Important Update
Inspector Update
We at PPMA hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July weekend!

Questions/concerns about getting credits? Check out this page from PA Department of Ag that has a lot of links to find online training opportunites. Jess Lenker of the Dept. is also available for more in depth questions: (717) 772-5217 jeslenker@pa.gov

Don't forget about the educational opportunities found on NPMA's website where you can find all sorts of online learning. Check out the Online Learning Center here.
Welcome Our New Members!
Bug King Pest Solutions, LLC - Stroudsburg, PA
Ritenour Custom Lawn Care Inc. - Butler, PA
2020 Platinum Partners
Industry News
EPA faces suit over plan to release genetically engineered mosquitoes
NPMA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a lawsuit over its approval of a plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas. Several groups, including the Center for Food Safety, the International Center for Technology Assessment and Friends of the Earth filed a  notice of intent to sue   on Friday. They alleged that the EPA violated the law by failing to consult with wildlife agencies before determining that the mosquitoes will not pose risks to threatened species. Read more.
Contact Congress Today: Maintain Small Business Exemptions
NPMA - Congress has indicated they will focus on their next COVID-19 Relief package in July, so NPMA has created a month long campaign to spotlight COVID-19 bills our industry cares about. Each week we will be asking you to participate in a voter voice on a specific bill to raise awareness on Capitol Hill. NPMA will also be tweeting and sending a letter from Dominque Stumpf, NPMA’s CEO, to Congress outlining our concerns.
 
We have a window to make a difference and we need your help.
 
This week’s campaign focuses on a provision in the recent House-passed bill, The HEROES Act. Currently if you have 50 or fewer employees you can qualify for an exemption from providing COVID-19 specific paid leave. It's not automatic, and you do have to document that you meet all the qualifications Department of Labor lays out, but if offering an employee paid leave for COVID-19 related reasons would "jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern" then you have a recourse through this exemption. (More information is available on NPMA’s website here .) The HEROES ACT would remove this exemption entirely, leaving no recourse for businesses under 50 employees.
 
We need you to reach out to your Senators and explain that removing this exemption would be hurtful to small businesses. If The HEROES Act or any similar legislation receives a vote in the Senate, we urge them to remove this exemption. Take action today through our VoterVoice and tell your Senator to retain this key small business exemption.
Eastern Region Monthly Meeting Offered via Zoom
The Eastern Region will be hosting their July monthly meeting via Zoom on July 9th ! J onathan Davis (Syngenta) and Ed VanIstendal (Ensystex) will be presenting "Roaches, Labels - What you need to know." 

Have You Renewed Your Joint NPMA/PPMA Membership Yet?
You can renew your joint membership by clicking here! We would love to see you stay with us as there are a lot of great things in store this coming year!
Academy 2020 is now Virtual!
NPMA - NPMA’s 25th Academy kicks-off next week!  Sign up now   to experience the full 8-week virtual program, or choose the a la carte registration option to pick the sessions that appeal to you and fit your schedule.
 
Academy isn't just fun and games, this year there are more opportunities to attend the  Academy Learning Labs  to expand your business knowledge, and two inspiring  keynote speakers  with presentations that will elevate your life professionally and impact the way you lead your team.

Silver Partners
Pests In the News
Heather Gooch, PMP - Social distancing at home means we all have a lot more time on our hands. But instead of starting a sourdough bread recipe or finally getting around to finishing that crochet afghan begun in 1998 (two things I have talked about doing, but have yet to do), I learned that two Los Angles, Calif.-based entomologists have been putting their open schedules to good use.

According to  Wired.com , Lisa Gonzalez, assistant entomology collection manager for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, and Brian Brown, the museum’s curator of entomology, have discovered nine new phorid fly species as they worked their way through a collection in their respective home laboratories.

Gonzalez temporarily converted her craft room for the cause; news reports do not say whether Brown had an existing home lab pre COVID-19.

Per Wired:

"The insects, mostly small flies, wasps, and wasplike flies, had been collected through the  BioSCAN project , which began in 2012 with insect traps set at 30 sites throughout Los Angeles, mostly in backyards or public spaces. The pair recruited volunteers who were then trained in how to use the “Malaise traps,” which resemble two-person pup tents that force bugs to fly upward into collecting nets before the volunteers can put them into vials.

Normally, Gonzalez and other biologists would use DNA bar-coding to identify different species. It’s a multistep process that takes a few hours of chemical preparation and gives spot-on results. The museum’s DNA sequencer uses a method called polymerase chain reaction to amplify the genetic material from each insect, which then can be compared to a reference of existing DNA barcodes.

With that device back at the museum, Gonzalez switched to the analog instrument that has served biologists since the 17th century: a microscope."

It’s painstaking work, but ultimately rewarding, both Gonzalez and Brown told Wired. And it confirms a conceit of which pest management professionals are already well aware: There’s still a lot about insect biology and behavior left to learn.

Full article here .
Pest World for Kids!
Kids grade K through 8 might want to check out Pest World for Kids this summer! There are ebooks, crafts, games and more to educate and entice a young learner, especially the kids that love creepy crawlies! Check it out now!
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