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Creating a Better Life
The Role of Professional Pest Management In Improving Quality of Life in Our Society.
ADVERTORIAL
Creating a Better Life2
Bayer: Science for A Better LifeThe quality of life in modern societies today is due, in no small part, to the people who comprise the professional pest management industry. And that’s no exaggeration. According to NPMA, public health officials attribute the quality of life we enjoy to three key factors: better medicine, better sanitation and better pest control.
While medical breakthroughs are widely celebrated — and de-servedly so — when was the last time you saw a television special on the role that pest management plays in making our homes and communities safer and more livable?
The fact is that people today take for granted the pest-related problems that previous generations wrestled with on a regular basis. Our industry has done such a good job of protecting people from pests for so long that people have become accustomed to it.
That’s okay. Those who work in pest management are not the types who seek the spotlight. But this admirable modesty is one of the reasons why we at Bayer would like to both elevate and cele-brate the role you play in helping improve everyone’s quality of life.
Your quiet determination is the inspiration behind our spon-sorship of this special section, which is intended to illustrate not only what you do, but also why you do it.
You don’t simply control pests; you promote health, hygiene and safety. You help the millions of people who suffer from pest- induced asthma each year — the millions more who suffer from mosquito-borne diseases, old and new. You protect the food supply from infestation — and prevent damage to people’s property.
In short, you help give people greater peace of mind — and a better life.
That’s our mission at Bayer: Science for A Better Life. We harness the power of science across a portfolio of human, animal and plant health to create opportunities for people to lead a better life. Our PPM business does this through innovative, sustainable solutions that foster healthy environments where people live, work and play.
We hope you find the content that follows both informative and inspiring. And a heartfelt thanks to our customers for continuing to create a better life for your customers!
Best regards,
Ildem Bozkurt Head of Professional Pest Management & Vector Control, USABayer Environmental Science
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It’s science and investigation — biology and education. Pest control services bring each of these disciplines to bear in helping to protect our communities, preserve our property,
secure our food supplies and keep our families healthy. But because these activities often happen under the radar, they go unnoticed and underappreciated by the people whose lives are better for it.
“We operate behind the scenes,” says Joe Silvestrini, president, Pest Control Technicians Inc., Norris-town, Pa. “That’s where we best do our work. By the same token, people may not know all we do to help preserve the health and safety of the public.”
Some may still hold to outdated stereotypes of pest control techni-cians indiscriminately applying a
A Professional Approach for Creating a Better Life
pesticide around a home or business with a power sprayer or other high-volume piece of application equipment. But that’s a far cry from the reality of pest control today. Others might think that managing pest problems is as easy as applying an over-the-counter product. But, as professionals know, true control requires an integrated approach.
“People in our industry are trained, licensed and educated on how to really solve pest problems,” Silvestrini says, adding, “Do-it-yourselfers do not have the knowl-edge or expertise to apply today’s new products effectively.”
Ultimately, pest control is about ensuring that people and communi-ties thrive by eliminating threats to our health, homes, businesses and economy.
Some may s t i l l hold to outdated stereotypes of pest
control technicians indiscriminately applying a pesticide around a home or business with a power sprayer or other high-volume piece of application equipment. But that’s a far cry from the reality of pest control today.
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The pest control industry protects health and improves quality of life.
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Creating a Better Life4
It might seem counterintuitive, but pest control is a people business. Our job is to control pests, but our mission is to help people. “Pest control is a very good and positive business — we help people. We protect people,” says Joey Harris, vice president of Cook’s Pest Control headquartered in Decatur, Ala. “We keep them from getting sick, we prevent their properties from being destroyed. We need to be bolder and let people know, ‘You are getting a great benefit.’”
The Dangers of DIY?We seem to be living in the age of “do-it-
yourself,” but when it comes to pest con-trol, DIY can sometimes be dangerous. A homeowner or businessperson determined to get rid of pests by using off-the-shelf products could inadvertently cause more harm than good.
“If applied incorrectly or at a higher concentrate, or if baits are put out in the wrong spots,” well-meaning people can be put at risk, says Kurt Scherzinger, general manager of ScherZinger Pest Control in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In short, DIY guesswork is no substi-tute for a pest management professional (PMP) for a variety of important reasons:
Extensive training: “What we face in the field is different every day,” says Scherzinger, emphasizing that PMPs receive continuing education to stay up on the latest pest control techniques and industry best practices.
At Cook’s Pest Control, training for PMPs who join the company begins with a two-week technical and customer service segment. That’s followed by a weeklong hands-on experience at Cook’s state-of-the-art training facility. That includes environments a PMP will face in the field: a home, apartment, hospital, dormitory and commercial kitchen. Finally, PMPs spend time in the field with a supervisor.
But education doesn’t stop there. “Our PMPs go through service training
updates and we send out information on
Ultimately, pest control is about ensuring that people and communities
thrive by eliminating threats to our health, homes, businesses and economy.
The right pest control product applied in the wrong place can cause big problems.
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A #BetterLife Is…Trusting a professional to get the job done right. There’s science and skill required to properly control pests. The danger of haphazard DIY ap-plications include:
a weekly basis about what’s going on in the market now in terms of seasonal pests, problems we see, and how to solve them,” Harris says.
Product knowledge: Product in-novation has given PMPs better, more effective tools than ever to solve virtually any pest problem. These products are not developed for the general public, and even if they were, there’s more to application than simply putting down chemicals.
“Safety is a major risk if people do not understand what pest they are looking for and how to properly treat it,” says Kevin Lemasters, president, EnviroPest, Estes Park, Colo.
“Our staff understands pest biology and treatment processes, and they know our goal is to identify the source of the problem,” Lemasters continues. “We deal with structural and sanitation issues, and we are very precise in any chemical applications that we use.”
The big picture: “We are trained to look for problem areas and for scenarios that could increase the chance of pest issues,” Scherzinger says.
As Silvestrini points out, pest control involves understanding building con-struction. Effective control requires asking “Why” and “How” so the root of the problem is addressed. In the big picture of pest control, product application is just a small portion of the overall treatment regimen.
Too often with DIY applications, however, products are the focus of the treatment, resulting in over-application or misapplication.
“That’s just not how pest control is done today,” Silvestrini says. “The first thing a service technician should do is inspect. The second is inspect. And the third is inspect.” Then, when warranted, “we go ahead and treat.”
Benefits for a Better LifeThe right pest control product applied in the wrong place can cause big problems. “A knowledgeable PMP goes after targeted pests, where many DIY treatments have
more of a ‘scatter effect’ than a control effect,” Scherzinger says. In other words, the pests will just move to different places — not a solution.
Pest control is a tremendous responsi-bility, and PMPs are trained and armed with innovative products and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to control problems while respecting the environment.
The public may not outright see the benefit because PMPs are often discreetly addressing issues before they become serious public health concerns. “A lot of people don’t realize how much work goes
on behind the scenes” to develop new products and train field personnel in the use of those products, Scherzinger says, but it’s considerable.
PMPs understand how to read product labels and select control methods that are EPA-approved and meet conscientious clients’ sustainability standards.
“It’s important to explain the total value package and benefits to customers,” Scherzinger says.
Lemasters adds that his team and PMPs across the country dedicate time to educate the public. He says, “We know in the long-run, everyone wins that way.”
• Unnecessary insecticide exposure
• Skin irritation• Allergic responses• Chemical fires
• Soil contamination• Costly property damage• Illness and allergies• Risk to pets and non-target animals• Ineffective insect control
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Creating a Better Life6
trol services, but they hung up the phone.” The restaurant did re-open. “But they’re not going to do real well,” he says, remarking on a newspaper article about the health department violation and the venue’s tarnished reputation.
PMPs partner with restaurants to estab-lish best practices for sanitation and food storage. There are countless opportunities in commercial kitchens for pests to take advantage of “savory” opportunities.
“Sanitation, documentation and a rela-
tionship with the customer are the three main elements for ensuring food safety inside a facility,” says Kevin Lemasters, EnviroPest, Estes Park, Colo. “We do everything we can to not make a product application if we can help a customer un-derstand what they need to do to resolve [sanitation] issues. In dealing with some problems, we use baits, along with precise and specific applications.”
A #Better Life Is…
Protecting our food supply. Food poisoning is rampant in the United States, claiming the lives of about 3,000 annually. Meanwhile, about 48 million people get sick and 128,000 are hospitalized. The cause: unsan-itary conditions coupled with dis-ease-carrying pests in food facilities that can cause national outbreaks.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention, 2010
Guarding FOOD SAFETYVisit a grocery store’s produce
section in a different country and you’ll quickly notice that it’s not
exactly an apples to apples comparison. “A large percentage of Americans would turn up their noses and say, ‘I can’t eat that,’” says Joey Harris, Cook’s Pest Control, De-catur, Ala. “They’d say, ‘That has a worm hole in it,’ or, ‘That has been gnawed on.’”
Harris adds, “Other countries do not have the luxury of food quality that we do.”
And it’s not just about quality. Avail-ability and cost also enter the picture. Protecting our food supply is a chief role of pest management professionals (PMPs). Their efforts start on the farm, continue in agricultural storage, move on to food production facilities, and include the restaurants where we eat and grocery stores where we shop. That protection also extends to our homes where we prepare food for our families.
The “food chain” is vulnerable and requires great care to prevent infestations and disease that can result in sickness and even death.
Serving Up SustainabilityWhen sanitary issues and structural issues go unaddressed, restaurants can become feeding grounds for unwanted guests. When that happens, restaurateurs must contend with more than bad reviews. Joe Silvestrini, president, Pest Control Techni-cians Inc., Norristown, Pa., recalls an area establishment that was shut down for a pe-riod of time by authorities to address a ro-dent and roach problem. “We solicited that restaurant for years to talk about pest con-
Protecting the Food ‘Chain’Pest control advances such as roach baiting have increased the sophistication, safety and accuracy of treatments at food process-ing facilities and other commercial sites.
“Definitely, the constant innovation and introductions of new formulations of roach bait have helped us solve problems on difficult accounts,” says Kurt Scherzinger of ScherZinger Pest Control in Cincinna-ti, Ohio. “Manufacturers of pest control products play a key role because they are always looking for the next best solution.”
PMPs are involved in every aspect of guarding our food supply, from farm to fork. “We are involved in the transport, storage, processing, shipping,” Silvestrini says. “The benefits are huge. We eat much healthier and safer foods because we can eliminate pests and control food damage.”
This directly impacts consumers’ wallets, says Joey Harris, Cook’s Pest Control. “Protecting the food supply from disease and contamination is an economic factor, too. We can maintain the quality of food and stabilize prices.”
There’s a cost associated with not prop-erly controlling pests on sites where food is grown, stored, processed or prepared. PMPs play that integral role of protecting health and safety, while keeping these crit-ical businesses in good running order. “We are part of the solution,” Silvestrini says.
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BATTLING PESTS to Protect Public Health
At a family cemetery that Joey Harris, Cook’s Pest Control, visited in rural Mississip-pi, there’s a line of headstones that represents several generations — grandparents, parents, children. All of them were lost during a Yellow Fever epidemic that ravaged
the south in the late 1800s. These tombstones stand as a living testament to how modern pest control saves lives. “We
are doing such a good job of protecting communities that the general public is not really aware of what pest pressures and diseases are currently plaguing other countries,” Harris says. “People receive the benefit of pest control every day — but it’s out of sight, out of mind.”
The pest control industry protects public health. “In the field of medical entomology, there is a host of problems that fortunately we never have to worry about because of PMPs,” Harris says.
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Creating a Better Life8
Mosquitoes spread dengue fever, malaria, West Nile virus and the latest Zika virus.
Cockroaches trigger allergies includ-ing asthma, and these pests are present in 78 to 98 percent of American urban homes, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Ticks cause Lyme disease, the fastest growing vector-borne infectious disease in the country, based on CDC statistics.
Flies carry disease including sal- monella.
Bed bugs are not directly linked to disease but infestations create major stress for homeowners and businesses alike. Meanwhile, secondary infections can occur from scratching bites, which causes swelling and bleeding. And, some may suffer from allergic reactions. But it’s the mental-health side of managing bed bugs that can actually trigger post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) in some people, according to PubMed.
Staying on the cutting edge of pest control techniques and understanding the biology and behavior of pests is critical to preserving public health, says Kevin Lemasters, EnviroPest, Estes Park, Colo. And, equally important is passing on this information — as is the case when educat-ing people about bed bugs.
“We offer free information for compa-nies, property managers and our customers to help them understand how these pests move and what they should and should not do to protect their staff and guests,” Lemasters adds. He adds that in decades of serving the pest control industry, the bed
Staying on the cutting edge of pest control techniques and understanding the biology and
behavior of pests is critical to preserving public health.bug issues property and homeowners are facing are certainly a challenge. “There are so many moving parts,” he says.
Professional pest control services are absolutely critical for stopping infestations.
The work PMPs perform is a matter of maintaining a safe and healthy environ-ment. Take cockroaches, which trigger an allergic response particularly in children and the elderly. They’re rampant in urban housing. “People are living with mice and roaches, and they move through walls to adjoining apartments and homes,” Joe Silvestrini, Pest Control Technicians Inc., Norristown, Pa., says of inner-city neigh-borhoods his company has helped treat.
Meanwhile, diseases we might think are
PREVENTING DISEASE
Without services pest professionals provide, our communities would face serious outbreaks of diseases we once knew in history or attribute as a third-world issue. The reality is, those disease organisms would be active and attacking without pest prevention measures.
Mosquitoes:
• Dengue fever• Yellow fever• Zika• Malaria• Encephalitis• West Nile virus
Ticks:
• Lyme disease• Relapsing fever (borreliosis)• Encephalitis
Fleas:
• Plague (transmitted by fleas from rats to humans)
• Rickettsiosis
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dead and gone from the U.S. are, in fact, still spreading elsewhere in the world. They easily could be reintroduced to society if PMPs weren’t working behind the scenes.
“We can recall the bubonic plague in Europe and the devastation there, but that disease organism is still present in the
U.S. in some rodents (not those that infest homes),” Harris says.
Also, pest control protects our pets from health problems caused by fleas, tapeworms and other insects, Harris says. “When it comes to diseases spread by rodents’ and cockroaches’ defecation and
A #Better Life Is…
Transforming the quality of life for residents living in the 63% of American homes containing allergens associated with cockroach saliva, droppings and decomposing remains.
Source: National Pest Management Association
The idea that pests we often don’t see could instigate major health problems is troubling. Knowing that
there is an industry of trained, licensed professionals who are constantly on watch and responding with sophisticated tools, sustainable control strategies and innovative products gives us peace of mind.
urination, that’s something that’s very real and would be tremendously multiplied if we weren’t providing pest control services.”
It’s not a pretty thought. In fact, the idea that pests we often don’t see could instigate major health problems is trou-bling. Knowing that there is an industry of trained, licensed professionals who are constantly on watch and responding with sophisticated tools, sustainable control strategies and innovative products gives us peace of mind.
Kurt Scherzinger, ScherZinger Pest Control, Cincinnati, Ohio, says, “The in-tegrated approach that PMPs take greatly reduces the carriers of different diseases and illnesses.”
Raising PROPERTY VALUE
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Creating a Better Life10
When a structure becomes “home” to wood-destroying insects like termites or car-
penter ants, the damage they cause can quickly eat away at the property value —and diminish owners’ quality of life. Pest professionals solve these problems with integrated pest management (IPM) pro-grams that focus on preserving the places where we live, work and play.
“A lot of times, by the time the home-owner realizes they have an issue the dam-age is already done,” says Kurt Scherzinger, ScherZinger Pest Control, Cincinnati, Ohio. And that cost is more than $5 billion in property damage annually caused by un-treated termite colonies, according to the National Pest Management Association.
Homeowners’ insurance covers zero of
that cost. “When a property for sale is on a quarterly pest control program, it increases the confidence that what a buyer is getting has been taken care of,” Scherzinger adds.
Property protection goes beyond wood-destroying insects. Rodents can chew through wires and gnaw on struc-tures, posing a fire risk. Birds can nest and harm properties. Stinging insects can threaten people who live or work at properties that are infested with these pests.
In Colorado where EnviroPest is located, Kevin Lemasters, president, says voles have been a problem. “These rodents are causing damage to shrubbery and lawns, and we understand how we can treat for them without harming pollinators,” he says.
Can a property owner afford not to en-gage in routine pest management services?
“We protect properties, we keep people from getting sick — we keep their houses and businesses from getting destroyed,” says Joey Harris, Cook’s Pest Control. “As an industry, we need to promote that.”
LET’S TALK ABOUT A #BETTERLIFE
Pest control professionals often work behind the scenes to secure public health, prevent property damage and protect the food sup-ply. It’s time we raise our collective voice to talk about the benefits of pest control to clients — and our communities.
A #Better Life Is…
Letting homeowners know their property doesn’t have to be part of the $5 billion in damage annu-ally caused by untreated termite colonies. One colony of Formosan termites can eat up to 1,000 pounds of wood a year. (Native termites eat about 7 pounds.)
Source: National Pest Management Association
Termites causeas much as
$5billionin damage
Formosan Termites alone cause
$1billionin damage
each year
each year
HEALTHYENVIRONMENTS:
...each year from food poisoning in unsanitary conditions coupled with disease-carrying pests in food facilities can cause widespread national outbreaks. (CDC, 2010)
48millionget sick...
128thousandare hospitalized...
3thousand
die...
FOODSAFETY:
(NPMA)
PUBLICHEALTH:
17%
Vector-borne diseases
more thanaccount for
of all infectious diseases
1milliondeaths
annually
more thancausing
(WHO)
(NPMA)
1have a severesensitivity tocockroach allergens
in5children 98%
78%to
According to the NPMA
of Americanurban homes have cockroaches
making pest control critical for the health of children and adults who suffer from asthma. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America)
See How We Create Better Lives at backedbybayer.com/pest-management
Pests are more than a nuisance. They can carry harmful disease and cause real damage. That is why PCOs work hard to keep our communities safe and healthy every day.
Pest Managementhelps create aBetter Life
Professional
#betterlife
What you do is about more than controlling pests. You’re passionate about protecting the kitchens where chefs prepare award-winning recipes. We’re with you. That’s why we back our customers with the full scope of our global scientific development, technical expertise, business-building tools, education and industry advocacy. Make the best moments in life that much better.
Sometimes the best moments of the job...
...are the ones you don’t get to see.
Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.backedbybayer.com. Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label directions. ©2016 Bayer CropScience LP.
