Rich Muscarella, head of Ashland Pest Control in Buffalo, N.Y., has been awarded an Excellence in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) from the New York State IPM Program at Cornell University for his proactive, least-risk approach to solving pest problems for clients ranging from a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant to a 250-bed hotel.

When asked to eradicate cockroaches from the city of Buffalo's public school system, for example, Muscarella, who works with Cornell's IPM Program, did not just jump for a spray gun but showed the district how to combat pests by incorporating such preventive IPM methods as scrupulous sanitation. Thanks in part to Muscarella's coaching and advocacy, the Buffalo school district has received the rigorously audited IPM Institute of North America's STAR School IPM Certification.

Muscarella, who says he holds contracts with 80 percent of Buffalo's hotels, sees bedbugs emerging as a major problem in his field. He supplies hotel general managers with training materials for their staff. "You need the full cooperation of all employees," he says. "It's got to be a proactive, joint effort. Everyone has to know what to look for."

Muscarella will receive his award April 5 at the National IPM Symposium in St. Louis.