It is a somber Easter weekend as I write this newsletter. The death toll due to COVID-19 in the U.S. alone is 29,604 and 108,862 worldwide. There are 529,887 confirmed cases in the U.S. and 1,777,517 confirmed cases worldwide.We hope that you are well, healthy, and working safely.

Every business and every person must decide on the level of risk they are willing to take while working in the age of COVID-19. The federal guidance document listing “exterminators” as an essential service is exactly that–guidance. It does not require us to work, but this designation recognizes the importance of pest control in maintaining the public infrastructure. (Expand subheading “”Public Works and Infrastructure Support Services” https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce).

We have been working along side you on two initiatives to support you in Leading Your Company as an Essential Service.

First, maintaining your CEUs. A couple of weekends ago I started texting some of our industry friends to create a webinar series in gratitude for all that you do as an essential service to protect us. Our friends answered almost immediately.

The webinars are FREE. See Upcoming Training Opportunities. Dr. Dini Miller and Dr. Bobby Corrigan will start our series! Let us know if you need another state besides FL and GA. We will do our best. Please share the registration links below with anyone who might benefit.
Our second initiative: In partnership with Kemp Anderson (https://kempanderson.com/about/), we’ve created a series of articles intended to help navigate the business and science during this time of COVID-19. It starts with Basic FAQs of working as an essential service, which includes the White House models of how long the first wave might last (early June if everyone practices full social distancing through May), and the Potential Economics of #COVID19–which was concerning as GS was expecting a 24% contraction in the economy from April to June, negative 10% GDP in April that fades gradually, and tips on working with customers based on how THEY define an essential service. The first two have a lot of information that we hope will be helpful. Find the article series here. We will continue to add information as long as it is needed. https://pestmanagementuniversity.org/

If someone asked you why you are an essential service, what would you say?
Here’s my elevator speech. “The pest control industry protects the public health, mental health and property including critical infrastructure from pests. We protect hospitals, assisted care facilities, nursing homes, schools, every government building, the places you eat, work, and play from pests such as rodents, bed bugs, asthma-triggering cockroaches, medically important stinging insects, wildlife, and pests that contaminate the food supply chain. Pest control services improve and protect our health, the places we live and work, the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. We are the most effective defense against mosquitoes, ticks, rodents, cockroaches, flies, and other public health pests including those that transmit pathogens that cause Zika, Dengue, West Nile, Lyme disease, and a host of food-borne pathogens. We also protect animal health (and yours) by controlling fleas that can carry tapeworm, mosquitoes that carry heartworm, and ticks that transmit numerous pathogens. We are often the first line of defense against invasive species such as the Formosan and Asian termites that damage not only structures, but contents, including paper documents. And we do this while putting your safety first, so you may see us doing some things differently than you are used to.”

I am proud of this industry, can you tell? Nevertheless, I highly recommend evaluating the intent of “exterminators” being included as an “essential service” as you determine what is right for you and your company. Stay safe!

By Faith Oi, foi@ufl.edu