Click this link to sign up: https://ppma.wildapricot.org/event-4045090

If you are having difficulty signing up for the class as a member, send us an email at [email protected] or [email protected].

Focus Pest Control - Dillsburg, PA

E & J Termite and Pest Control - Beverly, NJ

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today released a weekly status update detailing the state’s mitigation efforts based on the COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard, highlighting a seven-day case increase of 41,424 cases, statewide percent positivity of 11.7%, and 66 of 67 counties with substantial transmission status. 

“Pennsylvania continues to trend in the wrong direction as COVID-19 continues to spread,” Gov. Wolf said. “Last week, we took a number of mitigation steps designed to reverse this trend and help protect Pennsylvanians. We need all Pennsylvanians to follow these measures as part of their collective responsibility to protect one another. I remain convinced that by working together Pennsylvanians can stop the spread of this virus.”

“This week’s data, and the one week change in the rate of hospitalizations and ventilator use is a reminder to us all of our role in protecting our health care system,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Latest models continue to indicate very concerning trends for our hospital availability and ICU bed availability. We know COVID-19 does not discriminate and is affecting every county in the commonwealth. It is affecting all Pennsylvanians, no matter your race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status or whether you live a rural, suburban or urban area.”

As of Friday’s data, Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York counties were in the substantial level of community transmission.

Cases by demographic group is available on the DOH website.

Compared to data reported on November 23, this week’s data indicated an increase for people who reported going to a restaurant (51 percent vs. 48 percent last week), going to a salon/barbershop (8 percent vs. 7 percent last week), and slight increases for those going to some other business (24.5 percent vs. 24 percent last week) and going to a bar (15.3 percent vs. 15 percent last week). The data saw a decrease for people who reported going to a gym/fitness center (10 percent vs. 14 percent last week). The number of those who attended a mass gathering or other large event decreased to 13 percent from 16.3 percent last week.

This week, the Department of Health provided an updated travel order requiring anyone over the age of 11 who visits from another state to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test or place themselves in a travel quarantine for 14 days upon entering Pennsylvania.

It is important that people understand that this Order is in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. A concerning number of recent cases have been linked to travel, and if people are going to travel, we need them to take steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community, and that involves having either a negative test, or placing themselves in a travel quarantine.

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Stay up-to-date with current PA COVID-19 mitigation efforts at the link below.

 ENHANCE YOUR BED BUG BUSINESS AT THE GLOBAL BED BUG SUMMIT

Register early! Rates increase after November 15!

What can you expect from this virtual conference? This is much more than a collection of webinars or Zoom meetings! From interactive discussions with industry experts, networking opportunities with like-minded peers, and 24/7 access to EXPO Central, attendees will walk away from this virtual experience with a greater understanding of the latest technology and research covering all-things bed bugs. 

When: Wednesday, December 9, 2020 2-3 pm

Nancy Troyano, Ph.D., BCE, Rentokil North America, Reading, PA

Digital misinformation is becoming more prevalent with the widespread use of social media. At any given time, you may log onto Facebook or Twitter and see "the invasive kissing bug", "miracle ant cures", or “homemade insect repellent”. There is a lot of information to sort through and it’s tough to figure out what is accurate or misleading. In this day and age especially, we need to remain vigilant and educated on how to use social media responsibly for science and science communication. Learn how to determine what’s a tall tale and find reliable sources so that you can have accurate information to tell your customers the next time they come across an alarming, not-true story.

When: February 1-3, 2021

Where: Caribe Royale, Orlando, FL

Join the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) for an educational program that will provide both technical and business-related information to professionals who are involved in wildlife management or are considering offering this valuable add-on service. The program at the Wildlife Expo combines training and education with networking opportunities and the chance to check out the newest technology and services in the Exhibit Hall. Whether you are a large company or a one-man shop, use this opportunity to grow this segment of your business by attending this unique meeting.

If you are a veteran, employ a veteran, or are interested in joining the PestVets group, please let us know! Contact Bridget Cole Whitman at [email protected].

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. If you are considering participating in GivingTuesday, or another form of end of year gift, please consider the Pest Management Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides university scholarships for the next generation of urban entomologists and funds practical pest control research at universities across the country. Donations are fully tax deductible. To make donation, visit the secure fundraising page.

Rat school is in session as fed-up New Yorkers try to learn how to deal with a surging rodent population.

Rats as big as bunnies are roaming the streets in broad daylight, nesting in trees and chewing through car engine wires that can cost thousands to fix. And there are so many that residents are kvetching about them every chance they get — 311 hotline complaints about rats have totaled 12,632 so far this year — a third more than the 9,042 for all of 2019.

With the Upper West Side teeming with the hungry critters, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and the city Health Department sponsored the latest incarnation of “Rat Academy,” two hours of rat prevention training livestreamed Tuesday to nearly four dozen supers, tenants and homeowners. The city began such training sessions about 10 years ago.

Gail Dubov, president of the West 83rd Street Block Association, has a “Ph.D in Rat Academy” from sitting in on a couple of sessions, including Tuesday’s. “Rats are devious,” she pronounced with authority, “and they’re smart.”

Dozens who belong to Upper West Siders for Safer Streets have posted their gargantuan vermin sightings on Facebook, including Melanie Sloan, whose daughter is Scarlett Johansson.

“Central Park is overrun with huge fat rats,” Sloan wrote. “I saw a man on a bench in the rambles swatting them unsuccessfully with a rake.”

Not a day goes by that Amanda Levine doesn’t see at least one rat. She sprays her Jeep Grand Cherokee with a cocktail of cinnamon and mint oils and water — under the hood and on all four wheel bearings — to ward off the critters. In her apartment complex, at 107th Street between Amsterdam and Broadway, her neighbors tell her they hear scratching behind the walls.

Levine ticks off four reasons why she thinks rats have invaded the UWS: outdoor dining, more homeless New Yorkers, shoddy street cleaning and the biggest — trash not being picked up often enough, both from the cans on sidewalk corners and the stacks of bags hauled to the curb by building supers.

The Department of Sanitation is responsible for both street cleaning and garbage collection. Spokesman Joshua Goodman told The Post that DSNY is committed to keeping the city clean and reducing the rat population.

“Only when residents, businesses, and the City work together can we address a problem that is as old and as persistent as the City of New York itself,” Goodman said.

Kids grade K through 8 might want to check out Pest World for Kids! 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!