NPMA ePestWorld - July 18, 2017

News From National

Chairman Tommy Fortson to Retire from PPMA Board of Directors

Bobby Jenkins will assume the Chairman role after PestWorld 2017

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the consumer education and marketing arm of the National Pest Management Association, today announced that Tommy Fortson of Terminix Service, Inc. in Columbia, S.C. will retire from his position of Chairman on the PPMA Board of Directors at the conclusion of PestWorld 2017 being held in Baltimore, Md., October 24-28. Bobby Jenkins of ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin, Texas, will assume the role of Chairman. Michael Rottler of Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions in St. Louis, MO will assume the role of Secretary/Treasurer, currently held by Jenkins, in addition to his role as Vice Chairman.

"It has been the honor of my life to work in such a wonderful industry and to help grow PPMA into the powerful organization it is today along with my fellow board members," said PPMA Chairman Tommy Fortson. "What a handful of industry leaders once dreamed of twenty years ago has come to fruition, and I know it will continue to grow as companies continue to work together to promote, protect and defend the professional pest management industry."

Visit http://pestworldmag.npmapestworld.org/2017/07/18/chairman-tommy-fortson-to-retire-from-ppma-board-of-directors/ to view the full article online.

QualityPro Unveils New Strategic Plan

The QualityPro Board of Directors is excited to announce the completion of a new strategic plan, focused on a clear vision, mission and set of concise goals that will drive growth in our industry’s certification program for the foreseeable future.

Visit http://pestworldmag.npmapestworld.org/2017/07/18/qualitypro-unveils-new-strategic-plan/ to view the full article online.

Purchase the NPMA Field Guide App for Your Techs!

The latest update of the NPMA Field Guide App includes three new pest entries: Asian Subterranean Termites, Conehead Termites, and Packrats/Woodrats. Additionally, the app features updated tick information and modernized taxonomic nomenclature for all species.

Users may download the app at the low rate of $4.99 via the App Store or Google Play Store by searching "NPMA Field Guide". Business owners may also set up business accounts with the App Store in order to make bulk purchases of the NPMA Mobile Field Guide app for their technicians. Visit http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/ to sign up today!

Visit https://youtu.be/WKS-Qqz9pt8 to view the full article online.

QualityPro

Professional Women in Pest Management Local Networks

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=451810&issueID=55543 to view the full article online.

What Can QualityPro Accreditation Do for Your Company?

QualityPro sets the standards of excellence for professional pest management companies and their employees through education, training and certification, providing consumers protection and confidence when selecting a nationally accredited company. In addition to using the branding to impress customers, accredited companies use the QualityPro resources to grow their workforce and foster pride in their office. Read about why your industry colleagues pursued this prestigious credential at www.npmaqualitypro.org.

Visit https://www.npmaqualitypro.org/look-whos-certified/featured-companies/ to view the full article online.

Members Make Headlines

Brothers Bike Supporting Moss Pieratt Foundation and A Child’s Hope is Now Complete

Congratulations to NPMA members, Bobby, Raleigh and Dennis Jenkins for completing a 3,500-mile bike ride to raise money and awareness for Moss Pieratt Foundation and A Child’s Hope. For more information, visit https://brothersbike.org.

To watch the Good Morning America report, click here.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=452037&issueID=55543 to view the full article online.

Step Exterminators, LLC Selected for the 2017 Best of Hackensack Awards

Step Exterminators, LLC has been selected for the 2017 Best of Hackensack Award in the Pest Control Services category by the Hackensack Award Program.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/npma-ePestWorld/articles/index.asp?aid=452119&issueID=55543 to view the full article online.

Weekly Headlines

Dry Ice Is Latest Weapon in Fight Against Rats in Major Cities

NBC News

For cities plagued with rat infestations, there is another weapon to help in the fight to freeze the vermin out: dry ice. With New York City inundated by thousands of complaints each year about the furry critters, the Environmental Protection Agency recently approved New York state's access to this solid form of carbon dioxide — typically used to preserve food — as a way to suffocate them inside their holes.

Visit http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dry-ice-latest-weapon-fight-against-rats-major-cities-n782666 to view the full article online.

Houston Braces for Another Brush With the Peril of Zika

The New York Times

With 4.5 million people in a hot, muggy metropolis built atop a bayou, America’s fourth-largest city, Houston, is a perfect target for the mosquito-borne Zika virus. But it may be better prepared than any other urban center to stop an outbreak.

Visit https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/health/zika-virus-houston-texas.html to view the full article online.

Google’s Life Sciences Unit is Releasing 20 Million Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes in Fresno

Tech Crunch

Verily, the life sciences arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has hatched a plan to release about 20 million lab-made, bacteria-infected mosquitoes upon Fresno, California — and that’s a good thing!

Visit https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/14/googles-life-sciences-unit-is-releasing-20-million-bacteria-infected-mosquitoes-in-fresno/?ncid=mobilerecirc_recent to view the full article online.

Giant Flying Beetles Swarm Arizona in Search Of Love

USA Today

Monsoon season is the Palo Verde beetle’s version of "Netflix and chill." The ugly-as-sin insects are suddenly everywhere in Arizona. They show up this time every year, like clockwork, with the arrival of the summer monsoon season.

Visit https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/07/13/giant-flying-beetles-swarm-arizona-search-love/477540001/ to view the full article online.

Can That Tick Carry Lyme Disease? This URI Website Can Help

WNPR

Experts have predicted a higher than usual number of ticks this year. That could mean increased risk of Lyme disease, but not all ticks carry the infection. If you’ve found a tick recently, the University of Rhode Island has an easy way to identify it, and determine whether it might be dangerous.

Visit http://wnpr.org/post/can-tick-carry-lyme-disease-uri-website-can-help to view the full article online.