Formosan Termites Confirmed in Two New Southern California Places – PCT On-line
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus) proceed to be on the radar of pest administration professionals in Southern California following affirmation of two extra infestations — one from a home in La Verne, Calif., and the opposite from a home in Hollywood Hills, Calif. The findings have been confirmed by Dr. Chow-Yang Lee and researchers from his lab on the College of California, Riverside Division of Entomology.
As beforehand reported by PCT, Formosan subterranean termites (FSTs) should not native to Southern California nor america. Nonetheless, in California they’ve been confirmed in pockets, and lots of entomologists and pest administration professionals consider they could be underreported within the Golden State.
The current FST discovery in La Verne got here after ProCraft Pest Management, Upland, Calif., was referred to as by certainly one of its clients about a big termite swarm. It turned out the swarm was coming from the next-door neighbor’s dwelling. That house owner, who owns a lumber firm, constructed his dwelling with quite a few railroad ties. ProCraft proprietor Mike Furlong theorizes that a few of the railroad ties could have been transported from a location that does have Formosan subterranean termites.
Furlong was alerted to potential FSTs by ProCraft service technician Luke Miller, who providers the house. “I made a decision to ship it in (to UCR) as a result of it didn’t match,” Furlong mentioned. “Only a lighter coloration all through, and that doesn’t match drywoods and different subs we see. And the wings seemed off. The coloration was off considerably.”

Mike furlong & Scott Bauer |
Lee was in a foreign country, however his lab technician, Sen Miao, carried out the measurement and molecular identification. Lee then checked the end result of the ID and confirmed that they have been Formosan subterranean termites. “Mainly, what we did was study the morphology of the pattern below the microscope after which carried out evaluation of 16S ribosomal RNA,” Lee mentioned.
Furlong mentioned that his buyer’s dwelling was immaculate and likewise constructed on a slab (no crawlspace), so he didn’t discover any injury, however that ProCraft shall be intently monitoring that property for FSTs sooner or later.
Along with the Formosan termites present in La Verne, an FST infestation was confirmed in a Hollywood Hills dwelling. The termites have been despatched to UC Riverside by the house owner after first recognized by Orkin technician Isela Munoz after which by Orkin inspector José Ernesto Aguilar. After receiving the pattern, Dr. Siavash Taravati from the College of California Agriculture and Pure Assets (UC ANR) visited the house, the place he discovered extra useless Formosan termites within the storage space within the loft. Nonetheless, no indicators of lively infestations have been evident throughout a visible inspection or when he used Termatrac, a tool that detects tiny actions within the wooden utilizing microwaves expertise.
“It’s an all-wood previous home with [Formosan subterranean termites] first discovered flying in a loft round a standing mild close to a storage door,” Taravati mentioned.
Taravati mentioned that some minor injury was discovered within the panorama on the buried portion of the fence downslope, “however we don’t know if they’re from Western subterranean termite or Formosan. On the upslope, dense cowl crops have been discovered however the wood retaining partitions have been intact. The home additionally has many small damages from drywood termites primarily based on their form and presence of hexagonal fecal pellets.”
Taravati added that he inspected the crawlspace of the Hollywood Hills dwelling and located no proof of FST injury and that the close by panorama soil was comparatively dry, apart from a couple of spots close to sprinklers. — Brad Harbison
Local weather Change Means Extra Mice for Elements of the U.S., Canada, Researchers Report
OXFORD, Ohio — Hotter temperatures and milder winters in Jap Canada, in addition to the Northeast and Nice Lakes areas of the U.S., have been a boon to populations of the white-footed mouse.

WikimediA; Mouse: © Weber | iStock
In an interview with the Related Press, Susan Hoffman, affiliate professor of biology at Miami College in Oxford, Ohio, mentioned the rodents have migrated previous a transitional forest area that has lengthy served as a dividing line for a lot of species. She mentioned the white-footed mouse has expanded “surprisingly quick” in North America — about 125 miles in 30 years, which is 15 occasions farther than beforehand anticipated.
Hoffman is an skilled in monitoring the distribution shifts of small mammals, and the white-footed mouse, specifically, because of environmental elements like local weather change.
Traditionally, the white-footed mouse thrived in an space starting from the Tennessee Valley to the northern Atlantic Coast. However already it has expanded its northern restrict into Québec, mentioned Hoffman. By 2050, she predicts the mouse inhabitants will migrate additional north because the warming local weather pushes its most well-liked forest habitats farther north.
People are also answerable for unintentionally transferring the mice to new places in vehicles, boats and leisure automobiles, she mentioned.
Extra mice in and round houses and companies will imply extra work for pest administration professionals. Along with being a nuisance and inflicting meals issues of safety, the white-footed mouse is a pure reservoir for the micro organism that causes Lyme illness. — Anne Nagro
Neonic Invoice Awaits California Governor’s Signature
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At press time, California PMPs have been ready to see if California Gov. Gavin Newsom would signal AB 2146 into regulation. The invoice handed the state’s Senate in early September and Newsom had till Sept. 30 to signal it.
If handed, AB 2146 would prohibit the usage of neonicotinoid pesticides for practically all non-agricultural makes use of. Particularly, it might ban the usage of imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran and acetamiprid on non-agricultural crops.
AB 2146 was launched earlier this yr by meeting member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan as a pollinator safety measure. In a press launch, Bauer-Kahn acknowledged, “Our pollinators are threatened. We all know the trigger, and it’s time to take motion. The European Union has already banned many of those pesticides altogether, and it’s time to catch as much as the remainder of the world in defending bee and human well being. AB 2146 will curb dangerous neonic contamination with out limiting farmers.”

Asilvero | Wikimedia
The Pest Management Operators of California (PCOC) says that AB 2146 ignores years of scientific analysis and proposals from the California Division of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). They’re joined by a coalition of teams together with NPMA and RISE (Accountable Business for a Sound Surroundings), amongst others.
RISE spokesperson Karen Reardon informed The Impartial that RISE opposes any such measure as a result of (neonicotinoids) are totally vetted, examined and controlled by the EPA and California DPR. Each authorities companies have decided neonics are secure, if used based on their labels.
PCOC Govt Vice President Chris Reardon informed PCT that the affiliation “is within the strategy of discussing potential amendments that may be useful to our business, however they aren’t finalized but. We proceed to work with a coalition together with California agriculture and NPMA to make sure we discover a appropriate answer.” — Brad Harbison
Arrow Exterminators Acquires Apex Pest Management
ATLANTA — Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators has acquired Apex Pest Management, marking its sixth straight acquisition in Florida.
Headquartered in Rockledge, Fla., Apex Pest Management supplies pest and termite management and garden providers to roughly 25,000 residential and business clients in 30 counties from its workplaces in Orlando, Tampa, Brevard County, Jacksonville and Miami-Dade/Broward County. The corporate has sturdy relationships with dwelling builders and supplies pre-treatment providers to the development business. The family-owned and -operated agency was established in 1985 by Pete Eldridge. The corporate has grown to a household of 78 staff members and reported 2021 revenues of slightly below $10 million, putting Apex at No. 76 on the newest PCT High 100 record.
All Apex staff members will stay with the corporate, together with all the Apex Pest Management administration staff.

Courtesy of Arrow/Apex and PPMA
“We’re very happy to have merged with the Apex group, which has an excellent repute for service within the state of Florida,” mentioned Emily Thomas Kendrick, chief govt officer of Arrow Exterminators. “These new workplaces give us 45 service facilities all through the nice state of Florida and a complete of 165 workplaces within the nation.”
Eldridge added, “We’ve been a family-owned enterprise since 1985 and have established ourselves as probably the most trusted pest management firms within the state. Our staff of pest management technicians share a whole bunch of years of mixed expertise, so it was essential to me to discover a firm like Arrow that may deal with this staff in addition to I’ve for these a few years.”
Kemp Anderson Consulting represented Apex Pest Management for this transaction.
Apex additionally was represented by The Legislation Workplaces of Mark Ruff.
Bentley Discusses This Summer season’s Bug Populations on The Climate Channel

FAIRFAX, Va. — Dr. Michael Bentley, director of coaching and training for the Nationwide Pest Administration Affiliation (NPMA), lately appeared on a phase for The Climate Channel to debate how this summer time’s mixture of utmost warmth and rainfall might need been answerable for will increase in disease-carrying bugs in elements of the nation.
The Skilled Pest Administration Alliance (PPMA) helped Bentley safe the looks with the discharge of its Vector Sectors record of U.S. cities with the very best threat of disease-carrying bugs, comparable to mosquitoes and ticks. The video, supplied to PCT courtesy of PPMA, will be seen at bit.ly/3B4anKP.
Prepare dinner’s Pest Management Opens New Gross sales Middle
DECATUR, Ala. — On Aug. 18, Prepare dinner’s Pest Management held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open home for its new Prepare dinner’s Gross sales Middle, positioned on the nook of fifth Avenue SE and thirteenth Avenue SE. The 4,765-square-foot constructing initially housed the Prepare dinner’s Museum of Pure Science from 1980 to 2016. In the previous couple of months, the ability has been completely renovated and modernized to accommodate as many as 50 gross sales specialists who will join with potential clients through phone, web and social media channels all through the Southeast.
“I’m very grateful for the best way our Prepare dinner’s staff has been in a position to develop and pivot all through the totally different many years,” mentioned Brian Prepare dinner, president and CEO of Prepare dinner’s Pest Management.

courtesy of Prepare dinner’s Pest management
“As , as of late individuals are desirous to do issues in a extra environment friendly method. It’s our objective to higher serve these potential buyer utilizing present expertise and connectivity right here at our new gross sales middle. This new facility boasts plenty of good options to assist our employees members to higher function in a snug and collaborative method. Coaching, assist and teamwork are a giant a part of it. It’s actually thrilling.”
Prepare dinner recommended the corporate’s staff members who helped to deliver the challenge to fruition. These included Ricky McCollister, director of services and development; Sam Gregory, gross sales middle supervisor; and Jerry Baker, vice chairman of gross sales.
“In early discussions about this idea, we had thought of putting a community of name facilities all through our firm’s numerous markets,” mentioned Baker. “Finally, we concluded that it needs to be positioned right here at our headquarters in Decatur. It simply appeared like a pure match once we thought of the nice assist, construction and staff members who have been already centered right here. I’ve nice confidence within the management and employees right here on the gross sales middle. They’ve been doing nice work already.”
NPMA Broadcasts Lifetime Membership Honorees
FAIRFAX, Va. — The Nationwide Pest Administration Affiliation (NPMA) introduced Lifetime Membership has been awarded to Laura Simpson, Steve Scherzinger and W. Jay Nixon for his or her careers of service within the pest administration business.
“It brings me nice private pleasure to acknowledge three colleagues I’ve seemed as much as with the excellence of Lifetime membership with NPMA,” mentioned Justin McCauley, president of NPMA. “I’m proud the board selected to honor the selfless contributions they’ve made supporting NPMA and advancing the pest administration business on behalf of all the pest administration business.”
“Working with Jay, Steve and Laura has been a pleasure all through my profession with NPMA,” mentioned Dominique Stumpf, CEO of NPMA. “I’m extremely grateful for his or her dedication and management that helped drive progress the business wanted.”
Simpson graduated from Louisiana State College and commenced a profession in pest administration with Dugas Pest Management. In 1996, she succeeded her father as president of the corporate, rising it to grow to be one of many largest independently operated pest management firms in Louisiana earlier than promoting the corporate to Rentokil in 2018. A mom of three boys, she has helped her son enter the business; Jeremy Clark is at the moment the district supervisor for Dugas Pest Management.

courtesy of NPMA
Simpson served as president of the Louisiana Pest Administration Affiliation and the Nationwide Pest Administration Affiliation and in quite a few different volunteer positions all through her profession. She was honored by the Larger Baton Rouge Enterprise Report as an Influential Lady in Enterprise and gained the Paul Adams Award of Excellence from the Louisiana Pest Administration Affiliation in 2018. She additionally was acknowledged with the Girls of Excellence Award in 2014 by NPMA.
Scherzinger, a College of Cincinnati graduate, was the third era of his household to work in pest administration and he has two sons able to take the reins of Scherzinger Pest Management as he retires. A previous president of each the Ohio Pest Management Affiliation and NPMA, he has served in quite a few volunteer capacities to develop new sources and advance the business.
Scherzinger obtained the PCT Crown Management award in 1996 and the NPMA Pinnacle award in 2008.
Nixon and three others purchased the American Disinfectant Firm in 1983 and rebranded as American Pest Administration. Throughout the subsequent 40 years, the corporate expanded all through the mid-Atlantic area. Nixon supported State Division services, touring the globe to supply experience and providers to U.S. consulates, embassies and ambassadors. He additionally supported the College of Florida’s entomology division in its work to doc all the 3,000+ species of termites of the world. His assist helped the varsity’s entomology division doc greater than 1,000 species.
Nixon served as president of NPMA (then the Nationwide Pest Management Affiliation) and has been acknowledged by the College of Maryland’s Division of Entomology as a distinguished alumnus.
Massey Companies Broadcasts Acquisition of Peninsular Pest Management Service

courtesy of Massey providers
ORLANDO, Fla. — Massey Companies introduced that it has acquired Peninsular Pest Management Service.
Peninsular Pest Management, also called “Critter Gitter,” is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. The corporate supplies residential and business pest management, termite and panorama providers to 30,000 clients all through Northeast Florida, together with Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra.
“We’re happy to welcome the Peninsular staff members and clients to the Massey Companies group,” mentioned Tony Massey, president and CEO of Massey Companies. “Peninsular Pest Management is a second-generation, family-owned group that has been offering superior service to clients for practically 70 years. We look ahead to carrying on their legacy of complete buyer satisfaction for years to return.”
Massey Companies was based in 1985 in Orlando, Fla. The group now has 177 places firm extensive.
LR Tullius represented and acted as unique monetary adviser to Peninsular Pest Management on the transaction.
BHB Pest Elimination Launches First-Ever Billboard
NEW YORK — BHB Pest Elimination of New York Metropolis lately launched its first-ever billboard promoting marketing campaign, which has introduced in an abundance of publicity and enterprise, based on proprietor Michael Broder. The billboard reads: “Killing it Since 1969,” which was the yr the corporate was based.
Broder has witnessed BHB’s development from the start, as his father, Benjamin Harrison Broder, was the founding father of the corporate. His father initially started treating particular person residences in New York Metropolis, however finally enterprise expanded to way more. BHB took on eating places and different meals institutions, accommodations and property administration. Over the last couple of years, BHB has been rising exterior of the New York Metropolis space and has opened an workplace in New Jersey. The aim of the billboards is to drive up enterprise in these newly serviced areas, Broder mentioned.
Earlier than the billboards, Broder mentioned BHB’s greatest supply for locating new clients was word-of-mouth referrals and face-to-face promoting at commerce reveals.

courtesy of MICHAEL BRODER
“Our happy clients have been a few of our greatest advocates,” Broder mentioned. “You realize, it’s constructing a relationship with the shopper.”
The choice to make use of billboards this summer time was already paying dividends, Broder mentioned.
“Simply from placing the join in entrance of the constructing, I can not consider how a lot new enterprise we have been in a position to get simply from that,” Broder mentioned. “Seeing the impact of individuals simply actually strolling in and calling us as they drive by was proof sufficient that we would have liked that.”
Throughout the previous few years, BHB has put an amazing emphasis on advertising and marketing, after beforehand battling internet marketing — particularly search engine marketing. Shifting ahead, BHB plans to proceed to concentrate on advertising and marketing via social media.
“You’ve received to get your title on the market, and we’re seeking to do increasingly more of that,” Broder mentioned. — Halle Dray, PCT editorial intern
Rockit Pest Broadcasts Acquisition of Employed Killers

courtesy of Rockit pest
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Rockit Pest acquired Employed Killers Pest Management, Greenville, S.C. Employed Killers has served Upstate South Carolina residents for greater than 36 years. Ross Woodall Sr., based the corporate, which was handed on to his son, Ross Woodall ll, and has been below his management since 2015. Employed Killers has gained the “Better of the Upstate” award by Greenville Information for 15 years and is A+ rated by the BBB.
“Employed Killers is an ideal complement to our group, including density to our quickly rising footprint in larger Greenville,” mentioned Ryan Bradbury, CEO of Rockit Pest. “South Carolina continues to draw households and companies searching for a greater life and dealing setting and boasts one of many strongest and most sturdy financial development charges within the nation. Rockit has quickly grow to be one of many largest pest management firms within the state and we warmly welcome the Employed Killers staff to the Rockit household.”
Ross Woodall II added, “When contemplating promoting my firm, the 2 key elements for me have been figuring out that my staff have been becoming a member of a staff that may proceed to assist them, and that they might have alternatives for development. It was additionally essential to me that our clients would proceed to obtain the premium degree of service that they deserve and count on. It was a straightforward choice in selecting Rockit Pest. They gave me the sense of belief and confidence that our staff and clients are in nice palms.”
May a Virus be Used to Kill Invasive Hearth Ants?
SAN DIEGO — A small examine suggests invasive fireplace ants may very well be managed by Solenopsis invicta virus 3.
An article in June’s Journal of Invertebrate Pathology defined how researchers efficiently lowered wild Florida populations of imported fireplace ants. Throughout the analysis, the researchers noticed a seven-fold discount in nest numbers, in addition to an equally important discount in nest dimension.
“Laboratory assessments have proven that Solenopsis invicta virus 3 could also be an efficient pure management agent in opposition to its host, the pink imported fireplace ant,” the co-authors wrote.
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