Pest Industry Survey Asks "What's Bugging America?"

Fredericksburg, VA. - Tolerance may be a virtue, but not one that's widely shared by Americans when it comes to dealing with pests.  That's the finding of a consumer survey released by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

            "People simply hate pests and with good reason.  Pests carry disease; they cause damage to homes and buildings, plus, they can be a real nuisance," says Jerry McLawhorn, president of the Virginia Pest Management Association. " This national consumer survey demonstrates just how strongly people react to pests and gives us a chance to remind consumers that the best place to turn for help is the pest management professional. PMPs are trained and certified to not only correctly identify pests but also use the most effective means to eliminate them." 

Click here to print this article.

            Seven out of 10 Americans correctly identified termites as the most damaging pest to homes and buildings.  Not surprisingly, given the destructive nature of termites, they also led the list of pests that would prompt consumers to turn to a pest management

professional for help in ridding their homes of the troublesome pests - 87% would seek professional help with termites compared to only 10% who would try to handle the problem themselves.

            With warm temperatures here to stay, PMPs are geared up for the busy pest management season, which has been known to start as early as late February in parts of Virginia.

            Roper Starch Worldwide conducted the random telephone survey of 1,000 adults in the U.S. for NPMA.  For more information about pests and pest management, contact the Virginia Pest Management Association at 1-877-875-8722 or visit the VPMA website at http://www.vpmaonline.com/

           VPMA is a professional organization of approximately 220 member companies employing over 3000 people throughout Virginia and generating over $300 million in annual revenues.