This is the season for giving thanks. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, probably because it was the first holiday that I spent in the U.S...40 year ago! Giving thanks is a uniquely human activity, not observed in the rest of the animal kingdom. It is also one of the healthiest emotions that we can feel.

As I think about all the many things I have to be thankful, for my family, for my health....I also reflect on the state of business and the many entrepreneurs who have made this country so great. Compared to Europe, which has not created any net new jobs in the last 10 years, we who live and work in the United States of America have reason to give thanks for a government climate which (generally and comparatively speaking!) encourages individuals to create risks in starting a growing a business and provides good jobs. Also, the ability to object to new laws and regulations in an open and honest environment.

As an industry, one of the things that has always amazed me is the enthusiasm and camaraderie that is so powerful. At each of PCOC's 19 district meetings, I see evidence that a caring and helpful attitude exists between individuals who may compete with one another during the day. For this, I am truly thankful because it energizes me every time I experience it! This atmosphere is a significant indicator of what a powerful force the pest control industry is in California. It attests to the potential impact that your trade association can have on state government in protecting the pest control industry in California.

My suggestion is that we all take a few minutes of quiet time to mentally list all the things we have to be thankful for. I think you will be surprised, even during these hard economic times, that the list is quite long.

Happy Thanks....Giving!

The 2013-2014 Legislative Session of the California Legislature is in progress. Click here for PCOC's Legislative Agenda.

 COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

Bees account for one-third of the food we eat. Every fruit, vegetable or nut that forms a flower like tomatoes, squash, almonds, and blueberries require pollination. Pollinators also account for billions of dollars in the global economy.

Colony Collapse Disorder is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. For almost a decade, CCD has been in the news. However, the actual cause is still unknown. Experts say many factors affect bee health: mites, viruses, bacteria, disease, poor nutrition, bee keeping practices, cross country transportation of hives, habitat loss, genetically modified plants, lack of genetic diversity, weather, and pesticides.

Up until June of this year, most of the focus was on finding out what the causes of CCD, including agricultural use of neonicotinoids as a seed coating and for other crop treatments.

But then 25,000-50,000 bumblebees and other insects were killed in Oregon after exposure to dinotefuran, a commonly used neonicotinoid. In that case, a property maintenance contractor applied the pesticide to 55 flowering linden trees in an effort to control aphids. As a result, the state of Oregon enacted a temporary ban on the use of 18 dinotefuran-based insecticides. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) will reassess the temporary restriction after officials finish their investigation into the pesticide applications in question. The temporary ban only affects certain pesticide uses that could harm pollinators, including outdoor applications on lawns, landscape ornamentals, trees and crops. However, this incident put the spotlight on pesticide use in suburban and urban areas, bringing landscape and structural perimeter pesticide usage into the conversation.

Then in September, thousands of dead and twitching bees were found near honey bee colonies in a suburb of Minneapolis. Researchers at Minnesota's Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota's Bee Lab and Bee Squad have just reported that residues of fipronil were found in the dead bees. The state is investigating the incident and working to determine how the bees were exposed to fipronil residues.

The health of pollinators has received unprecedented attention in recent months, even garnering the cover story of the August 19 issue of Time magazine, and corresponding live Twitter chat on the subject, featuring guests from the EPA, USDA and author of The Beekeeper's Lament, Hannah Nordhaus.

In a recent cover story, Time magazine labeled the decline of bee health "the second Silent Spring." Consequently, with each passing week governments throughout the world are taking action to limit or restrict pesticide use to better protect pollinators.

A good example is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent label revisions to some neonicotinoid pesticide products that prohibit applications where bees are present. The changes apply to all products that have outdoor foliar use directions (except granulars) containing the active ingredients imidacloprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin or thiamethoxam regardless of formulation, concentration, or intended user.

The new language that will appear in the Directions for Use section on non-agricultural product labels states "Do not apply [insert name of product] while bees are foraging. Do not apply [insert name of product] to plants that are flowering. Only apply after all flower petals have fallen off." The new language will be accompanied by a bee icon to underscore the significance of the language.

A Pollinator Advisory Box will also appear on product labels. Click here to read additional information. The new labels will appear on products in early 2014. This label revision is likely the first in a series of label changes aimed at protecting bees.

NPMA staff is deeply engaged in the bee health issue and is taking a number of steps to raise awareness of the issue within the industry while also working with federal and state regulatory officials to educate them about the importance of retaining key PMP use patterns. Specific actions include:

Recommendations for Pest Control Companies

Many of the products that are applied by professional applicators have the potential to be toxic to bees when exposed to direct treatment or residues on plants in bloom, including crops, ornamental plants or weeds. Such products should not be applied when bees are visiting or expected to visit the treatment area, or if the applied product may drift outside the treatment area. By limiting the direct and potential exposure of pollinators to pesticides, pest management professionals can reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future and beneficial organisms like bees can be protected. It is very important that the applicator know the potential toxicity to bees for the products they are planning to apply. Also, the applicator should always read, understand and follow labels in their entirety, including the environmental hazard and precautionary statements, prior to product application. This information should be reinforced immediately to all service technicians.

OSHA HARZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD

U.S. Hazard Communication Standard Training on OSHA Label and SDS Updates

NPMA Online Training Now Available!

In 2012, the U.S. Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was revised to align with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Specific changes to the HCS to align U.S. chemical hazard communication with the world standards include:

• New Label requirements for (non-pesticide) chemical labels
• A change from Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
• A new, 16-section standard format for Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

OSHA has set a training deadline for being familiar with these new components by December 1, 2013. To ensure completing this requirement is easy for you and your staff, log-on to the NPMA Online Learning Center and take the HCS Training Course. This interactive module will provide learners with the updated information about Revised Hazard Communication Standard training required by OSHA to be completed by the December deadline. The course will take approximately 30 minutes to complete, plus additional time to finish the quiz. In the course you will learn about:

• Why the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was updated
• What changed because of the update, including the global harmonization of chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets
• How changes to chemical labels and SDS will impact pest management professionals

PEST ED 2014

Before you know it, June will arrive, and licensees will be scrambling to get the rest of their continuing education hours. Frantic technicians will bombard their employers about getting hours to renew their licenses. Why wait until June?

Pest Ed is here.

PCOC's annual Pest Ed is Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 in Montebello for Southern California and Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 in Sacramento for Northern California. We have also moved the Sacramento event to a new and better location. There will be one morning session and three afternoon breakout sessions covering rules and regulations, Branch 2, and Branch 1&3. We have also applied for DPR hours.

We will have exciting talks about the current plight of bees, stored food pests, burrowing rodents, respirator programs, preparing new hires and more. Don't miss this great opportunity. We will soon be posting on our website, under Upcoming Events, a link to the brochure. We also plan to mail out copies.

Click here for the registration form.

This is one in a series that will periodically appear in PCOC Newsbriefs. We will discuss some topics that affect all of us some of the time and some of us virtually all of the time.

We are faced with difficult business decisions every single day. Sometimes we are placed in a compromising situation where we know what the right thing to do is but we sometimes steer off course because it's the right thing to do from a financial standpoint. We rationalize and justify our action, because let's face it, one of the first items we're taught is to be a smart business person while maximizing profits. Unfortunately a small number of companies have the "profits above all else" mentality, which sometimes puts them in a quandary.

One of the issues that we've got word about, is the solicitation of employees at PCOC functions. We can periodically remind our members at our local monthly district meetings and outside PCOC functions that it's not cool to directly solicit other companies' employees.

It's a challenge we all face, finding and maintaining that quality individual for our company. We spend time and money training them to be what we want them to be. We groom him or her to aspire to attain the highest level of customer satisfaction.

After all, isn't that what we all want for our business, "the highest customer satisfaction levels from each and everyone of our clients?"

I know Martyn recently covered this topic in last quarter's magazine, but it's worth mentioning again, Here is the PCOC "Code of Ethics":

As a member of the Pest Control Operators of California, it shall be the duty of each member firm:

- To support the Association to the best of their ability in all of its programs and endeavors;

- To abide by the Association's Bylaws;

- To deal honestly and fairly with the general public in advertising and all business transactions, thereby enhancing our industry's stature;

- To render pest control service in a safe and efficient manner with due consideration for its possible side effects on the environment;

- To respect the reputation and practice of other pest control operator, but to expose to the Association, without hesitation, illegal or unethical conduct of other member firms;

- To constantly strive for proficiency in our services and business practices;

- To cooperate with our fellow industry members in the exchange of knowledge for the benefit of our industry and public it serves.

PCOC is supportive of companies that compete fairly; it has a long tradition of fostering the highest principles of its members while always encouraging companies and business owners to "do the right thing." It really is the essence of what we are as members of PCOC!

Welcome to a new section of Newsbriefs! Here, we will give news from our members: new hires, retirements, etc. If you have some news you would like to share, please send a short sentence or two to jenai@pcoc.org.

Janet Thrasher, President of Thrasher Termite & Pest Control, headquartered in Los Gatos, was named the Grand Prize winner in the "Business Women Have Come A Long Way" contest sponsored by 123print.

Women account for 70 percent of all privately held small-business start-ups. In recognition of this fact, 123print celebrated Women in Small Business Month by giving out prizes to the top three submissions in their "Business Women Have Come A Long Way, Baby" contest.

Applicants were required to submit a picture of them and their female-owned small business along with how they got started, what challenges they faced or anything else that has inspired them in 100 words or less. Thrasher's entry was selected as the Grand Prize winner based on based on creativity and uniqueness, plus the most inspirational story. Winners were announced Oct. 31, 2013.

Janet Thrasher's winning entry:

"When my husband died unexpectedly, instead of being the office manager for our termite and pest control business I became the sole owner. Suddenly I had to make all the decisions while learning more about termites, ants, bees and fleas than I ever thought I would. When I was at my lowest, other pest control operators stepped in to help. Competitors on paper, these people proved themselves to be true friends. Now, thirteen years later, my company has tripled in size, we've opened a second branch, and I'm still inspired by my selfless colleagues who put people above profit."

About Janet Thrasher

Janet Thrasher is a Santa Clara Valley District Director of Pest Control Operators of California (PCOC); member of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), 2012 recipient of the QualityPro designation for excellence in pest management, and 2011 Affiliate of the Year by the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors. She has more than 30 years of experience in pest management and holds an operator's license with the Structural Pest Control Board of California (PR-5009).

About Thrasher Termite & Pest Control, Inc.

The company was founded in 1979 by Duff and Janet Thrasher with the mission to provide value to its customers, and a fair, stable workplace for its employees.Thrasher Termite & Pest Control, Inc. performs residential and commercial termite inspections, treats structures for infestations of wood destroying organisms, and repairs structural damage. The company also provides residential and commercial integrated pest management, including prevention, exclusion, and pest control treatments for ants, bees, fleas, cockroaches, mice and other pests. The company delivers termite and pest control services from both its branch offices in Silicon Valley and in San Diego County.

"Structured settlements have enjoyed widespread acceptance and have become an established part of our legal landscape over the past twenty-five years. More than $6 billion is now paid each year to fund new structured settlements in the United States, and an estimated $100 billion or more has been paid in the aggregate to fund structured settlements that are in force today."*

Successful claimants in tort injury cases and workers' compensation injury claimants typically receive their settlements as a lump sum. In a structured settlement, the victim and defendant agree to a schedule of periodic payments. This arrangement has benefits to both employees and employers.

The National Structured Settlements Trade Association, whose members help arrange financing for structured settlements, says, "Independent surveys show that the more serious the injury, the greater the likelihood that a structured settlement will be used."

Advantages for Employees

The Internal Revenue Code specifically excludes "damages received by an individual on account of personal injuries or sickness" from gross income.

Why would a claimant want periodic payments instead of a lump sum? Anyone receiving a sudden financial windfall can make unwise spending choices. A lottery winner might blow his winnings on cars and boats, but still return to work. In the case of a workers' compensation claimant, that lump sum could represent the cash she needs to live on the rest of her life. A structured settlement ensures that the victim of an occupational accident or illness will have income for life.

The Periodic Payment Act of 1982 encourages structured settlements by specifically excluding compensation for tort or workers' compensation injuries and illnesses from gross income whether paid as lump sums or over time. It also generally excludes amounts an injury victim receives for agreeing to undertake an assignment when he/she uses that money to buy an annuity. This allows an accident victim to receive the earnings on his/her settlement tax-free, with a properly structured settlement.

Advantages for Employers

A structured settlement has benefits for employers and their insurers as well.

- Lower litigation costs. A structured settlement involves negotiations between the injured worker, the insurer and sometimes the employer. Bringing all parties to the table can reduce the possibility of litigation.

- Less animosity. Knowing he/she has income for life can reduce an injured worker's animosity toward the employer. And because negotiating a structured settlement involves experts, the process can enlighten a worker who might have unrealistic expectations of what he/she might expect to receive in a settlement.

- Certainty. A structured settlement typically closes a disability claim, although an injured worker may still be eligible for workers' compensation medical payments.

- Savings. Because a structured settlement uses the present value of money, it typically costs less to provide benefits over time than in a lump sum.

- Security. Insurers or self-insured employers buy an annuity to fund the settlement, thus guaranteeing the funds will be available as scheduled.

Structured settlements are just one tool an insurer or claims administrator can use to help employers manage the cost of claims. For more information, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program department of Jenkins Leavitt Insurance Services at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@Leavitt.com.

*Source: ABA Judges' Journal, Spring 2005, "Transfers of Structured Settlement Payment Rights..." by Daniel W. Hindert and Craig H. Ulman

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For an additional charge, you may access a 24-hour hotline providing consultation by qualified medical doctors on pesticide-related medical emergencies. This service is provided free of charge to Peacock Group insureds.