July 24, 2009 - Earlier this week, SmartMoney.com posted its latest version of the article, "10 Things Your Exterminator Won't Tell You."

As many of you may recall, this is not the first time that SmartMoney has written this piece.  In fact, it is part of an ongoing series "10 Things," which is a recurring column targeting the service industry.  It appears each month with a new target and this is the third time that professional pest management has been its focus.  The previous times were in August, 2007 and in August, 2002.  This current rendition is authored by Ryan Malkin and it is almost identical to the last version by Ken Bensinger.  In fact, SmartMoney has not even taken steps to update industry statistics.  The article is poorly researched and poorly represents the vital role our industry plays in protecting public health and safety.   

We wanted to ensure that you are aware of this article and alert you to the response the National Pest Management Association is offering through our consumer education arm, the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA).  Our Letter to the Editor includes illustrations about the importance of our work, corrects several pieces of misinformation offered in the article, and invites representatives of the publication to visit with us to learn the importance of what we do.  

We would also like to share with you some "talking points" that may be helpful if you are contacted by your customers who are concerned with the comments in the article or even by any local media who are trying to perpetuate the misinformation of the SmartMoney piece.

Please know that PPMA is on top of this issue on behalf of the industry and will continue to reach out to the publication with hopes to secure more accurate coverage for pest management in the future.

Click here to view the article.

Click here to view the Letter to the Editor.

Click here to read the Talking Points.