What Is an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE)? Meet Jorge Bedoya, ACE

What Is an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE)?

The ACE is the certification the Entomological Society of America (ESA) created specifically for the working pest management professional. In ESA’s own words, those who earn it “have studied for and passed a rigorous exam covering insect knowledge and principles of Integrated Pest Management” and “represent a truly dedicated subset of Pest Management Professionals.” It is administered by the ESA Certification Corporation — the certifying body of the scientific society behind the field of entomology in North America.

To earn the credential, a professional must pass an exam on structural pest control and insect biology, provide two professional references that speak to their knowledge and ethics, agree to a binding Code of Ethics, and commit to ongoing continuing education to stay current. It is not a one-time test you forget — it is a standing professional commitment.

ACE vs. a Degree: Why Field Experience Is the Foundation

There’s a common assumption that the word “entomologist” means someone with a university degree who studies insects in a lab. The ACE is different — and, for your home or business, arguably more relevant. Here’s the tell, straight from ESA’s eligibility rules: the certification reduces the experience requirement for degree-holders. An applicant without an entomology degree must have a minimum of five years of verifiable, hands-on pest management experience. A bachelor’s degree drops that to three years; a master’s to two; a PhD to one.

In other words, ESA treats real field experience as the core qualification and an academic degree as a partial substitute for it — not the other way around. A purely academic or titular entomologist may hold a degree yet never have inspected a pre-war co-op’s steam risers, traced a German cockroach harborage in a commercial kitchen, or designed a mouse-exclusion plan for a brownstone. An ACE has done exactly that, under a license, for years — and proven it to a scientific society.

Why “Five Years Before You Can Even Apply” Matters

Five years isn’t an arbitrary hurdle. It’s roughly how long it takes to develop the judgment this work demands: correctly identifying species under pressure, reading how a building moves heat, food, and pests between units, treating effectively in occupied homes and operating kitchens, and knowing the difference between bed bugs and the fleas and mites that mimic them. And note what kind of license ESA requires — one that permits the holder to apply pesticides unsupervised in structural settings and mandates continuing education. So by definition, an ACE is a fully licensed, continuously-educated practitioner long before they ever sit the exam.

A Code of Ethics That Protects You — Not Just the Profession

Every ACE is bound by ESA’s Code of Ethics: to follow standard IPM guidelines with proper regard for public and environmental safety, to be honest and factual in every report and recommendation, to act as a faithful agent for each client, and to avoid conflicts of interest. The certification can be suspended or revoked for improper conduct. For you, that translates to real accountability — an ACE who cuts corners or misrepresents the work risks the credential they spent years earning. Doing right by you isn’t just our policy; it’s a professional obligation we answer to.

Meet Jorge Bedoya, ACE — New York Exterminating’s On-Staff Expert

The Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) behind New York Exterminating is Jorge Bedoya. He holds an Associate’s degree in Environmental Science and completed an intensive 160+ hour Urban Entomology program at a university in Chile — where he performed so well that he was invited back as a speaker and instructor the following year, and is scheduled to teach the course again this year.

Jorge is an internationally recognized German cockroach expert who has delivered professional conferences and trainings across Latin America — including Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Costa Rica. He is trained to identify, treat, and eliminate more than 120 different pest species, from the city’s toughest bed bug infestations to commercial rodent and exclusion work.

Beyond residential and commercial pest control, Jorge is a PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) and a specialist in commercial food-establishment pest control and HACCP food-safety systems — the expertise restaurants, food manufacturers, and warehouses rely on to stay inspection-ready. He is also a New York State–licensed Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator (ID C2901568, Region 2 / Kings), certified in Structural & Rodent Control (7a), Food Processing (7f), and Public Health (8). Because of that depth, other local pest control companies regularly bring Jorge in as a third-party expert exterminator for the accounts and infestations they can’t solve on their own.

What This Means for Your Home or Business

Whether it’s a discreet bed bug job in a doorman building, German cockroaches in a restaurant, mouse exclusion in a pre-war walk-up, or clothes-moth protection for heirloom textiles, your treatment is guided by ACE-level training and a binding professional Code of Ethics — not guesswork. We bring that standard to every neighborhood we serve across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Sources & Verification

• ESA ACE program — entocert.org/ace
• ACE eligibility requirements — entocert.org/ace/eligibility
• ACE Code of Ethics — entocert.org/ace/coe
• Jorge Bedoya’s ACE digital badge — Credly
• Jorge Bedoya, ACE, PCQI — LinkedIn