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San Diego - Photo Booth Fundraiser for Haiti

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Clark Needs You... to help raise money for the hospitals in Haiti devastated by the earthquake and now suffering from uncontrolled pest infestations. A photo booth where you walk in, pose and get a photo strip will be set up on the beach. For every person that takes their picture in the booth between 1 and 5 p.m. on August 7, Clark Pest Control will donate $5 to the Pest Management Pledge.

The Fundraiser will be at Imperial Beach in the Clark tent during the U.S. Sandcastle Competition.

For more information, location and map click here!

Haiti - A Picture says a 1000 words - Day 2 continued

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Here is a shot of me in front of the National Hospital in Haiti. This is in the  

front parking lot, no Photoshop was used I swear. The dumpsters were  

overflowing with garbage and medical waste. I hope this can change  

someday!

The streets are tough on ambulance tires too but you wouldn't want to  

be treated here anyway really.

No screens on the windows of the pediatric ward to slow the Flys or  

Mosquitos. The gaps under the door allows rats to enter the ward. One  

doctor stated that when they come in the nurses yells at the rats to  

shoo them away.

Haiti-Through the eyes of Terry Clark - Day 2

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It is not just the small old buildings that were damaged. This modern  

highrise was hurt too

Haiti Report - First Photo of Terry's Arrival

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We have just heard from Terry, he has arrived in Haiti and will begin his work shortly.

11:06 am - UPDATE

Was notified that UN Peacekeepers are in full effect. Terry is on his way to meet with the Minister of the Environment.

Current weather conditions:

90 degrees
90 percent humidity

Clark Pest Control official from Lodi on a mission to help Haiti

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 Terry Clark, of Clark Pest Control, will be traveling to Haiti this week to offer ideas to help control that nation's rampant pest problem. Since the massive January earthquake, Haiti has been overrun by cockroaches and rats that are spreading disease. (Jordan Guinn/News-Sentinel)

By Jordan Guinn
News-Sentinel Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 6:21 AM PDT

Rats are gorging themselves on corpses, cockroaches are crawling over the infirm and the Haitian government is asking for help.

Terry Clark of Clark Pest Control in Lodi is answering the Haitian government's call to help draw up a plan to deal with the nation's rampant pest problems after the massive January earthquake. The nation reached out to the National Pest Management Association, a non-profit dedicated to protecting public health, and some of its delegates. Haiti was ravaged by poverty long before the earthquakes struck. Since the January quake, the Third World country is in even worse shape. The World Health Organization reports that infectious and parasitic diseases account for 24 percent of registered deaths for children ages 5 to 9 years old.

"Since it sometimes rains in Haiti, it's a little better than Hell," Clark said.

The vice president of Clark Pest Control in Lodi is as ready as he can be for his trip. Having been vaccinated for Typhoid fever, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Hepatitis already, Clark joked that he was going to don a flea collar during his three-day excursion to the island country. He leaves Wednesday and returns to the United States on Friday.

The visit will focus on what hospitals and the numerous tent cities are doing to combat their fly, cockroach and rodent problems.

Clark and colleagues will set traps to help them estimate the populations of rats and cockroaches in problem areas. Whatever methods of pest control they adopt will have to be easy to put into practice and can't fully revolve around the use of toxic chemicals since the rainy season is set to begin soon. Toxic chemicals could wash away and make a bad situation worse, he said.

One way Clark intends to fight the outbreak of rats is through bucket traps filled with soapy water and sunflower seeds. The seeds lure the rats into the five-gallon buckets where they drown in the soapy water, Clark said.

Using the traps will help figure out where the population of rodents is the most concentrated and where the extermination efforts should be focused.

This week's mission is one of several planned by the National Pest Management Association to curb the pest population explosion and give Haitians the tools to handle the issue.

The task will be difficult, Clark said, because the overwhelming majority of the country is illiterate.

"We will have to train with diagrams and pictograms," he said. "Training will be critical."

The 12 members of the delegation have held conference calls and done preliminary research about what they are up against, Clark said, but he admitted that much of it is guesswork until they actually land and figure out what they are dealing with.

"I'm expecting the worst," he said.

Clark is wise to expect the worst, said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association.

"Everything going on right now is hearsay, but there are real examples of problems," she said. "The latrines so are infested with flies, residents are choosing not to use them and relieving themselves outside instead. That is adding insult to injury."

Although Clark and his constituents will be focusing on flies, rats and cockroaches, they must also be worried about mosquitos carrying Dengue fever, a virus spread by the insects. Dengue fever can cause a rash and the body's temperature to skyrocket to as high as 105 degrees.

If Clark is bitten by a mosquito carrying Dengue fever, he can pass it along to others when he returns stateside.

"If I'm bitten and then that mosquito bites someone else, they will contract Dengue fever," he said. "The Center for Disease Control said 100 percent of the mosquitos in Haiti are carrying it."

While the disease isn't deadly, Clark said he isn't taking any chances. He's brought extra mosquito nets and hopes everyone in his group does the same, because he isn't about to share.

Clark is taking every precaution to insure he returns safely.

He's bringing his own suture and syringe kit in case he is injured and can treat himself. The water in Haiti is largely undrinkable as well. To combat this, Clark is bringing his own and plans on wearing earplugs and chewing gum while showering to prevent water from accidentally entering his body.

While supportive, Clark said his both his wife and mother have reservations about the mission.

He and his wife are in the process of arranging a surrogacy and Clark said his doctor has concerns about his trip as well. Clark understands their worries but said this is something he has to do.

"What we do as an industry is protect people," he said. "This is a chance for us to put our money where our mouth is."

Clark will have a satellite phone on him and plans to blog about his experiences. To read his blog, visit blog.clarkpest.com.

Contact reporter Jordan Guinn at jordang@lodinews.com.

CLARK PEST CONTROL EXECUTIVE ASKED TO AID HAITI

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Clark Pest Control EXECUTIVE ASKED TO AID HAITI GOVERNMENT WITH POST-EARTHQUAKE PEST ISSUES

Terry Clark Traveling to Haiti with National Pest Management Association to

Assess & Treat the Country's Pest Management Needs

LODI, Calif. (April 28, 2010) - We are all aware of the destruction caused by the major earthquake that hit Port au Prince, Haiti on January 12^th.  While the country is still dealing with widespread damage to its infrastructure and health and safety issues for its people, there are other major concerns that are not often discussed - like bugs. 

The Haitian government recently called upon the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and a select group of its delegates to assist the country in dealing with pest and rodent control. Terry Clark, vice president of Clark Pest Control in Lodi, Calif., was asked to participate in this effort because of his previous work with the NPMA Board of Directors.  Terry is known to be a ‘creative thinker' and they need this type of out-of-the-box thinking to build action plans and guide the implementation of the pest management solutions in the Haiti disaster area.  

"I am thrilled at the opportunity help with this relief effort in Haiti," said Terry Clark, vice president, Clark Pest Control.  "The personal risks are there but it is important that we share the resources and technology we have with a community that truly needs our help because I know we can go over there and make a real difference."

The NPMA team is focusing on three major pest problems in the tent cities and the hospitals.  Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas are overrun with pests including flies, rodents and cockroaches, and it is causing major health and safety concerns for the Haitian people. Yet the pest control plans must take many issues into consideration - including the heat and humidity, especially as we are nearing the onset of hurricane season.

Some of the health risks posed by the pests include the transmission of pathogens and bacteria such as E-coli and Salmonella that can result in illness and disease, increased potential for asthma attacks and respiratory distress due to cockroach and rodent allergens and food contamination.  In addition, the flies are so bad in the latrines that people are choosing not to use them and leaving their personal waste outside instead.

 "This will by far be the largest rodent control job I have personally worked on," said Terry Clark. "And I have seen infestations exceeding 10,000 rats at one property."

While Terry is in Haiti participating in the Haitian Relief effort, Clark Pest Control will be tracking his work and experience through an online blog at http://blog.clarkpest.com.

The primary mission of this first delegation leaving May 5^th is to assess current pest issues and potential infestation risk factors.  The group of NPMA delegates will then determine the number of follow-up visits needed to implement control measures and monitor the results moving forward.

"The Haitian people are facing a long and hard recovery and it is important that we provide continued support that will see them through," added Clark.

Note:
Throughout Terry's visit, Terry Clark will be in close contact so be prepared for updates on the work he will be doing.