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Danielle Restuccia, a Board-Certified Entomologist (BCE) with more than six years of professional pest management experience and advanced academic training in entomology, has joined Thomas Pest Services, based in Albany, N.Y.
Restuccia joins the growing, family-owned pest management company following her tenure as division technical services manager for the Northeast Division of Orkin Pest Control. Per a news release, her experience includes technician training, regulatory compliance, complex infestation troubleshooting and the development of customized integrated pest management (IPM) plans for residential and commercial environments. That last task is designed to align with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requirements for pesticide apprentices, and will help establish a consistent foundation in pesticide safety, regulatory compliance, IPM and other essential principles for new technicians entering the field.
Restuccia earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in entomology at Texas A&M University. She will serve as a technical resource for Thomas Pest Services’ field teams while helping strengthen the company’s training programs, treatment protocols and operational standards. Per the release, her responsibilities include “evaluating treatment methods and product usage, updating standard operating procedures, helping technicians address the biological and environmental factors contributing to pest activity, and identifying opportunities to reduce callbacks by resolving problems at their source.”
“There’s a science behind pest control,” Restuccia said in the release. “Understanding the biology and behavior of an insect or other pest helps us determine how it got into a home, what attracted it there and, most importantly, what we can do to keep it from coming back. Effective pest management isn’t just about treating what you can see; it’s about understanding and addressing the reason it’s there in the first place.”
“Danielle brings a level of scientific knowledge that will make our entire team better,” Bill Clark, president and co-owner of Thomas Pest Services, said in the release. “Our technicians encounter different situations every day, and having someone who can dig into the biology behind what they’re seeing helps us make better decisions. Just as importantly, she’s going to help us build that knowledge into how we train the next generation of Thomas technicians.”
Per the news release, Restuccia earned her BCE credential in Urban and Industrial Entomology in June 2022. Her professional experience includes holding pest control operator or applicator licenses across as many as 17 states and territories, and serving as a technical expert on complex commercial pest management accounts. She has also delivered professional presentations on carpenter ants and other wood-destroying insects, ticks and occasional invaders.
Before entering the pest management industry, Restuccia worked in Texas A&M University’s Department of Entomology as a graduate teaching assistant in advanced ecology and a scientific imaging specialist, documenting museum-quality specimens and creating taxonomic images for newly described species.
Her appointment also reflects the growing contributions of women across pest management. Restuccia joins four other women working as pest control technicians at Thomas Pest Services, adding scientific expertise and another perspective to a profession that continues to expand opportunities for women in technical and leadership roles.
“Navigating this field as a woman in a male-dominated industry has shaped a uniquely valuable perspective,” Restuccia said in the news release. “By investing in the next generation of women leaders through intentional mentorship, we can continue to open leadership pipelines and demonstrate that women belong at every level of pest control.”
About Thomas Pest Services
Based in Albany, N.Y., and founded in December 2010 by Bill Clark and Sarah Thomas-Clark, Thomas Pest Services has been protecting the health, homes and pets of the Capital Region and Hudson Valley with full-service, people-first pest prevention and treatment programs. The company builds on a family legacy in pest control dating back to 1949. Committed to community support and exceptional customer care, the company “treats little things like BIG things” to deliver guaranteed satisfaction.
