2019 New York Pest Expo

The 17th edition of the The New York Pest Expo was presented Friday, November 8, 2019 at the George Washington Bridge Doubletree Hotel. We started off Veterans Day Weekend right with a salute to our defenders and by supporting the Wounded Warrior Project. Attendees viewed dozens of exhibits by major manufacturers and business support providers. And took advantage of great promotions and blowout pricing on supplies and equipment. Nobody left the Expo empty-handed!

Photos courtesy of Danielle Pesta and Marty Whitford of PMP Magazine

The 2019 Edition of the New York Pest Expo featured the following presentations:

Pest Management in the U.S. Department of Defense

Stanton Cope, Ph.D., Vice President, Technical Products and Services, Atlantic Paste and Glue – Catchmaster

Stan Cope, Ph.D., offered a brief history of the origins of medical entomology and the role military pest management has played in America’s wars. We saw examples of current-day activities during natural disasters, training exercises, civic action programs and troop deployments. We learned how military R&D has led to the development of new pest management tools.

Cope was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, where he served as a medical entomologist for 23-plus years, retiring with the rank of Captain. He has authored over 80 publications and has delivered over 100 presentations at scientific meetings.

The War on Rats – Winning Hearts and Minds

John Murphy, Technical Support Manager – Liphatech

Recent outbreaks of rodent-borne diseases have demonstrated how important rodent control is to public health safety. Nevertheless, pressures from the regulatory community and special-interest groups are making our efforts more difficult. What techniques and tools will help us prevail?

John Murphy is the Technical Support Manager for Liphatech and he has more than 38 years of pest control experience. He has assisted municipalities, health departments, government facilities, food production accounts, zoos and many sensitive accounts with rodent abatement programs.

Applying R&D Intelligence to the Front Lines

Greg Baumann, Vice President of Technical Services and Regulatory Affairs, Nisus Corp.

During this presentation, Greg Baumann, Vice President of Technical Services and Regulatory Affairs for Nisus Corp., shared examples of how university-published, peer-reviewed research findings can be successfully applied to modern pest management.

Baumann is an appointed advisor to the United Nations World Health Organization and was a co-author of two chapters in the World Health Organization’s book, The Public Health Significance of Urban Pests.

He was also instrumental in the development of NPMA Standards for Pest Management in Food Plants, coordinated with regulatory agencies, and worked extensively on global, federal, and state food safety pest management issues.

Defending the Homeland Against Invasive Ants

Faith Oi, Ph.D. University of Florida

In this session, attendees heard from Faith Oi, Ph.D., Director of Pest Management University, an academy that provides state-of-the-art education and hands-on training for the industry.

She shared tips for recognizing invasive species, effective management methods and successful techniques. We also learned what new invasive species may be heading our way.

Oi is a faculty member in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida, she works at a “grassroots-level” and does applied research to solve industry problems.

Search-and-Destroy Missions – Notorious Arthropod Predators

Lou Sorkin, BCE, Entsult Associates

We learned a lot more about some of the more amazing predacious species: ant armies, predatory arachnids, beetles, flies, assassin bugs.

Since 1978 Lou has provided entomological expertise to homeowners, businesses, associations and institutions. He has been involved in cases regarding species identification, pest management and infestations as well as the diagnosis of bites and stings as they apply to various aspects

Drawing a Red Line Against Bed Bugs

Thomas Powell, Technical Field Specialist, MGK

A review of best management practices. We’ll took a look at new formulations and the most effective active ingredients. Powell also updated us on the latest trends in assessments, treatments and monitoring.

Powell received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Urban Entomology from the University of Florida. Prior to arriving at MGK, Tommy worked sixteen years in the pest management industry as technical director.