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| Over 50 years of combined experience working in urban entomology |
| Photo © iStockphoto/Jim Jurica |
Education and Experience of Consultants
Techletter.com is the website of Pinto & Associates, Inc., a Virginia corporation, now located in Maryland. Approximately half of our business consists of consulting on pest control; the rest from pest control publications like Techletter. We have been providing consulting services since 1983.
Most of our consulting service is provided by two full-time urban entomologists, Lawrence J. Pinto and Sandra K. Kraft, with over 50 years of combined experience in urban entomology. Both also have strong backgrounds in ecology, integrated pest management (IPM), and training.
Service includes the following:
- Providing recommendations and specifications for controlling infestations of urban pests such as cockroaches, ants, rodents, bed bugs, termites, mosquitoes, and flies
- Developing site-specific IPM programs
- Assessing and providing recommendations on current pest control service in and around buildings
- Writing and producing pest control and IPM training materials
- Providing expertise in legal cases, particularly bed bug related
Sandra K. Kraft
Sandy Kraft joined Pinto & Associates, Inc. in 1985 after working as Head of the Mosquito Control Program for Fairfax County, VA. Kraft has a B.A. in Biology from the University of Colorado and an M.S. in Entomology from the University of Maryland, with a minor in botany and horticulture.
Kraft has 20 years experience evaluating general pest problems in and around buildings, and providing recommendations for their control. However, she specializes in the writing of pest control training materials. She has served as writer and editor of both Techletter and Executive Reports newsletters for the pest control industry, and has been author or co-author of several pest control publications and videos written for government and industry.
Society Memberships
- Entomological Society of America
- National Pest Management Association
Miscellaneous
- Trained in Good Laboratory Practice Standard (GLPS)
- Certified Pest Control Consultant (MD)
- Trained as Master Gardener
Lawrence J. Pinto
Larry Pinto has been a consulting urban entomologist for over 25 years. In 1983 he founded Pinto & Associates, Inc., a pest control publishing and consulting firm. Pinto earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in entomology from the University of Maryland. His secondary area of study was ecology.
Pinto consults on problems related to urban pests such as cockroaches, ants, rodents, bed bugs, termites, mosquitoes, and flies. He develops site-specific IPM programs for sites such as schools, public buildings, and large developments.
Pinto has written dozens of books and manuals on pest control and IPM, has written and published pest control newsletters (including Techletter since 1985), and has written over 200 articles about pest control. He speaks regularly at conferences around the country, and provides expert advice in legal cases. Pinto has also worked as an environmentalist evaluating environmental impacts of pesticides on projects in the U.S., Africa, and Latin America.
Society Memberships
- Entomological Society of America
- Ecological Society of America
- National Pest Management Association
- IPM Institute of North America
Miscellaneous
- Certified Instructional Designer (DSA)
- Certified Pest Control Consultant (MD, VA)
- Trained in Good Laboratory Practice Standards (GLPS)
- Licensed tree expert (MD)