Alan Caruba, Longtime Pest Control Industry Advocate, Dies

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — Alan Caruba, who staunchly defended the pest control industry as a PR professional for the New Jersey Pest Control Association (NJPCA) and New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA), passed away on June 15.  He was 77.

 

 

A native of Newark, N.J., Caruba was a prolific writer who was never afraid to share his conservative viewpoints. After working as a reporter and columnist for the Morris County (NJ) Record, he founded the PR firm The Caruba Organization, in 1970. Among his clients were those involved in the chemical and pest control sectors.

 

“Alan knew the industry really well, so much so that he would come up with topics for press releases, then research and write them up, and he didn’t need a lot of direction from us,” said Len Douglen, executive director of NJPMA and NYPMA. “Alan was avidly pro-pesticide and sometimes even over the top, but he was well respected.”

 

In addition to his PR work, Caruba authored several books and wrote a column, "Warning Signs," that was disseminated on many Internet news and opinion websites, as well as blogs.

 

Caruba was a founding member and charter member of the National Book Critics Circle. He also was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of Science Writers.

 

Caruba is survived by an older brother, Robert, one nephew and one niece.