Protect-A-Bed, BedBug Central End Agreement; Companies Offering Own Monitoring Devices

CHICAGO and LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — The bed bug interception device market is being reshaped following news that BedBug Central reacquired from Protect-A-Bed the BlackOut bed bug interception device. Protect-A-Bed announced it is remaining in this space and will continue manufacturing and selling bed bug interception devices under the LightsOut brand.

In 2013, Bed Bug Central sold BlackOut — including the pending utility patent and intellectual property — to Protect-A-Bed. Included in the agreement was a “right of repurchase” provision that BedBug Central “chose to exercise” on March 20, according to Phillip Cooper, CEO of BedBug Central. “We’re excited to have BlackOut back with us at BedBug Central,” Cooper stated in a press release. “We wanted to bring BlackOut, the device we brought to market in 2012, back home to complement the SenSci monitoring system.”

Not included in the original BlackOut sale was the SenSci Volcano interception device that BedBug Central brought to market in 2014. BedBug Central’s senior leadership say they believe the BlackOut devices can better meet their market potential with BedBug Central because they will complement the SenSci.

“The BlackOut interceptor works effortlessly together with the SenSci Activ bed bug lure, to increase its catch rate,” said Robert DiJoseph, vice president of sales, BedBug Central. “Also, when BlackOut is paired with the SenSci Volcano, they create a highly-effective bed bug monitoring system.”

Also as part of this agreement, BedBug Central licenses the product back to Protect-A-Bed, which will “continue production of the trusted design, under the name LightsOut for the foreseeable future,” according to a Protect-A-Bed press release.

“The renaming will allow LightsOut Bed Bug Detector to join its sister products — LightsOut Lab-In-A-Bag and Lights Out Bed Bug Armor — in offering the PCO a complete collection of bed bug fighting tools,” said Brian Hirsch, director of industrial sales, Protect-A-Bed.

Hirsch added, “This product adds considerable value to the treatment and detection of bed bug infestations. Nothing will change in terms of distribution, quality manufacturing, shipping or availability. Our users and distributors can count on the same great product and service they have come to know and trust.”

As part of the reacquisition, BedBug Central is moving production back to the original manufacturer, The Roden Group, located in Hatfield, Pa. Protect-A-Bed will continue producing the LightsOut devices in Southeast Asia.

Retailers and distributors with questions about Protect-A-Bed’s LightsOut device can contact Hirsch at brian.hirsch@protectabed.com. Questions related to BedBug Central’s BlackOut device can be directed to Cooper at phil.cooper@cooperpest.com. — Brad Harbison

CPMA Kicked Off 75^th Anniversary Year at Conference in British Columbia

VAUGHAN, Ontario — Seventy-five years ago, a group of pest control operators came together to address a common concern: gas rationing.

It was 1942, World War II was in full swing, and operators were finding it difficult to secure the fuel they needed to get from account to account.

Convincing the government that pest control was an essential public health service (and worthy of a higher fuel allowance), spurred P. Henri Maheu, president of Mysto in Quebec, to invite colleagues, government officials, university researchers and suppliers to meet in Montreal.

The response was overwhelming and the group promptly established a board of directors, nominated an executive and crafted the necessary organizing documents to form the Canadian Pest Control Operators Association. In 1943, the group held its first national pest management conference.

Through the decades, the association brought the value of pest management to public light, raised industry professionalism through education and presented a unified voice to government regulators.

The latter became increasingly important in the early 1990s when pesticide regulation shifted from Ag Canada to Health Canada. That’s when provincial and federal regulators began taking “a more enforcement posture,” recalled Abell Pest Control President John Abell, who headed the group now called the Canadian Pest Management Association in the mid-1980s. “We noticed a big change in provincial regulations where the field officers instead of working with industry were finding fault; they were out there to find people breaking laws,” he said.

By the mid-1990s, provincial associations had grown stronger while CPMA was on the brink of dissolving. Then-president Gary Muldoon, who heads Orkin Canada, invited the four provincial groups operating at the time to convene at the annual Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario conference. With methyl bromide under intense pressure for ozone depletion, the provincial groups saw the value of maintaining closer communications with Ottawa and agreed “to come on board with CPMA,” giving the industry “a much more powerful federal voice” during a critical time, he recalled.

Re-energized, CPMA formed “a mandate to educate the Canadian pest control companies” by having provincial associations take turns hosting the annual conference and by bringing in big-name speakers and a professional to organize this event, said Don McCarthy, who was CPMA president twice and is the former president of Braemar Pest Management. “We were on our way,” he recalled.

In 1998, CPMA teamed up with the National Pest Management Association. As a “region” of NPMA, the Canadian group got a seat on the NPMA board of directors, and members gained access to its deep technical and educational resources. “It was absolutely the best thing that could have happened,” said McCarthy of the relationship.

Two years later, CPMA enlisted NPMA to organize its annual convention. When the association’s executive director resigned, it awarded its management to NPMA, which had begun offering this service to state associations in the United States. Dominique Stumpf, now CEO of NPMA, served as CPMA executive director for 12 years and “was instrumental” in organizing conventions, guiding government relations, and managing member services and finances, recalled McCarthy.

Today, CPMA is focused on three key areas:

1. Developing an even stronger relationship with government regulators. “We’ve really made a lot of headway through the years” with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency becoming more open to the industry’s point of view, according to Kathy Cano, CPMA past-president and quality assurance manager of Orkin Canada.

That work will continue, as the collaboration is helping to expedite the product registration process “so that we can get tools for our companies much sooner” and it is having “a really huge impact” on the product re-evaluation process, explained Sandy Costa, who took the reins of CPMA at the convention and is vice president of business development at GreenLeaf Pest Control.

2. Encouraging education across the industry. CPMA plans to work with associations that don’t have provincial recertification requirements to get them adopted, or at least get PMPs recognized for going “above and beyond to stay current” with industry changes, said Costa. Ideally, the association would operate a national database to track continuing education credits for PMPs, provincial associations and ministries, she said.
3. Expanding member benefits. “We really want to take a look at our membership benefits” to make sure that as members’ needs evolve so does CPMA’s offerings, said Andrew Bray, executive director, CPMA. The association currently has 455 members and “I would love to be at 500 next year,” he said. As membership grows, CPMA can provide more education, training, affinity programs and government affairs support for members.

CPMA will work closely with the presidents of the six provincial associations who sit on its board — “a really talented team” — to determine the collective direction of the association, said Costa. Abell Pest Control QA Manager Steven Graff, who was CPMA president from 2013 to 2015, urged PMPs to get involved in the provincial associations, which brings in new ideas and ensures that concerns facing the industry are brought forward so action can be taken.

A committee is overseeing the realignment of CPMA’s core mission, vision and values, which will serve as strategic guideposts in coming years. The association also is exploring ways to increase its participation in provincial meetings, ramp up communications with stakeholders and attract the next generation of professionals.

The association “represents the Canadian industry very, very well” and “truly is a great value to our industry,” said Abell, who regularly participates in global pest management symposia. “It ranks up there as one of the better federal associations in the world” in terms of prestige and accomplishments, he said.

CPMA is “a very sound association, so if the next 75 years are anything like the first 75, the sky’s the limit,” said Bray. — Anne Nagro

BASF Hosts Termite Innovation Event at NPMA PestWorld

SEATTLE, Wash. — PMPs from throughout the United States had an opportunity to share their observations about the state of the termite market at a Termite Innovation Event (TIE) hosted by BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions at NPMA PestWorld in October.

More than 75 PMPs from across the country joined for lunch at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, but not before they had a chance to “brainstorm” about various challenges and opportunities in the termite market. BASF field personnel at each table led the discussion.

Prior to the event, attendees were sent termite-themed ties and scarves, which they were invited to wear at the luncheon. “The idea for sending our customers ties and scarves with printed termites on them came out of the name of the event, ‘TIE,’” observed Antonia Chan, BASF product manager — termites. “We heard from many in attendance that they loved receiving the ties and scarves and will be wearing them whenever they can.”

Prior to lunch, Jonathan Sweat, director, BASF Professional & Specialty Solutions, discussed the company’s commitment to research and development and provided an overview of BASF’s termite innovation pipeline. Sweat said BASF spends more than $2 billion annually on research and development around the globe, with 27 percent of that research devoted to agricultural solutions, including the professional pest management industry.

He indicated the BASF’s R&D investments serve as the foundation for the company’s mission to create chemistry for a sustainable future. “Through science and innovation, we enable our customers to meet the current and future needs of society,” Sweat said, pointing to three key areas in which product innovation based on BASF’s chemistry will play a major role in mankind’s future: (1) resources, environment and climate; (2) food and nutrition; and (3) quality of life.

Chan added that the Termite Innovation Event was a tangible reflection of BASF’s commitment to its customers, so “events like this one where innovators can share with each other will continue,” she said. “Connecting with customers and learning about the needs of the industry allows BASF to continue to develop new innovations for the pest control industry.”

In addition to providing an overview of the company’s R&D efforts, Sweat also provided a brief history of BASF’s product pipeline, including the introduction of Termidor Termiticide/Insecticide in 2000; Termidor EP/LI in 2004; Termidor Dry in 2010; Termidor Foam in 2011; Termidor HE in 2012; and Termidor HP High Precision Injection System and Termiticide in 2014. To learn more about BASF and its termite control product offerings, visit www.pestcontrol.basf.us.

Time for PMPs to ‘SLAP’ Mosquitoes

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — To help mosquito control professionals better communicate with the communities they serve, Central Life Sciences developed a multi-channel, public-facing awareness campaign. With the goal of helping foster productive dialogue between these groups, the “SLAP” program — Support, Learning, Awareness & Prevention — provides mosquito control professionals with educational materials they can provide to the public.

Through the distribution of these pieces, mosquito control professionals can supplement their communication efforts in communities. The educational materials can be ordered for free, customized with the organization’s logo and contact information. Available pieces include posters, brochures and door hangers designed to effectively spread mosquito awareness across the communities they serve.

To learn more, visit the campaign’s website, www.mosquito-awareness.com. Acting as a comprehensive resource for the general public and professionals, the site provides information to visitors about what can be done to help protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases and how to minimize exposure and transmission on their property. Professionals can find more information specific to the program’s service at www.mosquito-awareness.com/for-abatement-pros.