April is a busy time for us in pest management. It's Spring which means our customers are
calling as pests that have been dormant through the winter are emerging. And, it's Pest Management Month which is a time to celebrate the wonderful things our industry does year-round.
For so many of us, pest management is a family affair. I grew up in this industry just like so many of our members did. This gives me a lifelong appreciation of the work that we do. As a child, I watched closely as my father worked to help his customers and enjoyed helping him with our family business.
I vividly remember going on calls with my father as he treated his customer's properties and helped them prevent pest infestations. And, it was always fun to go under homes to search for termites and discover the things you see in crawl spaces.
And, I also remember my excitement and nerves on the day that I started on my own pest management route as a college student.
As an adult now I have a new appreciation for our industry and how we make our customers lives easier. It's still as exciting to me as it was as a kid but in a completely different way.
Pest management is an ever-changing industry that always introduces a new technique or treatment for pests. Every day we find new ways of helping our customers, and that's what keeps us moving forward. I am thankful that the North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) provides year-round training for its members to help us stay up-to-date on our industry's latest developments.
I'm thankful to be a part of the NCPMA and the wonderful community of professionals that it represents. Happy Pest Management Month!
--Dana McDuffie is the president of the North Carolina Pest Management Association. She works at McDuffie Pest Control in Elizabethtown, N.C.
