National Guard Officer Defeats A Menacing Enemy…the Cockroach

Capt. Karen Corsetti, a Georgia Army National Guard environmental officer and trained entomologist, shows how her eco-friendly insect trap help to trap and kill cockroaches with out harming the environment and saving the Guard millions of dollars.

They were certainly here when dinosaurs walked the earth, and they will be here long after humankind departs the planet. What are they? Cockroaches, a name that elicits universal reaction of loathing, fear and disgust, and a “plain old hatred.”

Yet for Capt. Karen Corsetti, a Georgia Army National Guard environmental officer and trained entomologist, the annoying bugs are fascinating, and she has made the humane and effective eradication of the pest into an award winning control treatment program that has saved the National Guard millions.

Recently, Corsetti’s Invasive Species Management program was proclaimed the best environmental pest control treatment in the National Guard at the National Guard Environmental Workshop held April 28, 2008, in Orlando Fla.

“Whenever we substitute organic pesticides, we protect our environment,” said the 18-year Guard veteran. “We also save money by eliminating the need for licensed technicians to apply hazardous chemical pesticides for common pests.”

Corsetti’s interest in entomology began during her college career in Statesboro when her fencing instructor at Georgia Southern University, also a biologist/entomologist, asked if she would be interested in assisting him in research. She went on to conduct independent research on spiders which led her to a three-year study of ticks and Lyme disease.

“I suppose ticks led to me to a career in medical entomology,” said Corsetti.

The cornerstone of her cockroach extermination program is the discovery of the organic pesticide "Orange Guard,"

“It's as simple as it is effective,” admits Corsetti. A non-toxic, organic pesticide that is not harmful to humans or the environment, but extremely effective against insects.

According to Corsetti, “It works by dissolving a cockroach’s exoskeletons, thus starving the insect of air.” Corsetti conducted her own laboratory research with the organic pesticide and found the treatment more effective than chemicals, with far less harmful side effects. The active ingredient, she said, is actually orange peel extract.

Under Corsetti’s guidance, the Army Guard’s pest management program is now conducted state wide entirely in-house, forgoing all costs and fees associated with administering expensive pest management contracts.

“Rather than having 17 separate contractors servicing Army Guard facilities, we train our Soldiers who occupy our buildings to oversee routine pest management.

“It all starts with good basic housekeeping, cleaning and maintenance principles,” admits Corsetti. She also maintains up-to-date, five-year treatment schedules for each of the more than 50 National Guard armories or installations around the state. She routinely visits armories to check on problem areas.

“In the past, the Guard signed pest control contracts with commercial exterminators amounting to as much as $40,000 per facility,” explained Corsetti. "There was little accountability and even less documentation to determine pesticide usage rates."

Under Corsetti’s management techniques, these costs and gaps in data collection have been virtually eliminated, she added.

Corsetti’s “do-it-yourself” pest control protocol has already captured the interest of several other states.

While the menacing cockroach has survived since the beginning of time, their future in Georgia may have hit an unlikely stumbling block to their existence at doors of the local National Guard armories.