Podcast Helps PMPs ‘ACE the ACE’

PMPs studying for the Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) exam can now do so on the go. “ACE the ACE” is a podcast created and hosted by Sylvia Kenmuir. Started in late 2020, Kenmuir serves as the show’s host as well as its aggregator of topics discussed. She bases episodes off the ACE training program from the Entomological Society of America (ESA), she said.

While still working with Target Specialty Products as a national technical director in 2019, Kenmuir created a 10-week webinar for ACE training. Preparing for the exam is challenging because it typically involves a single, one-day class before the exam. It is a lot of information to take in all at once, she said. Then, someone mentioned they wished the information was in a podcast so they could listen while in their car.

Kenmuir currently works as a technical services representative for BASF Professional Pest Control Solutions. She works on ACE the ACE as a hobby. The views, information and opinions are not an endorsement of BASF views, information or opinions, she said.

According to her podcast’s analytics, Kenmuir found that half of ACE the ACE’s listeners tune in between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Those are prime hours for PMPs to be in their trucks.

“How are those guys supposed to work all day, then go home and open a book and try and study? That’s a lot,” she said.

Kenmuir is an ideal host for the show because her experience with ACE training has helped her recognize where people struggle on the exam the most. She uses the ACE study guide “IPM for the Urban Professional,” the NPMA Field Guide PRO and listener feedback to help craft episodes. Podcasts, she said, lend themselves to passive listening. With that in mind, Kenmuir uses ACE the ACE episodes to break down what is most important to study without getting too technical.

The percentage of PMPs who pass the ACE is not good, Kenmuir said; only around 35 percent do so. It is hard to pass because the ACE is not necessarily a test about identifying insects. It’s an applied entomology certification, she said. Five years of experience in the field is required before taking the exam because being able to decode pest problems based on the current state of an infestation is key. That knowledge won’t come from knowing the number of ant antennal segments.

“A standardized test makes sure that you know the difference between an odorous house ant and an Argentine ant. An ACE actually takes it next level and knows why you have them,” she said.

The audience for ACE the ACE is between 35 and 59 years old and largely male, Kenmuir said. She is a big advocate for non-traditional students, especially considering she is in her late 50s and just finished work on her master’s degree. Kenmuir said her philosophy is that certifications and credentials can both improve older students’ knowledge and show companies their potential.

ACE the ACE has also helped PMPs outside of North America. One of her most special moments, Kenmuir recalled, was when a representative from Orkin Erbil in Iraq thanked her for helping him pass the exam.

The ACE the ACE podcast can be downloaded from Apple Podcasts.

Kenmuir is currently looking into making a similar podcast for PMPs seeking Certified IPM Technician (CIT) credentials because no one has created training tools for it yet, she said.

The author is associate editor of PCT.