauty of nature while improving the quality of the environment. Massey Services understands the importance of proper watering for landscape health while simultaneously protecting our precious water supply. Consequently, in 2006, Massey Services introduced an Irrigation Maintenance Program. Unfortunately, all too often, most of the water used to irrigate landscapes is wasted through inefficient landscape irrigation systems. Massey’s irrigation maintenance program helps customers water correctly which helps conserve water by reducing or eliminating waste. After all, a properly maintained and irrigated landscape is beneficial to our environment.

Bed Bug Heat Remediation. In 2007, Massey Services launched a bed bug heat remediation program. At the time, Massey was searching for a better way to eliminate bed bugs. So, Massey developed its own patented process that involves heating ambient air in a given space at temperatures lethal to arthropod pests, including bed bugs. Maintaining these temperatures for a set amount of time allows the heat energy to penetrate locations where bed bugs reside, many of which are typically inaccessible by traditional treatment methods. The benefits of this program include faster turnaround time and the elimination of bed bugs at all stages of life, from egg to adult.

Growth by M&A. Massey Services has grown not only organically, but via acquisitions as well. In December 2009, Massey Services made the largest acquisition in its history with the purchase of Sunair Services, parent company of Middleton Lawn & Pest Control. Middleton had been a prominent company in the state of Florida since 1952 with headquarters in Orlando, Fla. With this acquisition, Massey Services was propelled to 5th on the PCT Top 100 List, with estimated revenues of $130 million. Massey Services has continued to grow both organically and through acquisitions since that time. Today, Massey Services is the largest family-owned pest management company in the industry.

Harvey Massey also acquired Orlando- based public relations firm Persons & Brinati, in 1997. In 2016 they renamed the agency to Moxe, which is a full-service marketing and advertising company.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. Another example of Massey Services’ industry leadership is its commitment to environmental responsibility and stewardship. For example, Massey Services provides a termite treatment that saves millions of gallons of precious water resources annually. Environmentally responsible initiatives such as this have led to Massey Services being named a Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Champion by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

LOOKING AHEAD. Massey Services continues to innovate. In addition to Massey’s lake-friendly landscape approach, they have also proactively changed landscape protocol during summer months to comply with fertilizer ordinances in every market regardless of county regulation.

In February 2018, Massey announced an official partnership between BRIDG, an organization that unites ideas with industry to accelerate the manufacturing development of emerging technologies and spark tomorrow’s innovation. The partnership will provide Massey Services with the ability and opportunity to co-develop products utilizing BRIDG’s state-of-the-art microelectronics facility. It will continue to provide Massey Services the opportunity to leverage cutting-edge sensor technology that will benefit its customers and businesses. The company has been heavily involved with BRIDG since the beginning stages of its inception.

Perhaps the greatest testament to Massey Services’ commitment to customers and team members is the fact the company has experienced 33 consecutive years of profitable growth — and by all accounts — Massey Services shows no signs of slowing down.

The author is senior marketing and PR strategist for Moxe.

Growing up, Mark Govan never felt a calling to pest control. In the early 1980s, Govan worked at Ford Motor Company in Detroit, at the Rouge Stamping Plant. Unfortunately, the automobile industry had been declining since the 1950s, and after five years of employment, Govan was laid off. With no other Michigan jobs in sight, Govan made plans to move to Florida, where his parents and sister lived.

Working in the office of ACE Professional Pest Control, Clearwater, Fla., Govan’s sister knew her brother needed a job and told Govan that ACE had a few openings for route technicians. One phone call to the owner of the company and Govan was offered the job of lawn technician. He accepted the offer, sold his mobile home and moved to Florida to start what would become a long and successful career in the pest control industry.

PAVING HIS OWN WAY. As a lawn technician, Govan sprayed lawns for pests and occasionally performed ornamental tree and shrub services. He not only learned about pest control but also discovered a passion for ornamental work. “About a year and a half into my service at ACE Professional Pest Control, the company brought in a trainer (Gil Whitton) and started a program to aid in the development of employees to help us identify the names of the weeds, grasses and the plants we were treating,” said Govan.

During this time, the position of general manager opened up, and Govan was ready to advance at ACE. He needed to pass the state examination and finish three years of employment with ACE before he could become eligible for the position. Unfortunately, a fellow co-worker taking the state exam at the same time as Govan had already completed his three years of employment and was offered the job.

From there, Govan took matters into his own hands. “I never wanted to start my own business,” Govan said. He wanted to advance in the pest control industry, however, so in 1985 Govan founded ABC Pest Control based in Tampa, Fla.

“Starting ABC Pest Control is just like starting any other business. I had to figure out what I wanted my new company to be and what my new company would look like,” said Govan. This meant considering everything from type of legal entity, to securing customers, to the naming of his company. “My wife and I came up with ABC Professional Pest Control, Inc., but decided to trim that down to ABC Pest Control, Inc.,” said Govan. His wife and her sister then came up with the company’s first logo using wooden alphabet blocks. That same concept/logo is used today but it has been modernized a bit. While this may seem simple enough, the naming of his company was strategic. “I knew I was going to be in the telephone book, and I wanted to be in front of the company I was working for when I started in the industry — ACE. This allowed me to be one of the first listings in the phone book when people looked for a service company,” said Govan.

ABC PRESIDENT. While he no longer runs the day-to-day operations of the company, Govan constantly works to ensure the future success of ABC Pest Control. “As president, I am here to guide and train my managers to be better professionals,” Govan said. “I still have an active hand in training and long-term planning.”

As president, Govan has faced numerous challenges, including the usual decisions that any mid-sized pest control company would face — insurance requirements, regulations, hiring new employees and deciding what type of services ABC should offer. “We also have had many challenges in keeping up with technology and instituting this technology throughout the company,” Govan added. “Not all challenges have been resolved; we are still working on trying to lower health insurance costs for our employees, and we are looking forward to the industry banding together to garner better purchasing opportunities through large group rates.”

Despite challenges, the company has grown. “Hosting the ‘Florida Gardening’ program has really helped ABC grow by association to me,” said Govan. “Because so many people associate the program with my company — I have been hosting this program for 24 years — the radio program has been a lightning rod for new customers.”

Govan said the key to his success in the pest control industry is persistence and commitment to the customer. “Establishing a service company takes years,” said Govan. “I believe the combination of training my employees and putting my customers first has contributed greatly to the success I have had in the pest management business.”

Govan added that along with continual support and motivation from his wife, his visibility in the community and on the radio helped his company to succeed.

PESTS AND PLANTS. While building his business, Govan never forgot his discovered passion for gardening. In fact, ornamental work remains a staple of ABC Pest Control’s offerings. In 1987, Govan hired Whitton, his former trainer at ACE and an expert in nematology and ornamental plant and turf identification. Whitton has received numerous awards from the Florida Pest Management Association and hosted his own radio and television talk show centered around plant identification and gardening. Govan wanted to share Whitton’s expertise with his technicians. “He trained our staff for two hours a week, every week,” Govan said. From Whitton, ABC technicians learned taxonomy, plant identification, how to propagate plants and weeds, and even took field trips. “Many of our advanced technicians could recite the Latin species and genus name of up to 25 common landscape plants,” Govan said. “Some of us, including myself, excelled at this.”

The focus on ornamental led to the construction of mist beds for propagation on the ABC Pest Control business property. In July 1994, this morphed into the opening of ABC Tropical Plant Nursery. The nursery was used to sell off plants that ABC Pest Control had propagated and gave Govan access to the nursery industry. Soon after, ABC Pest Control outgrew its location and moved just up the street to two-and-a-half acres of much-needed land. Govan wanted a new area that could accommodate both the growing pest control and nursery operations and include a 30-by-80-foot greenhouse.

ON THE AIR. As Govan’s love of gardening grew and expanded into his business, opportunities arose for Govan to share his passion and knowledge through broadcasting. In 1995, he was invited to join Whitton on his TV program called “Gil’s Garden.” The show, a call-in gardening program, took place in a live studio for one hour every week.

“Eventually, I was asked to co-host this program, and I helped the program by bringing in live samples of pests feeding on plants and turf problems we would discuss on-air,” Govan said. “I co-hosted the program for three years until the station was bought out by a regional cable company.” When this happened, Whitton asked Govan to join him on his radio program, “Florida Gardening,” which aired every Sunday morning from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Whitton and Govan co-hosted “Florida Gardening” until Whitton retired from the program in 2003 and later passed away in October 2005. Govan then became sole host of “Florida Gardening.”

“My radio show is caller-driven, and even though I may want to lead the program with my opening monologue, the caller is the one that decides what they want me to talk about,” Govan said.

He added that Florida residents frequently discuss ornamental matters, such as palm trees, fertilization, turf care, vegetable gardening, propagation of plants and trees, and caring for fruit trees. However, Govan also sees his radio show as an opportunity for listeners to learn from local and national pest control and ornamental experts.

Because discussions can be so broad, Govan likes to stay updated on current pest control and ornamental topics. “The diversity of questions asked on-air and those asked by my customers over the years have become a motivation for me to learn as much as I can to help train my employees and better assist my radio listeners,” Govan said. “In fact, I believe my customers demand this of me. This motivation has helped to keep me focused on not only the pest control industry, but also the landscape management, nursery growers, and vegetable gardening industry.” Govan also brings in local members of plant societies and garden clubs as guests.

During this time, Govan obtained certifications as a Florida Certified Horticultural Professional and an arborist. ABC Pest Control also expanded its portfolio by joining the Florida Turfgrass Association, the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Maintenance Association, and the International Society of Arborists, as well as the Florida Pest Management Association (FPMA) and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). “All of these associations helped me learn more about the industry I was in and pushed me to learn even more about the plants and pests we service every day and love to talk about,” Govan said.

ORNAMENTAL BENEFITS. With more than 33 years in the pest control industry, Govan has seen other pest control companies reluctant to add turf or ornamental care because of the costs associated with these services. “Why would someone want to spend $70,000 on a lawn and ornamental truck when they can outfit a pest control pick-up for $20,000?” Govan asked. “Plus, so much can go wrong when you are taking care of turf and ornamentals that you do not have control of.”

The answer to this, Govan said, is that you must love what you do and be passionate about the businesses you oversee. “You will never find anything more stress relieving than being able to walk out of your pest control business and go work in the nursery for a few hours and smell the wonderfully fragrant plumerias,” Govan said. “Even my pest control managers have found that having the nursery is fun and great for the employees to see. This last month we have been supplying our service crew with all the zucchini squash and crookneck squash along with tomatoes and peppers right from our own garden on the property.”

The author can be contacted at ksondereker@gie.net.

DANIEL D. DYE II

Florida often comes to mind when one thinks about a vacation destination. Whether you’re taking the kids to that “magical kingdom” or it’s off to one of the many beaches on its 1,350 miles of coastline, Florida is, and probably forever will be, America’s vacation hot spot. It also is very well known for its abundance of bugs, but that’s not really advertised much as you’re heading down the Turnpike reading the endless line of billboards.

Florida is truly unique from the rest of the continental United States in that it is the only state that has both sub-tropical and tropical regions. Tropical regions are often said to have only two seasons: wet and dry. However, most of the state’s climate is fairly temperate because no location is all that far from a large body of water. Although it happens from time to time, temperatures rarely exceed 100^°F; freezing temperatures do occur in the northern and middle portions of the state, but for only a few days, at most.

High humidity also is a constant, and with the air continually filled with moisture, conditions are usually optimal for feeding, breeding and population growth among Florida critters. This climate doesn’t do much to naturally slow down bug populations. Without that fluffy white stuff falling from the skies and the frigid cold that comes with it, pest management professionals typically are in full swing year round.

DANIEL D. DYE II

Another feature of Florida weather that puts a serious damper on pest control service is daily precipitation during summer months. Sea breezes from the Gulf and the Atlantic build up and collide somewhere in the middle of the state, usually in the afternoon, making the chances for thunderstorms likely. This plays havoc with a tight service schedule; worse yet, heavy downpours can diminish the benefit of recent applications. Applications in progress must be postponed at the onset of rain to abide by pesticide labels.

It’s a tough state not only because of the seven straight months of stifling heat, predictable rain and constant humidity, but because the challenges of tackling a wide variety of pests can at times be overwhelming. Peridomestic bugs thrive in Florida and make their way inside. Earwigs (order Dermaptera), many species of ants, and the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, to name just a few, find their way inside structures with relative ease. What seems like an impenetrable fortress to many homeowners is really just a temporary obstacle to the constant exploratory and foraging behavior of Florida arthropods.

DANIEL D. DYE II

To better serve customers, the trend of the Florida operator has moved strongly to exclusion techniques (“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” to quote Ben Franklin). In many technicians’ tool kits one is likely to find a tube of caulk to seal a crack, a pair of snippers for unruly plants that provide a bridge, or the simple tried- and-true metal mesh to help plug up, block, or eliminate entry points that these multi-legged invaders find and exploit. Smart techs employ a proven strategy of baits or residual dusts to cracks, crevices, or voids and entryways, looking to minimize their impact, yet having the most positive results.

Training, support and cooperation seem to be on the rise. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) — which is in charge of enforcement in Florida — has NEVER missed an opportunity to send an inspector to a training (CEU-issuing) opportunity whenever invited, and the University of Florida all but bends over backwards to teach and share. This relationship, and other factors, give the Florida professional applicator every opportunity to provide the most professional and effective service possible.

LAWN & ORNAMENTAL PESTS. As previously mentioned, Florida is no stranger to rainfall. In fact, this state receives more than 50 inches annually. Not only does this rain create indoor pest issues, it opens up a whole new world for lawn and ornamental pests, as well. One such pest is the tropical sod webworm (Herpetogramma phaeopteralis, Fig. 1). This tiny caterpillar can wreak havoc on Florida lawns seemingly overnight, once it has reached the fifth and sixth instar. Their feeding causes the turf to turn brownish in color and often gives the infested area a scalped appearance. They are primarily night feeders, inactive during the day hiding below the thatch.

Another often-encountered creature, when conditions are favorable, are millipedes. There are two species of flat-backed millipedes (order Polydesmida) that migrate in extremely high numbers: These are the greenhouse millipede (Oxidus gracilis) and the cyanide millipede (Asiomorpha coarctata, Fig. 2). It’s interesting to read in Walter Ebeling’s Urban Entomology that some migrations were very large. In one case, it became necessary to apply sand on slippery railroad tracks for traction of locomotive drive wheels due to the squished millipedes. In 1919, a millipede migration caused cattle to stop grazing because of the high numbers on the pastures. Large quantities of drowned millipedes were found in wells, rendering the water unsuitable for drinking for a time. Field workers became sick while hoeing a cornfield because the millipede population was so high the odor from the crushed millipedes overwhelmed them. Ebeling goes on describing several other occurrences in his publication. In Florida, these inch-long troublemakers are often found crawling over lawns, sidewalks and even get into buildings by the thousands.

Left: Daniel D. Dye II, Right: Gerald Wegner

One invasive species, the yellow-banded millipede (Anadenobolus monilicornis, Fig. 3), is known to exist in numbers high enough to cause South Florida homeowners grief. Although, this millipede is an introduced species, its population has grown quite large in recent years. They crawl over lawns, patios, sidewalks, houses and other structures. Monkeys in a Miami zoo have been seen rubbing these millipedes on their fur to help repel mosquitoes and other insects. The monkeys also use them to get a little high. Researchers are still not sure as to how far north these may spread into Florida.

SPIDERS. Florida is home to four species of widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.) — the infamous southern black widow (L. mactans), the regionally common brown widow (L.geometricus), the sporadically-encountered northern widow (L. variolus), and the rarely-encountered red widow (L. bishopi). Despite the relative abundance of widow spiders in Florida, verified human encounters resulting in bites with serious consequences are uncommon. An accelerated northerly and westerly expansion in the distribution of the brown widow into nearby states has been attributed to the winds associated with recent hurricanes (e.g., Katrina) that passed over Florida from the southeast, apparently carrying certain fauna with them.

Gerald Wegner

One spider getting more attention in Florida is the non-native colonial tentweb orbweaver (Cyrtophora citricola, Fig. 4). Individuals of this species construct and maintain their own webs within a colony of interconnecting webs of neighboring conspecific spiders. The interconnected web mass can get rather large…a sight to behold! In one publicized instance, an old truck in the Tampa area was completely engulfed by the webbing.

ANTS, ANTS & MORE ANTS. Florida has its share of ants. They are considered the number one pest by many Florida pest management professionals. To add to the existing problem of controlling native ants, there are introduced species which some entomologists consider to be “supercolony” ants.

Top: Gerald Wegner. Bottom: Dale Richter

They include the:

• African big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala)
• Argentine ant (Linepithema humile)
• Difficult (white-footed) ant (Technomyrmex difficilis)
• Tawny crazy ant (Nylanderia fulva)

Similarly, a native species known as the black pyramid ant (Dorymyrmex medeis, Fig. 5) has demonstrated the ability to form supercolonies on occasion. In certain documented Florida locations, these ants have been present in such high numbers, that it was nearly impossible to control them.

A MOSQUITO HAVEN. According to the University of Florida, our state is blessed with 80 known species of mosquitoes, 33 of them being a nuisance to us and other critters. The following list of species are known to transmit disease-causing pathogens, such as yellow fever, dengue, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus and the Zika virus, and most recently, the Keystone virus:

• Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
• Eastern treehole mosquito (Aedes triseriatus)
• Florida SLE mosquito (Culex nigripalpus)
• Southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus)
• Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
Aedes atlanticus

Florida also has the largest mosquito in the Southeast known as the Gallinipper, Psorophora ciliata. She is quite capable of delivering a painful bite right through clothing.

STINGING INSECTS. The predominant species of yellowjacket in Florida is the southern yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa. Because of Florida’s mild winters, nests of this species can continue to increase in colony size and volume perennially. Occasionally V. squamosa nests are reported and treated that contain hundreds of thousands of developmental cells and individuals, as well as multiple queens (polygynous, Fig. 6).

GERALD WEGNER

Like other areas of the United States, South and South Central Florida have seen an increase in Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellata), since they were first discovered at the Port of Tampa in 2002. They have been recorded in every county from Orange County southward. It is likely that AHB colonies exist in other Florida counties, as well.

HOW ABOUT WDOs? Florida has a reputation for termite diversity. It is known for its populations of native and introduced subterranean termites (Reticulitermes spp., Coptotermes spp., Prorhinotermes sp., Heterotermes sp., Amitermes sp.), dampwood termites (Neotermes spp.), and drywood termites (Incisitermes spp., Cryptotermes spp., Calcaritermes sp., and Kalotermes sp.).

Of particular interest is Florida’s very heathy population of the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus), which continues to expand its distribution throughout the state. To add insult to injury, a close relative, the introduced Asian subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi) is making moves in Southeast Florida. Also, in May 2001 the arboreal-nesting conehead termite, Nasutitermes costalis (Fig. 7), was discovered in Dania Beach, also located in Southeast Florida. A related conehead termite, Nasutitermes corniger, found its way into South Florida some years later. Estimated costs of potential structural damage by these two species, should colony monitoring and destruction fail over the next decade, peak at about $9 million. It all comes down to more challenges for Florida professional applicators.

Daniel D. Dye II

A wood-destroying organism (WDO) that has been on Florida pest management professionals’ radar since the late 1990s is the camphor shoot borer (Xylosandrus mutilatus/Cnestus mutilatus) (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The camphor shoot borer is an invasive species from Asia. This tiny ambrosia beetle was first discovered in Mississippi in 1999. This pest is now found throughout North Central Florida as well as the Florida Panhandle. The beetles are attracted to ethyl alcohol fumes given off from gasoline storage containers, which they mistake for sweet gum and camphor trees — two of their host plants. When a host tree is damaged or stressed, it emits small amounts of ethanol, which attracts the borer… a case of mistaken identity. When camphor shoot borers land on a plastic gasoline container, they can gnaw tiny holes into it (Fig. 8) causing the container to leak. The result can be both costly and dangerous, posing both fuel contamination and fire hazards.

Also on the subject of wood-destroying organisms, pest management professionals from other states may find it curious that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) categorize carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) and carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.) as “Non-WDOs.” The introduction to chapter 5, titled “Other WDO-like Organisms,” in the Wood-Destroying Organisms Applicator Training Manual (UF/IFAS Extension publication, first edition), explains that: “A number of arthropod species found in Florida qualify as WDO-like organisms in that they are known to cause superficial damage to wood, either before trees are milled into lumber or post-construction. In most cases the damage created does not pose a significant threat to the structural integrity of the wood in question. Certain ants, bees and other insects may excavate limited cavities in wood in which to rear their young, but do not utilize wood as a food source. Often the condition of the wood, having been exposed to moisture and fungal decay, is conducive to excavation by these organisms or has already become structurally compromised.”

Gerald Wegner

In justification of this regulatory assessment, it must be said that the formidable-looking Florida carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus (Fig. 9), and a similar species, Camponotus tortuganus, often relocate their colonies into existing concealed spaces in human structures but inflict little further excavation damage. Likewise, the southern carpenter bee, Xylocopa micans (Fig. 10), prefers to excavate its brood galleries in naturally occurring soft woody stems and branches, largely avoiding structural wood elements of buildings. The more destructive eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, is not pervasive in Florida. Perhaps the Florida non-WDO stand on ants would need to be reconsidered if more aggressively damaging species like the eastern black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, and western black carpenter ant, Camponotus modoc, were widespread in the state.

Gerald Wegner

WHAT LIES AHEAD? Florida applicators seem resigned to the fact that sporadic, irresponsible or uncontrollable introduction of arthropods from the Caribbean, Central America and Southeast Asia is a certainty. One can only speculate how climate change might affect pest populations in Florida. There are reports by meteorologists that Florida has dodged its normal onslaught of hurricanes during the past few years and that more frequent hurricanes are to be expected. That being the case, perhaps more arthropods now in Florida may be carried or driven into neighboring states to the north. Whatever the future holds, there would appear to be job security for pest management professionals coast to coast.

Dye is an ACE emeritus who was training coordinator for Florida Pest Control, Gainesville, Fla. Schappert is owner of The Bug Doctor, Ocala, Fla. Wegner is a consulting entomologist and former technical director of Varment Guard, Columbus, Ohio.