FAMU Marks 50th Annual W. L. Peters Entomology Field Day

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida A&M University's (FAMU) Entomology Program in the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, in cooperation with the Division of Continuing Education, will celebrate the 50th Annual W. L. Peters Field Day and Workshop in Entomology on Nov. 4-5, 2026.

The workshop is FAMU's longest-running continuing education program and has become a trusted resource for pest management professionals across the Southeast. Each year, the program provides practical, research-based training on emerging pest management issues while helping participants earn the continuing education units, or CEUs, required to maintain pesticide applicator licenses. Today, professionals from nine states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — attend the workshop for recertification training.

The workshop traces its roots to the mid-1970s, when leaders envisioned an educational program that would bring universities and the pest management industry together. According to Janice Peters, the late Dr. Vladimir Landa of the Czech Academy of Sciences inspired the concept of a workshop that would provide science-based information while fostering collaboration among researchers, industry professionals and students.

From the beginning, the event brought together students, pest management professionals, researchers, industry leaders, vendors and government representatives. Educational presentations, networking opportunities and exhibits featuring the latest products and technologies helped establish the workshop as one of the Southeast's premier educational events for the pest management industry, with longstanding support from sponsors and organizations including the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Much of the program's development is credited to Ruben Capelouto, a Tallahassee pest management professional who began teaching urban entomology and structural pest control at FAMU in 1970. William "Bill" L. Peters recruited Capelouto to the university, where he introduced students to both the scientific and business aspects of entomology.

Recognizing the need for expanded professional education and greater diversity within the pest management industry, Capelouto organized meetings of industry representatives in 1978 and 1979 that led to the establishment of the Annual Field Day and Workshop in Entomology in 1980.

The inaugural Field Day was held in 1980. Early presentations by Robert B. Clements and Dr. John Mulrennan Jr. emphasized community service and insect collections while helping lay the groundwork for Florida's pesticide applicator recertification program. Before statewide recertification requirements were fully implemented, individual workshops focused on specialized topics. The fourth Field Day highlighted wood-destroying insects, the fifth emphasized rodent management, and the sixth, in 1983, focused on turf pests.

Also in 1983, the workshop moved to the Tallahassee Civic Center, where it remained through 2016. In 2017, the event relocated to Tallahassee State College, then known as Tallahassee Community College, where it continues to be held. Before 1991, the workshop was held in February. That year, organizers moved it to November, resulting in two workshops being conducted during 1991.

Following Capelouto's death, the Ruben Capelouto Scholarship Fund was established in his honor to support undergraduate and graduate entomology students at FAMU, reflecting his commitment to education and the future of the pest management profession.

The workshop's continued success has been guided by an advisory council representing industry, government and academia. Since becoming chair in 1987, John Dukes III, founder of Dr. Buggs Exterminators Inc. in Gainesville, has seen the workshop evolve from a training program into a professional community dedicated to lifelong learning.

"As the organization matured, expectations rose, and the focus shifted from simply learning how to apply products to promoting a higher standard of professional education," Dukes said.

He credited Robert Kunst, president of Fischer Environmental Consulting in Mandeville, Louisiana, and many others with helping raise the quality of presentations and encouraging continuous professional improvement.

"Field Day impacted lives," Dukes said. "People met each other and built relationships. It became much more than a venue to obtain CEUs. It developed into an organization that provides unique opportunities for networking, personal growth and intentional learning."

Over the years, the workshop has featured speakers and collaborators from the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board and many other organizations. Continued support from industry partners, vendors and sponsors has helped sustain the program's tradition of high-quality, practical education.

The workshop regularly attracted 250 to 300 professionals each year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance declined during the pandemic but has steadily rebounded. Participants have represented Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Maryland and New York. Most attendees represent small businesses, with others coming from commercial and public-sector organizations.

Dennis Justice of Assured Audit Pest Prevention in Tucson, Arizona, has been associated with FAMU's entomology program since 1975 and has attended more than 40 workshops.

"I have had the privilege of attending more than 40 Annual Entomology Field Days since the first event," Justice said. "The courses provide valuable practical information that can easily be implemented in one's business. My fondest memories include seeing Dr. Peters in his Hawaiian print shirts and admiring the spectacular insect artwork created by Jan Peters."

Charles Dixon of Thomasville, Georgia, first attended the workshop in 2001 after earning his Florida operator's license.

"The classes and labs have always had engaging and knowledgeable instructors," Dixon said. "Every year, I returned to my business with new knowledge and ideas to implement. Over the years, I developed friendships with many attendees, and those conversations were just as valuable as the classroom learning."

Many individuals have contributed to the workshop's success over the decades, including Raymond Capelouto, Grant Capelouto, RoseLee Myers, Dave PomFret, Charles Witherington, José "Pepe" Tomeo, Cal Stevenson, Bill Blasingame, William L. Peters and countless volunteers, sponsors, speakers and participants.

Special recognition is due to Janice Peters  (co-founder of the field day) and Dr. Lambert Kanga (chair, entomology program), whose leadership has become closely intertwined with the workshop's history. Asked how she managed so many successful Field Days, she replied simply, "I don't know — it just happened."

Lambert Kanga said, "This workshop is more than CEUs; it is a tradition of collaboration, innovation and professional growth that continues to benefit our industry."

As the W. L. Peters Field Day and Workshop in Entomology celebrates its 50th annual event, it remains committed to its founding mission of providing science-based education, promoting professional excellence and strengthening partnerships among academia, industry and government.

The 50th Annual W. L. Peters Field Day and Workshop in Entomology is currently being spearheaded by Anamika Sharma, and will be held Nov. 4-5, 2026, at Tallahassee State College in Tallahassee, Fla. Organizers invite first-time and returning participants to join the event for practical training, professional networking and continuing education that have made the workshop a cornerstone of pest management education across the Southeast.

Registration information is available through the 50th Annual Field Day and Workshop registration page.
https://web.cvent.com/event/0d84936b-47b1-455b-82d0-6618699e5d1c/summary.