The New Jersey Pest Control Association will be holding its 17th annual cockroach ras as part of association’s 66th annual Clinic on Aug. 15. This year's race will pit the Christie roach vs. the Buono roach. The event will be held in Hickman Hall on the Cook College campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
This year's Madagascar hissing roaches will be designated as a Christie Roach and a Buono Roach. The outcome might predict the outcome of the November election. In previous derbies the “John McCain” and “Mitt Romney” roaches were winners (so not an exact science!).
In 2012, more than 600 attended the full day of lectures by some of the nation’s leading authorities. This year’s seminars will address topics such as bed bugs, termites, and other problem pests so that attendees can learn about the latest scientific research on these and other topics.
“Despite their portrayal in films or on TV, the reality is that to be a licensed and certified pest control firm and its technicians, one has to acquire and update oneself on an extensive knowledge of insect and rodent pest species,” says Leonard Douglen, the executive director of the association.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection oversees the process.” Stephen Bross and Roy Meyer of the NJDEP will present updates on the Department’s regulations that maintain high standards of service throughout the State.
Some of the nation’s leading authorities will present seminars throughout the day on topics of interest to the pest management professionals. From Dr. Richard Kramer’s discussion on “the mysteries of insect growth” to a presentation by Tom Estill on “small scale fumigation” to address bed bug and other infestations, the day will provide a wealth of information.