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Last month, the Urban Pest Management Technical Committee (UPMTC) visited Oklahoma State University (OK State) in Stillwater, Okla., to learn from their researchers and to collaborate on a stored product pest (SPP) workshop.
Working with Edmond Bonjour, OK State’s director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program, UPMTC member — and PMP Hall of Fame member, Class of 2024 — Pat Hottel, BCE, orchestrated a workshop bringing together experts from academia, manufacturing and industry to present a synoptic view of SPP management. The proceeds from the workshop, $1,100, were donated to OK State’s student-run Sanborn Entomology Club to promote entomology education and student involvement.
Forty-two attendees from across the continent met at the OK State campus for a day-and-a-half of instruction, observation and interaction around SPP management. Topics included monitoring systems, pest groups, regulatory pressure, academic research and even perspective from the food manufacturing side.
The second day included a field-based workshop at OK State’s Stored Products and Education Research Center, where attendees worked in real-world situations to see practical application of the principles presented the day before.
UPMTC also held a business meeting during the event. Jeremy Southgate, ACE, a technical support auditor for Etobicoke, Ontario-based Abell Pest Control, completed his tenure as president and passed the gavel to Bob Gilbert, BCE, PHE, the staff entomologist and technical trainer of Blue Sky Pest Control, Phoenix, Ariz. Gilbert will lead the UPMTC until its fall meeting in 2027.
About UPMTC
The Urban Pest Management Technical Committee (UPMTC) is a diverse network of pest management professionals sharing knowledge and experience to improve their ability to support pest control companies and the industry at large.
