Celebrate Rodent Awareness Week

FAIRFAX, VA—As the professional pest control industry knows all too well, colder weather means one of the most problematic household pests — the rodent — will infest homes in droves this winter.  To raise consumer awareness about the health and property risks of these pests, the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), has designated the week of Nov. 16 to 22, 2014, as Rodent Awareness Week.

“Our research indicates that nearly a third of Americans have had a rodent problem in the home,” says Missy Henriksen, executive director of PPMA. “As colder weather sets in across much of the country, we are using social and traditional media during this designated week to encourage homeowners to be aware of the ways rodents can enter their homes and all the risks they pose once inside.“

PPMA encourages pest control companies to join the group in its message by reminding current and potential customers – especially those in rodent-prone areas – to prevent an invasion this winter. Companies can issue press releases, talk about and share the campaign on their social media pages and ask technicians to discuss rodent dangers with their customers. The organization will launch a consumer media campaign and plans to drive conversation about rodents on its social pages, Facebook.com/PestWorld.org and on Twitter via @PestWorld.

“PPMA will be issuing a series of tweets and Facebook posts throughout the week offering rodent facts, tips, photos and educational videos and more using the hashtag #rodentawareness. We encourage companies to join us in the conversation and use the hashtag in their own social media outreach,” says Henriksen. “The louder our collective voice is, the more consumers will hear our message and engage with their local pest professional.”

PPMA has also developed a Rodent Awareness Week investor toolkit, which contains a press release template, logo, Twitter header image, Facebook cover photo, pest guide, photos and suggested social media posts for use by PPMA Guardians and Contributors. The toolkit can be downloaded from PPMATools.org, the group’s exclusive marketing hub.