The Weighted Landscape iQ tray fits inside existing Weighted Landscape bait stations, for discrete rodent monitoring, and works with either rodenticide or rat snap traps.

WINDSOR, WIS. – Bell Laboratories announces that the Weighted Landscape iQ rodent monitoring bait station tray is now available.

The Weighted Landscape iQ tray fits inside existing Weighted Landscape bait stations, for discrete rodent monitoring, and works with either rodenticide or rat snap traps. iQ products capture and provide PMPs important previously unknown rodent data, giving service specialists the time they need to conduct superior rodent control service, instead of checking empty traps.

The Weighted Landscape iQ tray joins the full iQ line-up of rodent devices with sensors, including Express iQ bait station tray, T-Rex iQ rat trap, 24/7 iQ multiple catch mouse trap, Pulse Rat iQ station and Pulse Mouse iQ station. iQ products have fully integrated, weatherproof rodent sensors, batteries, and Bluetooth® antennae.

“Electronic rodent monitoring is both the present and future of rodent control. With the release of our sixth iQ product, Bell underscores that belief to our distributor and PMP partners,” said Patrick Lynch, senior vice president of sales, Bell Laboratories.

iQ products also provide PMPs with the first scalable rodent monitoring system that utilizes the same products currently used in their everyday rodent control service. 

Forshaw announced that Kyle Varona will oversee the distributor's Central and South Florida territory as core account manager.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Forshaw announced that Kyle Varona will oversee the distributor's Central and South Florida territory as core account manager. In this new role, Varona will manage sales, client engagement and professional partnerships in the Southeast. 

Varona is a second-generation pest management professional, with over 14 years of industry experience.  Working extensively in the pest management field, Varona previously served as general manager to Fahey Pest and Lawn Solutions.  In addition, he led Truly Nolen Pest Control as branch manager in Albuquerque, N.M. 

“Here at Forshaw, we place a strong focus on customer commitment, trust building, innovation, and developing partnerships that make our clients more like family," said Tom Forshaw, president of Forshaw. “With Kyle’s expansive knowledge, expertise and industry impact, we look forward to him growing this key region by embracing Forshaw;s commitment to elevating our partnerships and providing premiere customer service.”

Varona added, “I am excited to be joining this renowned company. I look forward to helping grow and strengthen Forshaw's partnerships and impact in the Florida market.”

Varona studied finance, later earning an MBA in general business at the University of Central Florida.  Varona will be based in Ocala, Fla.

The insect formerly known as AGH is now the northern giant hornet.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has adopted 'northern giant hornet' for the species Vespa mandarinia in its Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms list. While there was no official ESA common name until now, the hornet has been most often referred to as 'Asian giant hornet' or “murder hornet” since its introduction in North America became widely known in 2020.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is following ESA’s recommendation and will begin referring to V. mandarinia as 'northern giant hornet' and will also update its website and printed materials to reflect the newly established ESA common name in the coming weeks.

The proposal to establish an ESA common name for V. mandarinia came from Dr. Chris Looney, who has been actively involved in WSDA’s hornet research and efforts to eradicate northern giant hornet from Washington.

In conjunction with “northern giant hornet,” ESA also adopted Looney’s proposals for “southern giant hornet” as the common name for the species Vespa soror and 'yellow-legged hornet' for Vespa velutina. Vespa soror is a closely related – and – similarly large species to V. mandarinia, and the descriptors 'northern' and 'southern' refer to the species’ native geographic ranges in Asia.

The new official common names are intended to comply with ESA’s insect common names guidelines, which include avoiding naming insects using geographic regions. The new names should also help reduce confusion between V. mandarinia – which had been known as Asian giant hornet – and V. velutina – which had been known as the Asian hornet.

The northern giant hornet is an invasive hornet native to Asia that has been the target of eradication efforts in Washington state, USA and British Columbia, Canada after individual hornets were first discovered in both locations in 2019. WSDA entomologists have eradicated four northern giant hornet nests since they were first discovered in the state. 

This year's event will be held Oct. 11-14 at the Hynes Memorial Center in Boston.

Fairfax, VA — The NPMA has announced the full schedule for PestWorld 2022, taking place Oct. 11-14 in Boston, Mass. PestWorld 2022 brings individuals from every facet of pest management together to share tactical knowledge, hear different perspectives on business trends, learn from the latest technical research, and form strong relationships.

In addition to general sessions featuring world-class speakers, exciting receptions and informative board and committee meetings, this year’s schedule features a robust educational program featuring ten different learning tracks designed to take your business to the next level. These tracks include Customer Service, Fumigation, General Pest, Management, Public Health, Sales/Marketing, Safety, Technical, WDO and Wildlife.  Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) will be available for educational sessions and NPMA is an approved provider of CEUs in most states.

Full details on the event can be found at www.pestworld2022.org. Members of the pest management community will not want to miss the opportunity to learn from this amazing program, along with ample opportunity to meet with thousands of pest management professionals and suppliers from across the globe. Attendees are bound to leave PestWorld armed with the latest information and valuable solutions that will drive them to success in the years ahead.

Chris Rodgers is cycling 550 miles from the Netherlands to the company’s Knaresborough headquarters to fundraise in memory of a former colleague.

An employee of pest control specialist Pelsis Group is cycling 550 miles from the Netherlands to the company’s Knaresborough headquarters to fundraise in memory of a former colleague. 

Sales manager Chris Rodgers is undertaking the challenge to help raise funds for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which former Pelsis employee Derek Hurst passed away from in 2019 aged 49.

Named the Tour de Derek, the 13-day challenge will see Rodgers cycle from Pelsis’s office in Barneveld, the Netherlands, via its office in Bornem, Belgium, all the way to the company’s headquarters in Knaresborough.

All funds raised from the challenge will be split equally between the Cure CJD Campaign and St Teresa’s Hospice in Darlington, where Derek was cared for following his diagnosis.

CDJ is a terminal degenerative brain disorder which there is currently no cure for. Derek was diagnosed with the disease in the summer of 2019 before passing away in September 2019.

The 550-mile Tour de Derek will comprise 11 legs in total, taking in the cities and towns of Den Bosch, Antwerp, Gent and Ypres in Belgium and Calais in France. Chris will also cycle through Rochester, Duxford, Peterborough, Lincoln and Doncaster, before finally reaching Knaresborough.

“Not only was Derek my colleague, but he was also my mentor and my friend. To be able to undertake this sporting challenge in memory of him is truly an honour," said Rodgers. “Since Derek’s passing, it’s always been my intention to raise vital funds for the Cure CJD Campaign to help develop a treatment for cure for CDJ and increase awareness and understanding of the disease"

"I also wanted to fundraise for the brilliant team who cared for Derek at St Teresa’s Hospice in Darlington to support them in continuing to care to those in need," said Rodgers. "I’m already extremely grateful for all the support and donations I’ve received from the Pelsis team, and look forward to seeing how much we can raise for these two worthy causes.”

For more information on how to donate to Chris’s Tour de Derek cycling challenge visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/raising-funds-in-memory-of-derek-hurst.