Bourbon is one of the most important commodities in the state of Kentucky.  In recent years, there has been an increased demand to see “behind the scenes” of where bourbon comes from and how it is produced on such a large scale.  As such, it is critical to ensure pests are kept out of distilleries both for product quality and aesthetics for tourists.  Recently, I was brought in by a pest control operator (PCO) who provides pest control for a major distillery in Kentucky to help solve a lingering cockroach problem.  This individual was a former graduate of the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, and one of the sharpest PCOs in the state.  After assessing the situation with him, we determined the species to be the smokybrown cockroach, a species not on record as having established in Kentucky.  Furthermore, using traps and monitors we determined that this species was likely brought in on pallets from the Southeastern US, and does not appear to have established in the area, but rather is found only locally in the warehouses.  We are currently putting in place a management program that will eradicate this cockroach from the warehouses and fix some building issues (water leaks) that may have provided conducive condition for the roach, thus allowing it to survive.  These efforts are important to allowing this distillery to continue to operate without concerns from clients, and at protecting the state of Kentucky from a potentially invasive species.  Furthermore, the PCO was incredibly grateful for my involvement, stating, “I want to take this time to thank you and Angela for coming to see me again today at [Kentucky distillery].  It’s marvelous to know that in this state we have such a valuable resource that we can turn to.  I learned volumes today.”