House Ag Committee Releases Draft of Farm Bill

WASHINGTON — On Feb. 13, House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-PA) released the draft text of the 2026 Farm Bill.

“A new farm bill is long overdue, and the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is an important step forward in providing certainty to our farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” Thompson said in a press release. “We made historic agricultural investments last summer in the Working Families Tax Cuts (H.R. 1), but there are many key policy components that remain to be addressed.” At press time, the House Committee on Agriculture was in the process of marking up the new Farm Bill.

Prior to the release of the draft text of the Farm Bill, the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) public policy team met with the offices of Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to discuss the bill, which could advance to the Senate this spring.

As momentum builds, NPMA is preparing for a significant advocacy effort to include state-level pesticide preemption language in the House version of the Farm Bill and to preserve that language through the Senate and ultimately to the President’s desk. NPMA said that despite the changing political landscape, the association remains committed to pushing for sound, consistent policy that supports the pest management industry as this legislative vehicle moves forward. — Brad Harbison

PCT Adds Rhonemus as Digital Editor

VALLEY VIEW, Ohio — The PCT Media Group is pleased to announce the addition of digital editor Patrick Rhonemus.

Patrick Rhonemus

In this role, Rhonemus will further develop PCT’s digital audience by working closely with the editorial team to write and edit digital products for PCT and Quality Assurance & Food Safety (QA) magazine, as well as construct and edit videos for both websites. He will assist in the development of posts for all of PCT and QA’s social media platforms.

Rhonemus will travel to trade shows and conferences to create digital content.

Rhonemus is a graduate of The Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, where he received his bachelor of arts in moving-image production with minors in film studies and history.

Rhonemus comes from a background of documentary filmmaking, video post-production and photography, as well as writing and editing for publications. He worked on several video projects as a part of the inaugural class of moving- image production majors at The Ohio State University’s main campus. Following graduation, Rhonemus was a freelance videographer and editor, as well as a community reporter and photographer for the Medina County (Ohio) Gazette.

“The PCT Media Group is thrilled to welcome Patrick Rhonemus to our staff. His background in producing videos and creating documentaries, not to mention his newswriting experience, is just the ‘digital first’ mindset we were looking for in a digital editor,” said Jodi Dorsch, group publisher. “We look forward to featuring his content in both PCT and Quality Assurance & Food Safety and I know he’s anxious to learn more about and report on both of these important markets.”

‘Decision Intelligence’ Unveiled at WorkWave’s Beyond Service Conference

DALLAS — WorkWave’s Beyond Service Customer Conference concluded in late January after four days of bringing together field professionals from pest control, lawn care, security and cleaning industries. The event centered on helping customers transform business data into decisive action through educational sessions, panels, boot camps and networking, WorkWave said.

WorkWave introduced Wavelytics Decision Intelligence, which it says features dynamic, prescriptive dashboards integrated into its core software. Designed for field service sectors, WorkWave said the tool offers high-level dashboards for tracking trends such as sales pipeline health and revenue retention; detailed scorecards for metrics like close rates and technician chemical usage; and real-time alerts for issues like aging leads or callback spikes. It also includes Ask WAIve, a natural language interface that enables users to query data, generate reports and receive AI-driven recommendations.

CEO Kevin Kemmerer highlighted the company’s commitment to supporting frontline workers through faster data migrations, improved support resolution and product innovations such as dynamic routing, new mobile apps for RealGreen and WinTeam, digital forms and earned wage access. Keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo encouraged attendees to embrace rapid change in an AI-driven world.

Add-On Services Help PCOs Meet Customer Needs Fast, Poll Finds

CLEVELAND — When pest control companies add new services, offerings can range from wildlife control to holiday lighting. More than half of PCOs said the top reason for expanding services is to meet customer needs quickly, according to a recent PCT reader poll.

Fifty-two percent of respondents chose meeting customer needs as the most valuable reason to add services. Twenty-two percent cited maintaining year-round cash flow, while 13% each selected staying competitive and engaging staff.

Bill Cowley, owner of Cowleys Pest Services in Farmingdale, N.J., said the most successful add-ons are closely tied to core pest control work. Wildlife control, launched by Bill’s brother, Drew, has become a major division for the company; it has grown into a $2 million operation. “You have to have a leader who champions that division every day,” he said.

Cowleys also runs Christmas Decor by Cowleys, a holiday lighting service unrelated to pest control. While profitable, Cowley said companies must ensure add-ons don’t distract from core business.

At Liberty Pest Control in Brooklyn, N.Y., co-owner Joe Temperino said they focus on the value services provide, not just new revenue. Liberty offers exclusion, remediation and environmental consulting. “You have to iterate and see what fits,” he said, adding that PCOs should weigh training, resources and overall alignment before expanding. — McKenna Christy

American Pest Supports Local Virginia Family Affected by Housefire

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — After a family in Charlottesville, Va., lost its home in a late 2025 fire, American Pest’s Charlottesville branch stepped in to help.

American Pest, an Anticimex company, regularly looks for ways to support the communities it serves, said Christine Santana, manager of the Charlottesville branch. Local radio station 99.7 contacted the branch about partnering to help a family in need during the holiday season. The station asked listeners to nominate families needing assistance and then connected local businesses with selected families.

Santana and Shawn Spradlin, service manager at the branch, worked directly with the people who nominated the family affected by the fire. Both are lifelong community members.

“The community is really our building block,” Santana told PCT. “To be able to be with American Pest, which is a fantastic support system, and give back truly meant something personally and professionally.”

The Charlottesville branch donated clothing, household items, money and other necessities, Spradlin said.

An Amazon wishlist also was created, allowing coworkers, sponsors and radio listeners to contribute and help the family rebuild. — McKenna Christy