Photo By Ismael Ortega | From right to left, Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San...... read more read more
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Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Pest Management Section spent the day showcasing how they combated the insect and animal population on the installation to the Top Three July 20, 2017.
Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd ABW and JBSA commander, Col. Lee Flemming, 502nd ABW and JBSA vice commander and Chief Master Sgt. Kristopher K. Berg, 502nd ABW and JBSA command chief, all had the opportunity to get their hands dirty spreading bait, inspecting a dining facility and checking traps with the pest controllers.
“They’re controlling nature and making it a better place for all our joint base mission partners and allowing us to carry on with our missions,” said Pringle. “There are great professionals and it’s really been a great day to be able to spend with them.”
The pest controllers use a systematic approach to find the best solution for each problem like traps for quick fixes or bait for long term solutions. The bait is slow acting, which doesn’t alert the source or cause of the pest’s death to the rest of the population thus greatly increasing the number of those exposed.
The pest controllers also understand the behavioral process of the animals and insects they deal with and take proactive steps with surveys and screens to prevent infestations in the first place.
“Pest can really interfere with people’s emotions, their day, their quality of life,” said Edward Balfour, JBSA-Lackland Pest Management Section pest controller. “(Pest) can also directly affect the mission, you don’t want rats chewing on wires.”
The six man team face animals as large as feral pigs to insects as small as bed bugs with various traps, bait, and pesticides. They diligently close work orders as fast as they receive them and work hard to build rapport with customers as they handle their specific pest problems.
“Really that’s what it comes down to, making sure that the customer is able to work, is happy about the job that we do,” said Jorge Ortiz, JBSA-Lackland Pest Management Section pest controller. “I tell the new people that come in that this job (is) 90 percent customer service, making sure that you make them feel comfortable, and 10 percent bugs.”
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2017 08:47 |
| Story ID: | 243353 |
| Location: | LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX, US |
| Hometown: | LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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