Celebrate Bed Bug Awareness Week in June | Pest Management Professional

IMAGE: PPMA

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) encourages pest industry members to celebrate Bed Bug Awareness Week this June 4-10, which is recognized by Chase’s Calendar of Events.

The PPMA, which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), is observing this week by educating the public through various media relations and social media tactics on, how to inspect for bed bugs when traveling, the signs of an infestation and the importance of working with a licensed pest control professional to treat an infestation.

“As Americans enter the post-pandemic era, they’re fully returning to summer travel and many are taking big, once in a lifetime trips. However, more travel means more opportunities for bed bug encounters,” Dr. Jim Fredericks, executive director of PPMA, said in the news release. “Bed bugs can be a serious issue in the home and are absolutely not a DIY task so it is our job as an industry to ensure travelers are armed with the information they need to avoid these pests.”

During this Bug Bug Awareness Week, PPMA will devote all @PestWorld social media pages to address these persistent pests, highlighting its bed bug videos and content from PestWorld.org. PPMA is asking all pest control companies to join in this awareness initiative by focusing their social media content on bed bugs throughout the week and to use the hashtag #BBAW in all posts.

PPMA also created a Bed Bug Awareness Week toolkit which is available for download to Mainframe subscribers on PPMAMainframe.org, a digital marketing hub containing hundreds of custom, professionally designed marketing materials and assets for pest control companies to use to promote their business. The toolkit contains a customizable press release, suggested social media content, Bed Bug Awareness Week logos, high resolution photography, and video content that can be directly embedded on a company’s website.

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Treat mosquitoes with insect growth regulator | Pest Management Professional

Dr. Andrew Fisher, BCE, PHE

Retention and small landscape ponds often are overlooked as overwintering and breeding sites for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes will overwinter in their larval stage most commonly in muddy areas to increase their chances of survival and prevent freezing.

Considering this, one of the most effective treatments for mosquitoes in and near small ponds is with an insect growth regulator (IGR). Often in granular presentations, these products inhibit mosquitoes from developing further.
The best practice is to have a treatment program established before spring to prevent overwintering mosquitoes from becoming breeding adults. Depending on the environment, two to five treatments throughout the summer and into autumn can be expected. Additionally, many commercial facilities, like seed facilities, require retention ponds on-site in case of a fire. If they don’t have one already, educate your customers that a recirculating device will help prevent stagnant water and decrease the mosquitoes’ ideal breeding conditions.

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MissQuito opens first franchise location in Ohio | Pest Management Professional

MissQuito, a brand of Rollins Inc., announced the opening of its first franchise location in Cleveland, Ohio. The new location is owned and operated by Katy Mullins.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of a company that is dedicated to empowering women in the industry,” Mullins said in the news release. “I’m also excited about how focused MissQuito is on community involvement and continuing to be involved directly with our local communities.”

As a fully women-led company, MissQuito offers women opportunities to grow and be entrepreneurs in the pest control industry. In addition to empowering female entrepreneurs, MissQuito is dedicated to community involvement and giving back.

“I am very involved in my local community already and look forward to continuing to serve our communities by offering safe and effective mosquito control,” said Mullins.

Mullins is involved in the local school district. She also coaches her daughter’s sports team and is currently a volunteer for Just Run Lake County. In her free time, Mullins participates in other community-focused activities, such as clean-up days and days of service around the Cleveland area.

“It is going to be so amazing to be able to sponsor local community events, sports teams, school events, etc. These are all very important things to me, so being able to do them with my company’s name is amazing,” said Mullins.

MissQuito is committed to being involved in local communities and creating an impact through eco-conscious mosquito control solutions with flexible services created for ease.

“We’re building something new,” said Natasha Oldham, general manager of MissQuito. “As a community-focused, women-led business, not only are we creating a flexible, stress-free mosquito control experience, but also we are also empowering women to grow in the pest control industry.”

MissQuito of NE Cleveland is will serve customers in Geauga, Lake and Cuyahoga counties with free inspections to all new customers within the service area. MissQuito launched in 2020, servicing the metro Atlanta, Ga., area, and began franchising in 2023.

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EcoFusion Pest Control opens new location | Pest Management Professional

Isaiah Johnson is office manager for the new EcoFusion Pest Control location. PHOTO: ECOFUSION PEST CONTROL

EcoFusion Pest Control announced the grand opening of a new location in Wayne, N.J.

“The new location features state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated team of highly trained pest control experts,” EcoFusion Office Manager Isaiah Johnson tells Pest Management Professional (PMP). “We are excited to bring our expertise and environmentally responsible approach to pest management to the residents and businesses of Wayne.”

EcoFusion Pest Control is a provider of green pest control solutions, specializing in sustainable pest management services for residential and commercial clients.

‘With our commitment to effective pest control while minimizing environmental impact, we have expanded our reach to better serve the Wayne community and its surrounding areas,” Johnson tells PMP.

About EcoFusion Pest Control

EcoFusion Pest Control is not corporately-owned or a franchise, according to its website. The company was started in Montclair, N.J. EcoFusion Pest Control is a Black-owned, family-operated pest control company founded by Chikezie Onyianta in 2015 in Montclair, N.J., out of his parents’ garage.

Onyianta’s goal from the start, and still today, is to provide affordable pest control for people in need of pest control services. He founded the company based on his experience of working as an emergency medical technician (EMT). Per the company’s website, he “saw how bad certain people’s living conditions were, and how people could not afford proper pest control treatments. We are one of the few companies who provide free or heavily discounted pest control services to low-income families.”

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Truly Nolen promotes 2 Florida team members | Pest Management Professional

Alex Pernas

Truly Nolen Pest Control recently promoted Alex Pernas to insulation manager and Will Hopkins to Truly Insulation Plus (TIP) supervisor in Florida.

When not in the field, both of them will be based out of the company’s North Miami service office.

Pernas joined Truly Nolen in 2013 as a pest control inspector in Miami, Fla., and he eventually took on the TIP Assistant Manager position in 2014 where he helped grow the department over the next nine years. Prior to joining the company, Pernas spent a decade in the communications industry where he started as a technician and was supervising 100 employees by the time he switched careers.

Hopkins started at Truly Nolen in 2012 as a commercial service professional and spent over a decade becoming a master of challenging rodent commercial situations. Prior to joining Truly Nolen, he worked for six years as an account manager for Arizona Beverage and for three years in the uniform industry as a route specialist for G&K Services.

In their new roles, both Pernas and Hopkins will help continue to grow the company’s insulation division.

Will Hopkins

“I love the satisfaction of solving problems both internally and externally as well as continuing to grow with our company,” Pernas said in the news release. “My favorite thing about working for Truly Nolen is that we are a family and we are treated as such.”

“What I am most excited about in my new role are the fresh challenges I will be facing and having to overcome along with my team,” Hopkins said. “My favorite thing about working for our company is the amount of pride we have every day in what we do for our customers.”

“It has been a pleasure watching Alex and Will grow within our company,” said Jack Finnegan, Truly Nolen insulation division manager. “Alex has been instrumental in the growth of our TIP program as well as Ladder Safety and Branch Stewardship, and Will’s efforts and perseverance are shining examples of our Core Values and Yellow Standard. I am excited to have both of them on my team.”

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Using excitorepellents to treat mosquitoes | Pest Management Professional

Dr. Jamel Sandidge, BCE

Mosquitoes are by far one of the most difficult insects to control. Large populations, rapid reproduction, and the wide variety of species and habitat requirements are just a few of the issues we face.

One of the most important aspects of control is understanding how pesticides work to repel these disease-harboring insects. If you offer mosquito services, it’s very likely you’ve heard the question, “If you sprayed a repellent insecticide in my yard, why do we still see mosquitoes?” The answer lies in the word repellent. What the industry now generally refers to as repellent insecticides are not true repellents; they are instead classified as excitorepellents.

True repellents are chemicals that prevent insect damage to plants or animals by rendering them unattractive, unpalatable or offensive. Insects detect vapor produced by true repellents without physical contact, and it is this vapor that drives insects away from the source. An example of true repellents are essential oil pesticides. Insects detect them in the vapor phase and make oriented movements away from the source.

By contrast, excitorepellents affect insects only after their tarsi or other body parts contact treated surfaces and then accumulate enough of the pesticide residual from the surface to result in neurological disturbances and death. In other words, mosquitoes must come into the treated zone and touch plants or areas that have been treated for excitorepellents to be effective.

As a final note, when you’re performing a mosquito service, you can help protect our pollinators by remembering that weeds have flowers, too.

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Don’t let customers tamper with evidence | Pest Management Professional

Getty Images: D-Keine/E+; Suesse, zager/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Proper identification is the cornerstone of any pest control program, and nothing beats having a physical sample in hand to give you total confidence in your identification. But how many times have you shown up at a client’s house to troubleshoot an issue, only to be left empty-handed when you ask to see the pest or pest evidence?

All too often, your client’s first response to seeing pest activity is to clean and sanitize the area before you arrive. Most people associate pest issues with unsanitary conditions, so it’s entirely understandable that your clients may turn to cleaning as a coping mechanism while they wait for you to arrive. Unfortunately, this could mean discarding insects, droppings and other evidence essential to diagnosing the problem, and it could make it more difficult to diagnose the pest issue if other evidence is hard to come by.

Ask customers for help

Advising clients to save pest evidence often is an afterthought; it may only occur to you to share after you’ve arrived at a recently cleaned home. To avoid this problem, consider adding this suggestion to your service ticket notes, or even to your new service checklist when on-boarding your new clients. Include:

• Tips on how to properly collect and save samples so your clients don’t unknowingly damage the evidence when collecting.
• Guidance on taking pictures or video of evidence, in case your client is uncomfortable with the idea of handling pest evidence.

Identifying and diagnosing your client’s pest problem in fewer visits not only saves you time on callbacks, but also provides your client with faster service. Plus, it leaves you with more time in your day to serve more clients.

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SiteOne: In2Care Mosquito System | Pest Management Professional

IMAGE: SITEONE

SiteOne Landscape Supply now offers the In2Care Mosquito System, which uses the female mosquito to spread a potent larvicide to cryptic breeding sites. Thanks to the product’s exclusive autodissemination technology, mosquito larvae in and around the In2Care Station are prevented from emerging as adults. The In2Care Mosquito Station is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and registered in all states except Alaska. It uses two bioactives to effectively kill larvae and adults of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. It is made of recyclable plastic and can be used as a standalone or in combination with other mosquito control methods. Certification is required to purchase and use the product, and SiteOne provides training. SiteOne also offers refill packs for the system.

 

SiteOne.com

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NPMA announces keynotes speakers for PestWorld 2023 | Pest Management Professional

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Harris

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) announced Lieutenant Colonel Jason Harris as the keynote speaker for PestWorld 2023.

Harris is a best-selling author, expert thought leader and professional pilot. Since graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, he has flown multiple aircrafts over the course of his career, including 11 deployments with more than 2,000 combat hours and 270 combat sorties around the globe.

These high-risk combat experiences have all served as the launching point for his proprietary “No Fail Trust” methodology. His proven methodology serves organizations and teams as a tool to empower executives and team members to foster an environment of mutual trust, responsibility and productivity.

Sebastian Terry

The NPMA also announced Sebastian Terry as the opening general session keynote speaker for PestWorld 2023. Terry is a changemaker, best-selling author and thought leader.

Affected by the death of a close friend, Sebastian Terry had a moment of deep reflection and realized that he was leading a life devoid of passion. In a moment of darkness and uncertainty, he decided to pick up a pen and paper and began to create a list of 100 things that he hoped would bring him closer to a sense of happiness, if not purpose. Dropping everything in his life to pursue each of his 100 goals, Terry’s journey has been turned into a best-selling book, a reality TV show and a platform that inspires people to not only start their own list but support others along the way.

Registration for PestWorld 2023 is now available. 

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Liphatech: TakeDown II Mini Blocks | Pest Management Professional

IMAGE: LIPHATECH

Liphatech’s acute rodenticide, TakeDown II, is now available in a mini block as well as a soft bait. Featuring the fast-acting active ingredient bromethalin, TakeDown II is effective in fighting anticoagulant-resistant populations of Norway rats, roof rats and house mice, and for controlling heavy infestations, especially those in commercial settings, the company says. The 14-gram mini blocks are designed with rodent gnawing edges and a center hole for securing onto vertical or horizontal rods in bait stations. According to the label, a lethal dose may be consumed in one night’s feeding, but it may take two or more days for the first dead rodents to appear.

Liphatech.com/takedownII

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Pest Patrol owner wins mayoral race | Pest Management Professional

Weldon Hurt

Weldon Hurt, owner of Pest Patrol, was elected as the new mayor of Abilene, Texas.

Hurt beat out his opponents during the general election on May 6.

There will be no runoff election in the mayoral race because Hurt was able to secure 66 percent of the votes. Dasi Reddy received 10 percent of the votes, Ryan Goodwin received 23 percent of the votes and Chad Clark received 1 percent of the votes.

Prior to his election as mayor, Hurt also served on Abilene’s city council for almost two terms, hoping his experience with the city will help in his new role.

“I’ve learned just how the city works, how budgets work, how you procure bids, things like that. How our charter works within city government,” Hurt said during an interview on KTAB’s Big Country Politics.

“He’s well-known. He’s respected. He’s coming from a business prospective,” political expert Paul Fabrizio told KTAB. “He’s a small business owner. He’s been successful. He’s worked with the chamber of commerce. What he represents is a continuation of largely the same policies that we’ve had over the last several years. He – I view as someone that’s not going to upend the apple cart, but someone who is going to be another person that speaks for the business community of Abilene and that has been, I would argue, one of the dominant groups here in Abilene for a long, long time.”

About Pest Patrol

Pest Patrol has been serving the Abilene, Big Spring and Eastland, Texas, areas since 1992.family-owned and -operated business, the No. 1 focus is, per its website, on “providing our customers with the best pest control services available. All of our staff are professionally trained and have gone through background checks, so you can feel comfortable when our truck arrives at your home.” Pest Patrol offers both residential and commercial pest control services for general pest, termites, bed bugs and mosquitoes. The company is certified in both the PestShield and In2Care programs.

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Help customers combat mosquitoes | Pest Management Professional

Alea Pedroza, PCA

Mosquitoes are small insects commonly known for their annoying, itchy bites. While some mosquitoes are only considered nuisance pests, others transmit diseases and viruses, making them a serious public health threat. This summer, help your customers combat mosquitoes with these tips:

• Inspection: Locate all sources of standing water around the property that could serve as a breeding site for mosquitoes. Pots, tires, bird baths, gutters and dense vegetation are some of the most common areas where mosquitoes rest and breed.
• Treatment: Apply an adulticide treatment at labeled rates using a mist blower or backpack sprayer around the perimeter. Make sure your equipment is calibrated and working properly to ensure even coverage of the treated area. In addition to adulticide treatments, a mosquito trap placed in a shaded, dense vegetation area could be an effective tool to help reduce mosquito populations. Larvicides used according to label also can provide control of mosquito larvae before they become flying adults.
• Communication: It’s important to communicate expectations to your customers regarding mosquito control and treatment. With the help of your customer, breeding areas for mosquitoes can be modified or eliminated. Understand that adulticide treatments will significantly reduce populations, but they are not the only effective tool in the toolbox.

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Register for 2023 D.C. 2-Day Rodent and Vector Control Academy | Pest Management Professional

Dr. Bobby Corrigan speaking at the New York Pest Expo in 2021. PHOTO: PMP STAFF

The “2023 District of Columbia 2-Day Rodent and Vector Control Academy” will take place at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on June 14-15.

This two-day on-site event will be hosted by Dr. Bobby Corrigan, urban rodentologist at RMC Pest Management Consulting and a Pest Management Professional Hall of Famer (Class of 2008).

The academy will cover the most current rodent control principles and practices. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with relevant agency directors and representatives of D.C. Health, DC Department of Public Works (DPW), D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB) and D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). D.C. Health’s Interim Director Dr. Sharon Lewis will be providing opening remarks.

Additional speakers at the event include:

• Andrea Brubaker, vice president of business development at District Enviro Services
• Dr. Megan Wilkerson, chief of pesticides branch at D.C. Department of Energy & Environment
• Scott Mullaney, director of animal services at Unique Pest Management
• Gerard Brown, program manager of D.C. Health
• Peter Nyabagosi, chief inspection official of DOB
• Susan Burnett, associate administrator of DPW

For the full agenda, visit the the website for the 2023 District of Columbia 2-Day Rodent and Vector Control Academy. The academy is free and will be held in-person.

This event will be limited to 100 participants. In order to receive full credit, please register for both days of the conference. After you register for this event, you will receive a confirmation email of your registration. Lunch will not be provided.

Registration for the event is now available.

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PMP Industry Insiders: Pest & Lawn Industry Podcast | Pest Management Professional

PMP Industry Insiders podcast hosts Dan Gordon (also Pest Management Professional magazine’s financial columnist) and Donnie Shelton are passionate about the pest control and lawn care industries — and they’re even more passionate about helping business owners and managers maximize their revenue and profitability. Every week on the podcast, they cover what’s changing in the industry and take listeners to the front lines of what the future holds. Listen to the latest episodes, get the show notes or subscribe online today.

PMPIndustryInsider.com

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Educate yourself on what works for mosquito treatment | Pest Management Professional

Dr. Stan Cope

This mosquito season, be vigilant for the usual litany of information, advertising and social media posts on many aspects of mosquito control. Much of this is erroneous, misleading or just plain wrong — but some of your customers, potential customers, family members and others often believe false claims, and it can be next to impossible to change their minds. What’s more, they will be hesitant to purchase a mosquito service if they have been duped.

Beware of foods, vitamins, shampoos, plants, wristbands and other things that manufacturers and sales folks claim will kill or repel mosquitoes. Often, these items have no third-party data (generated by someone other than the manufacturer) showing they work.

Be diligent in educating yourself and your teams about what does and does not work in repelling or killing mosquitoes. Why? Because your customers will ask you about something they saw online, read about or heard about from their neighbors. Simply saying “I have no idea” is not a good answer.

If you are asked about a technique, device, food or other item you know does not work, a better answer is “Yes, I have heard that claim as well, but are you aware there is no scientific evidence to support it?” This will reinforce to customers that you know your stuff and can lead to the sale of a mosquito service.

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NCPMA starts PestVets chapter, members complete Premier Technician Program | Pest Management Professional

The North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) launched North Carolina PestVets, a chapter of the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) PestVets.

The chapter will focus on reaching out to and supporting veterans in North Carolina’s pest management industry, and educating veterans and military personnel about career opportunities in pest management.

PestVets was created in 2015 to engage veterans in their successful transition to a career in the pest management industry and to promote the recruitment of veterans to member companies.

“North Carolina is the most military friendly state in the country, so it made sense to have a PestVets chapter. It’s a huge state for pest management, and a lot of veterans live in North Carolina, so it’s the perfect opportunity to educate veterans on the pest management industry and alert them to jobs in pest management,” said Michael Ivey, chair of the NC PestVets Committee.

The NC PestVets officially launched at the 2023 Pest Control Technician’s School with a 50/50 raffle fundraiser designed to raise startup funds for chapter activities. Prizes were donated from various companies, and members of the NCPMA 2023 Leadership Development Academy coordinated the fundraiser.

The NC PestVets chapter plans to support national PestVets outreach opportunities while also developing outreach and support for veterans on a state level. Within North Carolina, the chapter hopes to educate veterans and military personnel about the pest control industry, and provide additional support to veterans already in the industry to help them pursue their career goals.

Information about NC PestVets can be found at https://www.ncpestmanagement.org/pestvets.

3 members complete Premier Technician Program

From left: NCPMA Board Member Thomas Cheek, of Terminix Triad; Jeff Rigsby, of Four Seasons Pest Control; Caleb McKnight, of Clint Miller Exterminating; Adam Hartsell, of City Wide Exterminating; and NCPMA Secretary/Treasurer Mike Fillion, of NC Pest Control. PHOTO: NCPMA

In other news, the NCPMA announced that three individuals completed its Premier Technician Program throughout the courses offered March 29-30.

• Adam Hartsell (City Wide Exterminating)
• Caleb McKnight (Clint Miller Exterminating)
• Jeff Rigsby (Four Seasons Pest Control)

Premier Technician is a course designed to elevate a pest management professional’s knowledge of the industry through the in-depth study of at least eight key areas including ants, bed bugs, cockroaches, flying insects, occasional invaders/stored product pests, rodents, wood-boring inspection or WDIR Accreditation, and wood-destroying organisms.

The Premier Technician program offers a continuous series of courses to help professionals develop a deeper and clear understanding of pest infestations from discovery to treatment. Individuals who complete the program must have worked in the industry for at least one year and must complete the Wood-boring beetle/Inspection course or have WDIR Accreditation through NCPMA.

In order to maintain the Premier Technician designation, professionals must continue to take at least one, eight-hour course every two years.

The Premier Technician Program is made possible through the contributions of its Strategic Founding Partners: BASF, Bell Laboratories, Corteva Agriscience, ENVU, FMC and Syngenta.

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Truly Nolen promotes Texas business manager | Pest Management Professional

Kira Griffin

Truly Nolen Pest Control promoted Kira Griffin to business manager in Texas.

When not in the field, her office will be based out of the company’s Fort Worth, Texas, service office.

Griffin joined Truly Nolen in 2013 as a customer care agent in Tucson, Ariz., and has served in multiple roles for the company both in Arizona and Texas. Prior to joining the company, she worked for a pet hotel in Tucson for three years.

“I am so excited to watch our area grow; we have offices in some of the best areas in the country and I cannot wait to be able to start expanding our reach within Texas,” Griffin said in the news release. “The ability to help develop our partners and help them create actual careers is another thing that I am extremely excited to assist with.”

“Kira’s growth within our industry, which led to her becoming our region’s trainer for customer service representatives as well as her talents she demonstrated as a Manager-In-Training over the past year made her an easy choice for her new role,” said Mark Perazzo, area manager of north, east and central Texas. “As her new position focuses on Overall Core Processes and Functionality for Texas, I know she will excel in her new role and look forward to seeing her continued development.”

About Truly Nolen

Founded in 1938, Tucson, Arizona-based Truly Nolen of America is one of the largest family-owned pest control companies in the United States. Truly Nolen has over 80 branch offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. The company also has independently owned and operated franchises in an ever-growing number of territories including Kentucky, Georgia, New Jersey, Canada, Puerto Rico and over 60 countries.

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Asian subterranean termite: Coptotermes gestroi | Pest Management Professional

A winged Asian subterranean termite alate is surrounded by three adult Asian subterranean termite soldiers. PHOTO: DR. RUDOLF SCHEFFRAHN

In 1996, a “new” subterranean termite was found in Miami, Fla. Earlier in 2023, it was discovered about 280 miles north in Tampa, Fla. While it is doubtful these termites will ever migrate out of the Sunshine State, it’s not a 100 percent safe bet.

Commonly referred to as the Asian subterranean termite — and for a short period known as C. havilandi before it reverted to its original taxonomy — this species is considered to have as much potential for damaging structures as the Formosan subterranean termite (C. formosanus). It is endemic to Southeast Asia, although the oldest report of the species dates to Brazil in 1923.

The University of Florida bulletin on the species, as written by Dr. Rudolf Scheffrahn and Pest Management Professional Hall of Famer Dr. Nan-Yao Su (Class of 2018), points out that soldiers of both species look similar, with a large opening on the forehead called the fontanelle.

According to the bulletin: “When viewed from above, both also share teardrop-shaped heads. Microscopic examination of the fine hairs on the head reveals diagnostic differences: C. gestroi soldiers have one pair of hairs near the rim of the fontanelle, while in C. formosanus, two pairs originate around the fontanelle. Additionally, the lateral profile of the top of the head just behind the fontanelle shows a weak bulge in C. gestroi that is absent in C. formosanus.”

Soldiers of both species, per the bulletin, comprise up to 15 percent of foraging groups, “aggressively bite when challenged, and exude a white mucous-like secretion from the fontanelle.”

Differences among the two species’ alate populations are more noticeable, the bulletin says:

“C. gestroi are slightly smaller than those of C. formosanus (total length with wings about 13 to 14 millimeters vs. 14 to 15 millimeters, and maximum head width of 1.4 millimeters vs. 1.5 millimeters, respectively). The head, pronotum, and dorsal abdomen of C. gestroi alates are dark brown, while those of C. formosanus are entirely a lighter yellow-brown or orange-brown. The darker pigmentation of the C. gestroi head provides a contrasting background for two light patches on the face called antennal spots. In C. formosanus, the antennal spots are barely visible, if at all. The length of wing hairs is somewhat shorter in C. gestroi than in C. formosanus.”

One way these ravenous termites might travel north sooner than later is through a hybrid subterranean species, the result of mating among C. gestroi and C. formosanus termites. Research continues at the University of Florida to see whether that is a viable (and thus volatile) option. According to a 2022 article from the University of Florida, “South Florida is one of three places on Earth (the other two being Taiwan and Hawaii) where both species exist in the same place, and the situation has led to interbreeding between the termites.”

REFERENCES

• “AskIFAS,” accessed April 4, 2023: EDIS.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN285
• “FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE,” accessed April 4, 2023: Bugs.ufl.edu/bug-pix/formosan-subterranean-termite
• Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations, Seventh Edition, available for purchase at MyPMP.net/shop

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Arrow Exterminators: Merger Opportunities | Pest Management Professional

IMAGE: ARROW EXTERMINATORS

Atlanta, Ga.-based Arrow Exterminators has grown to become the second-largest, family-owned pest control company in the United States. As a third-generation, family-owned business, Arrow respects the hard work that goes into building pest management companies and understands the value of providing a solid foundation to structure mutually beneficial agreements. Arrow strives to be a partner that’s involved at every step along the way, providing a smooth transition for your customers and your team. Whether you’re ready to sell or just exploring options, call 800-281-8978 or visit arrowexterminators.com/mergers.

ArrowExterminators.com

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J.T. Eaton at the PMP Growth Summit | Pest Management Professional

Joe Smith, pro division sales manager of J.T. Eaton, shared information about the company and its opportunities for growth.

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