Sterling continues to be a natural yet lethal solution for stinging pests

When thinking green, it’s hard to imagine anything lusher than a garden. Rich soil, pure sunlight, fresh air, healthy flowers and vegetables, and … flying pests with stingers attached. Anyone with a yard garden knows that stinging insects like wasps and flies can be Public Enemy No. 1 when it comes to enjoying a summer day outside. Unfortunately, many solutions to the pest problem often come in the form of aerosol cans filled with toxic chemicals. Not only are these solutions hard on the environment, they are can be a reactive, inefficient way to deal with pests. Sterling International, the Spokane-based manufacturer of the Rescue brand insect traps that are seen hanging around yards nationwide — and the world’s top manufacturer of fly and yellow jacket traps – adheres to a different philosophy called ‘passive methodology.’ Insects are lured into the trap baited with natural attractant, and then drown or dehydrate inside. With these traps, there is no need to keep a can of spray handy at all times or douse your foliage in pesticide. Sterling was founded in 1982 by Rod Schneidmiller, and its mission continues to “build and sell highly effective and environmentally responsible pest control products.” In 2007, the company introduced an innovative new product; a trap made from recycled 2-liter pop bottles called The POP! Fly Trap. With no outer packaging and using the same passive methodology as its previous models, the reusable trap soon became a hit with consumers. “Everyone really likes the idea,” said Stephanie Cates Herrmann, director of marketing and communications at Sterling. “It gives the bottle another use before it’s recycled.” The POP! Fly Trap is not only an innovative green product – it’s also a unique community builder. Sterling encourages groups around Spokane to bring in used 2-liter bottles, and pays 10 cents per bottle, which is usuallymuch more than recycling centers offer. Bottles can’t be crushed or soiled. Several diverse groups and clubs have contributed, including Valley Christian School, Shaw Middle School, Girl Scouts, and AWANA chapters at local churches. Getting involved is easy – simply collect 50 bottles in a plastic garbage bag and drop them off at Sterling’s building in the Spokane Industrial Park Fridays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The bottles must be uncrushed and clean. Cleaning instructions can be found on Sterling’s web site, www.rescue.com. The POP! Fly Trap has been “pretty successful,” Herrmann said. Not all of the traps are made from community-gathered bottles. To ensure enough traps are made to fill orders, custom bottles are ordered to supplement collections. Even these, however, are made from recycled materials. Once the trap is no longer needed, it is completely recyclable in most areas. When the company was first founded, Herrmann said using a passive, non-pesticide method for trapping insects was a novel idea, Herrmann said. “People laughed at us,” she said. “We were a little ahead of our time.” Sterling’s original product line consisted of a single reusable fly trap sold in eastern Washington. It also manufactures the W-H-Y, a trap for wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. It is the only trap in the world that deals with all three pests. Unlike some green products that can’t compete in quality with their non-green counterparts, Herrmann said Sterling’s traps are a more effective way of dealing with pests than traditional pesticides. “We weren’t just doing it because it was green, but because we felt it was the most effective method,” she said. Using conventional pesticides is a more active process that requires more effort, she said. “It’s a non-toxic way to control the pest,” she said. Green thinking extends to product packaging, as well. For many of Sterling’s traps, the product is its own packaging – no cardboard or plastic to throw away. “That’s another thing that appeals to people who like to be green,” Herrmann said.