In 1933, the United States repealed Prohibition with the 21st Ammendment. In the publishing world, Newsweek magazine as well as Pest Management Professional magazine (PMP), under the name Exterminators Log, were both published for the first time.

As Pat Wicker looked around the offices of Lester Humphrey Pest Control in 2006, an Abilene, Texas-based company that had been in her family for more than 60 years, her heart could genuinely swell with well-deserved pride.

What if we could design the ultimate pest, one that would make us money and drive everyone else insane? What if you could design a pest that would drive any homeowner to the point they would shoot holes in their ceilings or tear down entire walls to get rid of it?

Here's a fact few members of the general public know: At any given time during the day, you're never more than 15 feet from some type of insect.

Here's Pest Management Professional's first-ever list of pest management industry people you should know and watch

In early April, Rollins Inc., the parent company of Orkin Pest Control, acquired HomeTeam Pest Defense from Centex Corp. for a cash payment of approximately $137 million. This transaction is no small deal:

These days, many pest management professionals (PMPs) are exploring ways they can enhance their services to meet the industry's trend toward greener pest management. Our company is no exception: Slug-A-Bug is in the midst of making changes to almost every aspect of its business for overall improvement, as well as for the ability to offer "green" products and services to our customers.

It's critical that I begin by stating that without pesticides, antibiotics and fertilizers, our lives as humans would be specifically altered in a negative way. In some cases, pesticides are an offshoot of product development for the medical profession. It is the pharmaceutical industry that is the major player in pesticide research. In other cases, pesticides are first developed for agricultural use; urban pest management uses are considered bonuses.

Distinguishing between vole and mole damage can be tricky. Both pests construct tunnels, which can result in lawn and garden damage. Moles frequently get the blame for these landscape eyesores, but the real culprit may, in fact, be voles.