Regulators Bring Important Voice to Legislative Day

The NPMA Legislative Day roundtable included Bert Putterman (speaking), George Saxton, Carl Falco and Steve Dwinell.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In addition to meeting with lawmakers, NPMA Legislative Day gave attendees an opportunity to hear from speakers representing numerous entities within the structural pest control industry.

An important session was a roundtable featuring members from the Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials (ASPCRO). ASPCRO members George Saxton, Carl Falco and Steve Dwinell updated attendees on a number of important regulatory issues and answered attendee questions.

Perhaps the most significant announcement came from Saxton, Indiana’s chief structural pest control regulatory official. Saxton said he was at a meeting recently in which a registrant announced it would be rolling out a new non-repellent termiticide targeted not only to PCOs, but to homeowners. This prospect was concerning to Saxton. “Termite control has gotten so simple that we are seeing what I call ‘Nike treatments’ where you run around the house and spray as you go," he said. "It’s gotten so easy that homeowners are going to say ‘we don’t need you anymore.’”

Saxton says he’s concerned that general pest control is moving in one direction – with more focus on inspections, re-inspections and targeted treatments – while termite work is moving away from IPM and back to a more ‘trench and drench’ approach. Saxton says the most troubling aspect is that there is an absence of label language on termite products that mandate reinspections.

Steve Dwinell of the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, agreed with Saxton’s assessment that so many easy-to-use and effective termite products have brought forth challenges. Dwinell says a hot issue in Florida right now is how to regulate direct termiticide applications to wood, such as borate products.

Carl Falco, director of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Structural Pest Control Division, says he would like to see regulators shift their focus from regulating quality of work to regulating warranties. Falco said he believes this would put PCOs “on an even playing field.”