Highlights from the 51st annual UK Pest Control Short Course

December 27, 2022

The crowd listens to presentations at the annual University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course. PHOTO: DR. ZACHARY DEVRIES

What an event! This year’s 51st annual University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course was one of the most exciting short courses in recent memory, jam packed with new and exciting information. Anytime you have Pest Management Professional Hall of Famers Dr. Bobby Corrigan (Class of 2008) and Dr. Jerome Goddard (Class of 2012) on the same program, you know you’re in for a treat!

The short course originated over 50 years ago with the idea of providing a short training program to keep pest management professionals (PMPs) up to date on the science and technology that drives the professional pest management industry. However, over time this meeting has grown into a major conference, attracting more than 400 PCOs from Kentucky and surrounding states annually. This is an amazing event to both learn and connect with colleagues to become better pest management professionals.

Judy Black, BCE, speaks at the 51st annual University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course. PHOTO: TOM MEYERS

This year’s meeting lived up to that expectation, with talks delivered by some of the titans of our industry such as Dr. Corrigan, RMC Pest Management Consulting; Dr. Goddard, Mississippi State University; Pat Hottel, McCloud Services; Tommy Reeves, Oldham Chemicals; PMP Hall of Famer Judy Black, BCE, Rollins (Class of 2019); and Dr. Dan Suiter, University of Georgia; just to name a few! These talks covered almost every pest management topic you could think of, including rodent control, the future of pest management, delusional parasitosis, small flies, equipment and new technology, liability, ants, cockroaches, termites, spiders, stored product pests, and alien invaders. These talks approached pest control from a variety of angles from biology/behavior to practical application, giving attendees a broad view of the pest management industry.

In addition to the talks, we had a fantastic exhibit hall this year, with over 30 vendors showcasing some of the latest and greatest products and technology out there. I always appreciate getting to walk the exhibit hall and interact with the vendors; I always see something new and learn something I didn’t know before. I’m always impressed by the breadth of knowledge our vendors have and their willingness to help PMPs figure out what will work best for their companies and ensure PMPs are successful.

The crowd listens to presentations at the annual University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course. PHOTO: DR. ZACHARY DEVRIES

Overall, this year’s short course exceeded our own high expectations! We couldn’t have asked for a more educational and engaging event. It’s always a pleasure to see people in person and to host an event such as this, and I have learned to really appreciate the opportunity to serve the pest management industry by coordinating such an outstanding meeting. One of the things which makes the short course so special, is the connections attendees form with one another, and I’m proud that we were able continue this tradition again this year!

While it’s hard to imagine improving on this year’s Short Course, rest assured we are already working on next year’s program. The 2023 UK Pest Control Short Course is scheduled for Nov. 1-3, 2023, in Lexington, Ky., and is sure to be an excellent training program. Regardless of where you live, if you want to learn and improve as a PMP, you should consider attending. And as we have done for over 50 years, we proudly stand by our commitment to provide the best pest control training possible and remain the only pest control conference to offer a full refund if our attendees are not satisfied with the meeting.