From skies to flies

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brigitte N. Brantley-Sisk
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  As a former pilot in the Air Force, one Moody employee used to be a threat to enemy forces, but now he is a threat to many bothersome pests that are present on base.

As the 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron pest management supervisor, Ricky Gilbride works with his team to ensure many potential pest issues are taken care of before they become a problem.

"Being a pest manager was not something I ever imagined myself doing," he said. "If you had asked me even six years ago if I'd ever be doing this, it would have been a solid no."

Mr. Gilbride served 23 years in the Air Force as a C-130 pilot. His other jobs include service as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency pilot, a criminal investigator, a high school math teacher and a T-6 Texan II aircraft instructor.

His first interest into entomology, the scientific study of insects, started once the Base Realignment and Closure Commission reassigned the T-6 aircraft to a different base, leaving Mr. Gilbride at Moody without a job. Like all bases, Moody has its fair share of pest problems.

"Earlier, I had invested in my friend's pest management company, so I had some basic knowledge about entomology," he said. "With that experience, I started my own company. Later, I heard about an opening here for a civilian supervisor."

Now two years into his position, Mr. Gilbride still makes an impact on those he works with.

"He's very knowledgeable and doesn't mind getting his hands dirty," said Senior Airman Corey Ryerson, 23rd CES entomology journeyman. "I've worked with him since he got here and he's one of the best supervisors I've had."

The entomology sections deals with things many people may not automatically associate with pest management.

"Although this job is one of the most regulated because of rules from several levels of authority, every day is different," Mr. Gilbride stated. "A lot of our time is spent doing inspections, but on any given day, we might be on the airfield applying herbicides or responding to a call about an alligator being somewhere it shouldn't be."

Because of the wide reach of their job, the entomologists also work with other base agencies including airfield management and public health to minimize any threat to base occupants.

"Here in South Georgia, mosquitoes are one of the biggest nuisances and threats because of the diseases they can carry," Mr. Gilbride emphasized. "So to take care of that, we put larvacides in standing water to control the populations. People would notice immediately if this wasn't taken care of."

In all cases, chemicals are used as a last resort instead of a first option.

"The first step to figure out why they're there and what attracted them," said Mr. Gilbride. "Usually, it's because they needed food, water or a place to live. Sometimes, there may be an ant problem for something as simple as a piece of popcorn under someone's desk.

"If we get rid of those natural causes and there's still a nuisance, we then bring out the chemicals," he said. "We figure out which chemicals to use by studying the biology of the individual species and then we choose the least toxic one."

Throughout the entire year, Moody's entomologists are constantly working to keep all work and recreational areas free of pests.