In the 1940's, insecticides (particularly DDT) became the preferred method for control of flies and other insects. As the demand for flypaper continued to decline, Tanglefoot concentrated on marketing their other existing products, and developing new ones, as well. Soon, flypaper --and the huge manufacturing facility it required --were a memory at Tanglefoot. But in spite of losing the market for its best-selling product, the company continued to prosper.

In 1949, another pair of brothers decided to try their hands at the sticky helm, and purchased The Tanglefoot Company. John and Nicholas Battjes focused on developing new uses for Tree Tanglefoot, and creating additional products that could manage destructive pests without using poisonous chemicals. The end result was a family of environmentally-friendly sticky products that still exist today.

The most important new product developed was Tangle-Trap® Insect Trap Coating, used to prepare sticky traps for catching and holding insects. These traps help detect and monitor the location and density of crop-damaging pests.

In 1987, the company was sold to the present owner, Joseph G. Skendzel, a veteran of several key management positions in the home and garden manufacturing industry. Since then, Skendzel has continued to manufacture the most popular and time-tested Tanglefoot product, and has developed several new products that are appropriate to the company philosophy.

As he explains, "With the reawakening concern for the environment, Tanglefoot products are even more important in today's marketplace. We've expanded the principles of adhesive pest management into ready-to-use kits to provide the convenience that's attractive to today's consumer."