Pest Control: Civil Engineers work to keep base free of rodents, insects

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David Y. Zheng
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The control of rodents, insects, roadkill and other unappetizing vermin on Barksdale is the responsibility of the 2d Civil Engineer Pest Management Section. 

"Barksdale is pretty active as far as bugs go, it's got a pretty good climate for it. The humidity down here is pretty conducive to their growth," said Master Sgt. Dennis Willett, Pest Management NCOIC. "The biggest problems I foresee are mosquitoes because of all this rain we just had." 

Pest Management also deals with vegetation infestations as well, particularly if it affects the flightline. 

Sergeant Willett explains, "if there is a problem with the grass and the growth it's going to start tearing up the concrete. If the grass gets too long it becomes a harborage for rodents and if rodents come in then birds come in. Then there is a big bird air strike hazard for B-52 flights." 

The old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, applies to pest control.
"Sanitation is a big one, making sure that your house is clean so that way the pests don't have any reason to come in," says Sergeant Willett. 

But, if a pest problem already exists, all base personnel must carefully read labels of any chemical products they may use. 

"If it's telling you to wear gloves then wear gloves because this stuff isn't like sugar water, there are actually toxic chemicals in there that you can actually hurt yourself," says Sergeant Willett. "We're working with toxic chemicals all the time. If we don't wear our safety equipment and we aren't safe we can actually kill ourselves. There are pesticides out there you take one smell of it you'll be like what's that garlicky smell and you're going down for the count." 

Sergeant Willett has been killing pests for the Air Force for 20 years. 

"I wouldn't change this job for anything else I like it, I like doing it," said Sergeant Willett.
Life in pest management isn't all fun and games however."Sometimes our job isn't all that glamorous we have to go out and get roadkill and have to find those dead animal smells in places," said Sergeant Willett. 

Once he got a call about a dead animal smell coming from underneath a trailer. 

"There was a trailer I had to go up underneath and you could see all the flies and stuff in there. So I took my knife and poked it inside the insulation where it was bowing and this possum just came down and splattered everywhere. Ultimately we got rid of the dead animal smell and we did our job. 

"We're here for the base, we're here to keep them safe from diseases," Sergeant Willett continued. "It's an interesting job, you're helping people out. You're saving lives whether a lot people think that or not, you're saving lives." 

Sergeant Willett thinks that providing good customer service is simply part of his job. The Pest Management office is open to taking calls and questions from all base personnel from Airmen to families. 

For any questions or issues for Pest Management please call, 456-1814.