I've been reading a great page from the folks over at StopPest.org that teaches managers of multi-family housing how to shop for a pest management professional. My two favorite takeaways:
1) Know the difference between IPM and green technologies. Green more often than not refers to carbon impact. Green can be recycling office materials, fuel-efficient vehicles, or using energy-efficient light bulbs. And while it can also mean using lower-impact chemicals, that does not translate into being green per se. Remember, if it kills insects, it is toxic.
2) Identifying the insect is critical to proper treatment. This is why entomology is such an important part of being a PMP.
And that is the real value of the BCE and ACE programs. We exist so that the public can rely on the fact that their PMP knows what the creature is and can treat it effectively and as safely as possible.
