Washington State Pest Management Association

From the Desk of the Prez Luke Rambo, Rambo Total Pest Control, WSPMA President

I hope the new year has been treating you all well. I can tell you this mild winter has got me thinking we will be in store for a very busy spring and summer pest season! Many of us believe that if we are not planning for July and August in January and February, the busy season will fly right by before we are able to capitalize on it. With that said, we need quality people in the field to serve our customers and bring in the revenue. Each Spring there are a lot of new pest control and lawn care recruits who are being hired and trained to be ready for the busy season. Of course they are required to pass their Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) exams so they can receive their licenses and get to work in their new career. Read the president's full letter!

Need to test for your pesticide license?

As Luke mentioned in his letter, the WSDA is trying to accommodate our industry and the need to get new hires licensed by busy season! While this still does not address the location issue that has been brought up by Members in the past, it will hopefully alleviate the long wait to get in to test. So please, mark your calendars and register to test in Olympia - there will be room for 150 people to test! When: Tuesday, March 26 Where: Hotel Red Lion Olympia Call WSDA to register: (877) 301-4555 Please note that there have been security changes in the check in process at the Olympia testing facility. You are now required to check in on the main floor rotunda before being escorted to the testing room.

Upcoming Events Workshop Available! March 18, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm $35 WSPMA Members / $40 Non-Members The WSPMA is going to take advantage of the vast knowledge our Vendors offer and has invited Nick Grisafe (Syngenta) to come in and discuss pollinator health and pyrethroid use. Upcoming Events

Member Submitted Stories

Thank you to Billy Olesen for submitting this awesome story from KOMO News regarding Seattle's fight on Bed Bugs. "As recently as 2014, Seattle was the 13th worst city in the nation for bed bugs. And each year since then, the city has improved, dropping lower and lower on the list. The rankings for each year are based on how many bed bug treatments Orkin has performed in each metro area.  The worst city in the nation for bed bugs? It's Baltimore, which has had the dubious distinction of being No. 1 for bed bugs for the past three years in a row." Full Article

Much has changed around the Puget Sound over the past half-century. Amid growing populations, increasing traffic and rising skylines, one constant has remained – Eastside Exterminators, the leading pest control expert in the region, which celebrates its 50 th anniversary in 2019. Since 1969, Eastside Exterminators has committed itself to protecting homes and families from pests of all kinds. The company vision, “Our Family Protecting Families,” is the foundation of the Eastside culture. The company has been family-owned since its inception, and President Deanna Townsend and CEO Alex Altizer are second-generation owners. Full Article

Aleah Malizia, new PR Manager for Cascade Pest Control Cascade Pest Control  and Aleah have grown up together. The business was started by her folks—Kurt Treftz and Diana Sheridan—when she was two years old. She grew up around the fledgling company that grew with various employees, some of them becoming close friends of hers over the years. Aleah later became a licensed pest control technician servicing one of Cascade’s routes before now becoming the company’s first Public Relations Manager.

Do you have a story you'd like to share with our Association? Would you like to advertise or sponsor an event?