Michigan PMP Wins PCT’s Annual Photo Contest

CLEVELAND – PCT announced that Dion DeGennaro general manager of Sergio's Pest Control, Farmington Hills, Mich., captured this year’s PCT Best Pest Photo Contest with his entry of a Japanese beetle atop a thistle.

DeGennaro took this photo in his backyard in metro Detroit with an Olympus camera with macro lens. He said he made the camera’s shutter speed quicker, which is why the background is darker.

What made this photo stand out to DeGennaro?

Dion DeGennaro

“The complementary colors of orange and green are really cool, and actually purple and green as well,” he said. “I feel like the level of detail both on the bug and the thistle really draw your eyes to it quickly. The goal was to isolate the subject, which is the beetle, and make it the focal point of the photo.”

Another reason DeGennaro submitted this photo was to raise awareness about the Japanese beetle, an invasive species. “It can cause damage to agriculture and crops,” he said. “I don’t normally deal with these in the day-to-day, but I think they are very interesting to look at.”

PCT’s judges agreed that the complementary colors made this photo standout, as well as its positioning on the thistle (where the stem met the flower head).

DeGennaro, 35, is a third-generation PMP who has been working in his family’s business, Sergio's Pest Control, since he was 16. Sergio's offers most residential (98%) pest control services to customers throughout the Detroit area. He wins $500 from PCT.

PCT will be running a slideshow of the winning photo and 10 finalist photos online and in the pages of PCT.