On March 18-20, hundreds of pest management professionals will climb Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to meet with their members of Congress – providing opportunities to promote the pest management industry and advocate for issues important to us. Legislative Day also features a full program including keynote addresses by renowned political speakers. Register today and join us in making a difference in our industry.
The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), announces its latest research project, the Tiny Termite House, designed to show the destructive nature of termites in a controlled home environment. The group is set to dump 500,000 Formosan termites into a custom, built-to-scale, miniature dream home and capture them at work utilizing a mix of high-definition video footage and photography.
“This project is a really exciting one for our industry because we will be using sophisticated equipment to obtain never-before-seen footage of termites and glean more insight into the important roles that termite castes play in eating their way through homes,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of PPMA. “The consumer education aspect of this project is huge. Our goal is to physically demonstrate the hidden dangers that these wood-destroying insects pose to consumers’ biggest investments, and hit home the importance of regular prevention and professional inspection.”
Click here to learn more.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently updated the rule for worker exposure to respirable silica. For information regarding the rule and termite treatment drilling in the pest management industry, click here.
In light of the new rule, NPMA is reviewing potential options for conducting standardized laboratory testing of respirable silica exposure over an averaged 8-hour workday for termite technicians. This standardized data may then be used to determine the maximum amount of exposure of silica particles. The results of the study could determine whether implementation of new protocols are necessary for the pest management industry to limit exposure to silica particles exceeding the action level set by OSHA. For any questions regarding the new rule or laboratory testing of silica exposure, email Brittany Campbell at bcampbell@pestworld.org.
Q: Our company just invested in a bed bug detection dog. How do I get our canine certified? A: Scent detection canine certification testing can be performed by an organized body or an individual evaluator. When choosing who will perform the certification testing and provide the credential for your canine team, there are many factors to consider, not the least of which are the qualifications of the evaluators and the testing protocols and procedures employed. Check to make sure that the evaluator meets the qualifications set forth in the NPMA Best Management Practices for Bed Bugs (BMPs) and the certification test meets the minimum standards outlined in the BMPs. A common misconception is the idea that a canine can be individually certified. The BMPs note that only canine teams (the handler and the canine) can be certified. Without human handlers interpreting the behavioral changes in their canine counterparts, canines have little value as bed bug detectors. If multiple handlers are assigned to perform inspections with a single canine, each combination of canine and handler must be tested individually. If a single handler works with multiple canines, the same rule applies. The reason for this requirement is that each canine has unique, often subtle, behavioral cues that indicate that it has detected a target odor, so handlers need to be trained and tested for work with each canine. In the same way that the BMPs do not provide for certification of individual handlers or canines, individual companies are not able to be certified either. Email Brittany Campbell, NPMA’s staff entomologist, for answers to your most challenging questions. Include your name and company’s name to have your question potentially featured in the next ePestWorld! Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=485070&issueID=59063 to view the full article online.
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Bravo Pest Control of Durham, NC
Bug Man Pest Control of Winston Salem, NC
Buggin-Out Pest Control of Holly Ridge, NC
Diagno Pest Control, LLC of Philadelphia, PA
Harris' Pest & Termite Control of Morgan City, LA
Patriot Pest Services of Miramar Beach, FL
Strickland Pest Control of Memphis, TN
Turfco Pest Control of Cordova, TN
Waynes Environmental Services of Arrington, TN
Carpenter Ants
As a membership benefit, NPMA has developed a gallery of
pest images at My.NPMAPestWorld.org for use by NPMA members.
Have a human resources problem? Question? Crisis? Do you simply need to brainstorm a problem or a particular employee situation? NPMA members can call, email or text Seay Management Consultants to speak with one of their HR consultants free of charge regarding any employment issue that arises in your business. The comprehensive menu of services provided can be found here.
Sandy Seay and his associates are very familiar with the pest management industry, having represented and advised pest management companies for nearly 50 years. For more information about Seay Management Consultants, click here. To contact Sandy Seay, call 407-426-9484 or email sandy@seay.us.
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The Southern Conference is just around the corner! Join us February 6-7 in Memphis, TN to hear the latest research updates from industry experts, network with PMPs from your region and earn valuable recertification credits. Recertification credits have been applied for in the following states: AL, AR, GA, KY, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and VA. Register today!
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=485074&issueID=59063 to view the full article online.
Wednesday, February 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Featuring Academy Learning Lab Presenter John Barnes
REGISTER NOW
Does it sometimes seem impossible to get a handle on your life? Emails, meetings, budgeting your time…it can feel overwhelming at times.
What if you could get control of your life (at least more control)?
This webinar will provide you with specific actions that you and your company can take to bring some sanity to your work day and take control of your life. You will walk away from the session with tangible tools and ideas that you can implement immediately. Share these tools and ideas with your colleagues so that you all get better as a team when it comes to managing your email, your meetings and your time.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=485048&issueID=59063 to view the full article online.
As part of its ongoing focus to better support the pest control market across the country, Syngenta has enhanced its Professional Pest Management (PPM) team to include new marketing, sales and technical managers.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=485088&issueID=59063 to view the full article online.
Time
Areas in the United States where Zika spread locally, like Florida and Texas, experienced a spike in birth defects.
Visit http://time.com/5119151/zika-birth-defects-cdc/ to view the full article online.
Metro UK
Rats are being flooded out of the River Seine and wreaking havoc on the streets as Paris suffers its worst flooding in a century.
Visit http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/25/rats-invade-notre-dame-river-seine-floods-paris-7258889/ to view the full article online.
The Guardian
Ticks carry a wide array of pathogens – and environmental changes mean they are spreading
Visit https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2018/jan/25/forget-ebola-sars-and-zika-ticks-are-the-next-global-health-threat to view the full article online.
Science Mag
A new study shows that as temperatures have increased over the past century, the world’s biggest beetles may have been shrinking, some downsizing by as much as 20% in 45 years.
Visit http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/large-beetles-are-shrinking-thanks-climate-change to view the full article online.
New Scientist
Now buzzing and whizzing around every continent, insects were mysteriously scarce in the fossil record until 325 million years ago – when they first took flight and, according to a new study, evolutionarily took off.
Visit https://news.stanford.edu/2018/01/23/insects-took-off-evolved-wings/ to view the full article online.
