Special Feature
An Entomologist's LIfe in the Pest Management Industry [pdf]
Harvey Haggard
Entomologist, Retired
Received: 1-XI-2007
Upon finishing my undergraduate
degree, I went to work for E.L. Bruce Co. in Memphis, TN in their Technical
Department as an entomologist. I was
assigned to the Terminix Division. At that time there were only two entomologists on staff.
In 1956 Terminix was 100%
franchised and my main job was to provide technical assistance to the licensees
from coast to coast. Most of the requests
called for training pest control and termite technicians as to how to properly
treat structures according to Terminix standards. Salesmen were also given this training so they
could knowledgably sell services to customers.
Training programs were developed
utilizing 35 mm slide lectures on how to properly treat structures. In just a few months we had produced several
programs and our small technical department was flooded with requests from
licensees for training seminars. The
two of us were kept on the road giving two-day seminars from coast to coast.
As Terminix grew so did the
demands on the Technical Department. Terminix
added entomologists specializing in certain phases of technical duties, one
in general pest management and the other in termite control. Courses were developed for training pest control
technicians and termite control technicians. They were required to complete these courses, including written examinations,
before they were released to go on their routes.
A Technical Director and
I wrote the original Pest Control Manual which is still in use after 42 years. It illustrated and gave general information on insects that technicians
would encounter in their daily activities and gave them a quick reference
to answer customer questions. A termite manual was written by another entomologist
guiding termite technicians through their daily routines.
As the years went on, licensees
retired and sold their franchises back to Corporate Terminix. Those franchises that grew to enormous sizes
were taken over by family offspring. They
developed their own technical departments and hired technical specialists
to make sure the franchise conformed to Corporate Terminix standards.
As company-owned branches
continued to develop in large numbers, Terminix split the country into East,
West and Central Divisions. Within
each division regions were developed, each with their own Technical Specialist
to train technicians and to make sure each office in a region conformed to
company, state and federal guidelines in termite and pest control treatments
and proper chemical storage.
My duties were two-fold;
over the span of 42 years I gained knowledge in specialized fields such as
breweries, distilleries, pharmaceutical operations, meat and poultry operations,
food processing plants, hospitals, museums and zoos.
All of these operations had
very sensitive areas where pesticides could not be used. In such cases we would have to resort to mechanical
means of control. There were many cases
where I worked with the maintenance department recommending screens for windows,
making screen caps for roof vents and installing air doors for open doors. We even used sound devices aimed over conveyor belt openings into plants
to keep out rodents, which worked.
Some of these plants came
under the jurisdiction of FDA and USDA. In
order to treat these plants one had to have knowledge of their regulations. Most of these food industry accounts were very large operations and
Terminix would send me to initially program the plant and set up the treatment
plan. These accounts were located from coast to coast
and a great deal of travel was involved.
My main responsibility was
to the Central Division, Mid-South Region. Typically, a region could have from 16 to 30 branches, and some of
the larger cities had multiple branches. These cities were Chicago, Memphis,
Nashville, Birmingham, Dallas, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. I might spend three days in these cities monitoring
2 to 3 branches. I met with the branch
manager and service manager. I would
monitor customer complaints and help solve them if needed. The state operation license was checked and
I acted as liaison between Terminix and the state officials. Training records were monitored for timely training
completion. Chemical inventory was
reviewed to be sure proper materials were being used for particular services. Truck equipment was checked to be sure it was in good working order.
I would ride for a few hours
with the service technicians who were having problems and make recommendations. Usually a service meeting was held to review technicians’ questions,
introduce new equipment and chemicals, or new treating techniques.
I had the opportunity to
field-test materials and equipment for several major chemical companies. Sometimes I worked directly with their chemists
and entomologists offering solutions to problems that might occur with their
products in the field.
R & D was a big part
of my work. Using selected branches, testing was done on various soil types,
various surfaces, and in hot, cold or humid conditions. I worked with USDA lab entomologists around
the country on projects of interest to the pest management industry. I acted as liaison between Terminix and various
universities which performed research in the fields of entomology and chemistry.
Another duty I became involved
in was technical assistance to the Corporate Terminix legal department. They maintained a staff of attorneys that coordinated and oversaw lawsuits
that various branches around the country became involved in. Many times I had to testify in court on treatment techniques, entomology
and chemical reactions on surfaces and in soil. That was the part of my work
I disliked the most as I was never comfortable in courtrooms.
Environmental Surveys of
commercial accounts with areas sensitive to chemicals involved analyzing sanitation
problems and suggesting solutions in their pest management programs. These surveys were done quarterly so as to stay ahead of small problems
before they became major. Surveys involved analyzing problems with the account
customer, developing a written report for customer management, pointing out
sanitation problems and making suggestions to solve problems. I lectured on Environmental Surveys at various conferences, such as
National Pest Management Association, Purdue University, some state conferences,
and the Brewmasters Convention. These
lectures became a large part of my job in the latter years of my career.
In more recent years, research
has moved away from pesticide use and more toward forms of biological control,
a boon to the environment.
My life with Terminix was
very gratifying. I made many friends
from all walks of life, many of whom I stay in contact with.
For those young people looking
for a challenge in entomology I would recommend a career in R & D or teaching.