1

From the Editor 3

Insect Baits and Baiting 4

A Brief History of Fly Control 9

NEWS BITES

State of Small Fly Market 13

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

‘Immediate Action' Needed 14

A Better Mouse or Rat Trap 15

Rebellious Rodent 17

Koekoea’ Returns to Rotorua 18

PMANZ Website Stats 19

Review of VTA’s 20

TECHNICAL HINTS

What the FLOC is That? 22

Flies– Part 2 24

February 2020 Volume 13 No. 1

The year 2020 is in full swing and our Summer break is now a dis-

tant memory. I trust you all had time out from the business to

spend with your families and friends.

It has been a unusual start to the year. In some areas our typical

summer pests are in full swing and in other parts of the country a

tad slower. PMANZ has been busy fielding inquiries from the pub-

lic, media and our members about pests, while our executive

team have been working on submissions to EPA, promoting

PMANZ to prospective members and talking directly with new

members that have recently joined. This is a new initiative by the

council. They have also been working on a new look PMANZ

newsletter, Facebook page and registration card which will be

ready for this year’s renewals. I must add its looking quite smart.

2

One of the interesting issues that has come up in

our business over the last two months is client ex-

pectations on fly jobs. New Zealand is unique in

that we still want to apply vast quantities of pesti-

cides inside homes, either through hand-tank

spraying or misting. In most other western coun-

tries this practise is considered inappropriate and a

wasteful use of insecticide. Never mind the health

and safety aspect of the people living in the home

and environmental factors. In tropical climates win-

dow and door screens are used in place of insecti-

cides to keep flying insects out of the home, partic-

ularly in Australia. So, it still surprises me that cli-

ents expect the ‘Pestie’ to wave a magic wand by

“fumigating” the house to keep flies out.

As we know this is not the case. Agreed, some

products do have repellent properties for a short

period of time and other products rely on contact.

Therefore, the insect must land to come in contact

with the insecticide, which of course is not possible

with the lesser house fly, cluster flies and other

rouge flies coming in because of cooking smells.

They just keep going around and round. They are

not going to magically disappear.

If you look around the rest of the western world

the practice of applying insecticides into homes has

now gone and we must adjust to IPM and non-toxic

methods. In fact, it is better to be honest and open

in what we can or cannot provide, in meeting the

expectations of the client, with the practicality of

providing a treatment that can match up with the

expectation of what the service can do.

This situation appears to be a focus with the cur-

rent EPA review and consultation process of certain categories of Pesticides, such a brodifacoum and

many Synthetic Pyrethroids. All I am suggesting is

that we must be open to new ideas, techniques and

applications to provide pest free environments.

This coupled with the changing weather patterns

around the Globe, New Zealand could well see

introductions of Pests we haven’t experienced here,

creating further opportunities for our Industry.

Urban Pest Management in New Zealand is chang-

ing rapidly and your PMANZ team is working closely

to monitor and influence outcomes that promote

best work practices for our Industry. Use the PMANZ website to filter questions through PMANZ

and seek support when needed. We are here for

you.

On that Note we I would like to welcome our newmembers.

Finally, a new survey to our members is due to go

out shortly on training for the forthcoming years.

Please take time out to answer as your feedback is

what will guide the team this year.

Best wishes

Mike Collins

Steven Hardgrave Clearview Property

Care Regina Tuilagi NZ Pest Company

3

FROM THE EDITOR

Well here we are in 2020 already. I trust you all had

some family time. The weather has been a bit unusual,but I suppose we must be grateful considering what

they have had endure with the fires in Australia.

This is the Chinese Year of the Rat, so whether that

bodes well for us in the industry will remain to be seen.

Certainly, so far, we have seen some changes with the

dryer weather around New Zealand. I have twice wit-

nessed flying Winged Bush cockroaches ( Parellipsidion

latipennis) around my home in Howick, Auckland,

Something I have never seen here in my twenty years.

Do let us know if you have seen some unusual insect

behaviour .

As the president mentioned, we are expecting to hear a

lot of news from EPA NZ over the course of the year

about the use of brodifacoum, the signage applied and

public access to the treated area. In addition, EPA will

also have completed their re-evaluation of Synthetic

Pyrethroids by mid year, as well as the classification of

all pesticides in line with many of our international

friends. We will keep you informed as we hear from

EPA.

There are some great articles in this issue, particularly

from Dr Partho Dhang, on “Insect Baits and Baiting” ,

and also the “Brief History of Fly Control” from Interna-

tional Pest Control, and some great technical tips. Fol-

lowing on what Mike had to say about excessive use of

insecticides, do read the article on page 14, 'Immediate Action' Needed to Save Insects, and what Ruud

Kleinpaste thinks. We all need to change our ways. Plus

there is some great new innovations on the remote

monitoring rodent traps in NZ News section too.

Happy reading and a prosperous year ahead

Peter Send all comments or suggestions to peter@pmanz.nz

Fair Dealing

Articles provided in "What’s Buzzing" are drawn from a number of sources. The source of the material is always quoted,

either by author, publication and/or organization, in line with the practice of ‘Fair Dealing’ under the Copyright Act 1994,

Section 42 (3), which allows news reporting of current events without infringement of copyright. This news is for PMANZ

members and friends of the association for their ongoing education. The information contained in this newsletter does not

necessarily reflect the official views or opinions of the PMANZ Council and/or its members.

Summer—Puhoi River Estuary, North Island

4

Indoor pests have habituated themselves with hu-

man food and items we leave lying around, thus

making use of insecticide baits has turned out to

be most advantageous and effective. As we know,

pests find harbourage in homes for food and shel-

ter.

The concept of baiting has taken these two aspects

and turned it into a practical technique. A pest

controller now provides bait as a food substitute,

and bait stations as shelter to replicate both of the

pests needs.

Another reason bait has become popular is re-

duced risk and higher safety qualities when used

correctly.

REDUCING RISK WITH BAIT

Baits are generally safer than spraying as they make use

of very little active ingredients in their formulation. The

amount of active ingredient varies between 50mg to

2.0g per kilogramme of bait.

The application rate is also a few grammes of formulat-

ed bait per square metre of the treatment area. This

keeps both the application site and the applicator safe.

Most active ingredients used in insect baits are chosen

to have low mammalian toxicity and are target specific.

They are not usually contact poisons and are mainly ana-

logues and antagonists of insect growth regulators (IGR)

such as juvenile hormone (JH), ecdysone, chitin synthe-

sis inhibitors and related compounds.

Each of these generation compounds has low toxicity to

mammals, or selective toxicity towards insects, there-

fore making bait handling safe. But there are instances

where toxic active ingredients are also used in baits to

give a quick killing effect. In such cases, the percentage

of active used in the formulation is kept at a level which

is many times lower than conventional spraying.

Baits are target specific - baits made for one pest species

rarely attract another pest species. This prevents

affecting non-target organisms that may also be around.

This is achieved by using pest- specific attractants and

stimulants. In addition, baits should always be applied or

placed in selective areas or inside concealed bait sta-

tions which prevent non-target organisms coming in

contact.

Article continues over page

INSECT BAITS AND BAITING Standalone tools to control urban pests - Partho Dang, Phd

Baits are generally safer than sprays as they have low levels of active ingredients

Baits designed to attract one species rarely attract other pests

By coprophagy and necrophagy, leftover insec-ticide is taken up by others in the infested lo-cation, causing secondary kills

After eight months, cockroach populations decreased about 80% in IPM units, compared with a 300%

increase with conventional treatments

The human component involved in baiting is possibly the factor against its effectiveness, possibly resolved by training.

QUICK

READ

Partho Dhang has a PhD in Zoology and is

the author of ‘Urban Pest Control:

A Practitioner’s Guide’, where he explores

trends in the industry, pest control tools,

and sustainable pest management.

Partho explores the intricacies of insecti-

cide baits, giving practical insights for NZ

pest management professionals.

5

These two aspects lower the risks of bait when applied.

Baits work by a single process of ingestion - a precise act

on the part of the pest. While conventional spraying re-

quires the pest to come into contact with the chemical.

To achieve this, baits need to be selectively placed,

whereas for spraying the entire area is treated. Thus the

amount of active ingredient used in baits can be very

small.

THE INNER WORKINGS OF BAIT

Baits developed for insect pests are food based. They

have not only been effective in killing the insect directly

through ingestion by the feeding individual, but also

showed a killing effect on individuals that did not ingest

the bait directly.

The process termed ‘transfer effect’ or ‘secondary

effect’ further enhances the efficacy of the bait against

insects which are social or live in groups and exhibit

trophallaxis or proctodeal feeding.

Cockroaches are not social insects but live in groups,

therefore bait works well with them. Cockroaches have

shown a horizontal transfer of insecticides contained in

baits and there is much research to demonstrate this

fact (Kopanic and Schal, 1997; Buczkowski et al, 2001).

The process of secondary kill takes effect due to the

presence of unmetabolized slow acting insecticide in the

bait formulation, in the faeces, or oral secretions or it

may simply remain in the body of the dead cockroaches.

By the process of coprophagy and necrophagy, leftover

insecticide is then taken up by another group individual

in the infested location, which brings about secondary

kills. Transfer effects or secondary kills increase the

overall control efficiency of the bait; however the effi-

ciency of the secondary kill can be dependent on the

active ingredient and other influencing factors such as

developmental stage, strain and donor/recipient ratio

(Wang et al, 2008).

In one study, the researchers Bayer et al (2012) showed

that cockroaches in fact consumed more active ingredi-

ent from a bait than needed to cause mortality proving

there was no bait shyness. The same work also estimat-

ed that a 30g tube of gel bait potentially killed from 394

to 6,966 adult cockroaches, depending on their species.

Mortality for all cockroach species was faster for adults

(≥3 days) than for nymphs (≥7 days).

Similar successful bait transfers, from one individual to

others in a colony, have been shown in controlling all

forms of social insect pests such as ants, termites and

wasps.

ARE BAITS ADVANTAGEOUS OVER CONVENTIONAL

SPRAYS?

It remains an unchallenged fact that conventional meth-

ods of pest control have eased urban life of humans, but

it has also brought enormous damage to health and the

environment. Conventional methods of pest control can

cover a wider range of pests, provide quick and easy

elimination and have long field persistence as key bene-

fits.

Conventional methods depend on the use of pesticides

as a single approach to pest control, in which the chemi-

cal provides significant or acceptable reduction in the

pest population. It involves a single action of a chemical

application following some regular, predetermined spray

schedule.

However, modern pest management is more than just

eliminating pests. It involves maintaining control over

pests, preventing re-infestations and reducing chemical

use as being more important than mere killing (Dhang,

2011).

Baits have provided a rational solution to all the above

and, in addition to being able to control cryptic pests,

have allowed treatment to inaccessible and sensitive

areas. In addition baits offer no odour, no translocation,

and no staining potential, which are all common house-

hold concerns. Baits also leave lower or no residues.

Furthermore, baiting is most suitable for treating sensi-

tive locations such as high- density human population,

food preparation areas, inside hospitals and schools.

Article continues over page

“...baits offer no odour, no translocation, and no staining potential, which are

all common household concerns.”

6

It is another aspect, such as cost of services and

overall efficacy, which make baits advantageous

over conventional sprays. A World Health Organi-

zation (Europe) publication provides some insight

into it (Rust, 2008): it reported in one instance that

the cost for a conventional service of cockroach

control was US$8.57 (NZ$13.10) per unit and IPM

was US$7.49 (NZ$11.45) per unit.

In another study, the costs for IPM involving moni-

toring, baiting, cleaning and structural repairs were

US$46-69 (NZ$71.37) per unit in the first year and

US$24 (NZ$36.69) per unit in the following year. In

com-parison, conventional chemical controls cost

US$24 -46 (NZ$36 -70) per unit, and involved no

repairs or structural modifications to the

apartments.

In another study in public housing, the costs of

conventional crack-and-crevice treatments with

sprays and dusts were compared with vacuuming,

baits and insect growth regulators (IGRs) for con-

trolling German cockroaches. The average costs for

IPM and conventional treatments were US$4.06

(NZ$6.21) and US$1.50 (NZ$2.29) per unit,

respectively. After eight months, cockroach

populations de-creased about 80% in IPM units,

compared with a 300% increase with conventional

treatments.

WHAT ARE THE METHODOLOGIES INVOLVED IN

BAITING?

Compared to conventional spray treatment, baiting

is inspection-driven, friendlier

to the environment, and often more effective.

Though the technology is restricted to a few pests,

it has made significant progress as a tool in urban

pest management. However, as discussed by Dhang

(2011) the overall efficiency

of baiting will depend on the bait applicators. Ap-

plicators’ knowledge and skills are of paramount

importance for baiting to be successful, as the con-

cept of baiting is a dynamic field, constantly evolv-

ing and adjusting to changes in insect behaviour

and location.

The human component involved in baiting is possibly the single factor against its populari-ty among pest control practitioners, which could be resolved by training.

The critical part of a typical baiting programme depends on the following:

Quality of the bait

Commercial bait varies in attract ability, nutri-tional quality, colour, texture, moisture and many other factors which are critical to accepta-bility and sustained feeding. For best perfor-mance, bait needs to be tested before use.

Technical skills and knowledge of the bait appli-

cator

This is the second most important factor

in bait performance. Good bait but poor place-ment and wrong dosage can make bait ineffec-tive. The greatest variant in any baiting program is the quantity of bait consumed. Knowledge of pest biology is often required to overcome this issue.

Article continues over page

COMPARISON

Amount of active ingredient used in

conventional spraying versus gel

baiting to eliminate German cock-

roach, Blatella germanica, in a 250m2

kitchen (Dhang 2018, unpublished

work).

SPRAY - DELTAMETHRIN SC FORMULATION

90 days duration

12g used

GEL BAIT - FIPRONIL BASED

60 days duration

0.075g used

7

Pest population

It is never possible to determine the pest popula-tion based on a survey or inspection. Often the population of the pest determines the bait quan-tity, the number of visits and ultimately the cost. This has to be thoroughly noted before starting a baiting programme. Harbourage location

Baits will only work if they are ingested, which is always a voluntary act. A pest will not walk an ex-tra mile to seek a bait when food is around the harbourage.

To make baits competitive it is thus important to either aggregate the pest in a specific location, us-ing a bait station or place the bait in the regular feeding zone near the harbourage.

Sanitation of the area

Baits or a baiting programme does not work well if the sanitation of the site is poor. Leftover food or alternative food available on site acts as tempta-tion away from the bait, reducing its consumption and in turn becoming ineffective in

the elimination of the pest. Thus it is advisable to clean the site before baiting.

Follow-ups and monitoring

One time bait application does not often work. Too much bait left may turn dry, get contaminat-ed, and thence be unfit for sustained consump-tion. Too little will not kill all individuals in the group. This makes a repeat visit a must.

References

Bayer BE; Pereira RM and Koehler PG, 2012. Differential consump-

tion of baits by pest blattid and blattellid cockroaches and resulting

in direct and secondary effects. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.1200

Buczkowski G, Kopanic RJ and Schal C, 2001. Transfer of ingested

insecticides among cockroaches: effects of active ingredient, bait

formulation, and assay procedures. Journal of Economic Entomolo-

gy 94, 1229-1236.

Dhang P, 2011. Insect Bait: Technology to Manage Urban Pest with

less Insecticide. In: Dhang P (ed.) Urban Pest Management: an Envi-

ronmental Perspective. CABI, London,pp. 187-206.

Dhang P, 2018. Urban Pest Control: A Practioner’s Guide. CAB Inter-

national, Oxfordshire, UK, pp 98-107.

Kopanic RJ Jr and Schal C, 1997. Relative significance of direct inges-

tion and adult- mediated translocation of bait to German cockroach

(Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) nymphs. Journal of Economic Entomology

90, 1073-1079.

Rust M, 2008. Cockroaches. In: Bonnefoy X; Kampen H and Sweeney

K (eds) Public Health Significance of Urban Pests. World Health Or-

ganisation Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp.65.

Wang C; Yang, X; El-Nour MA and Bennett GW, 2008. Factors

affecting secondary kill of the German cockroach (Dictyoptera:

Blattellidae) by gel baits. In: Robinson WH and Bajomi D (eds.) Pro-

ceedings of the sixth International Conference on Urban Pests, Buda-

pest, July 2008, OOK-Press, Budapest, pp. 153-159.

COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL SPRAY TREATMENT, BAITING IS INSPECTION- DRIVEN, FRIENDLIER TO THE ENVIRONMENT, AND OFTEN MORE

EFFECTIVE

Reprinted with kind per-

mission of Partho Dhang, and taken from his book.

This article was first

published in Professional

Pest Controller (PPC)

magazine by the British

Pest Control Association

(BPCA)”

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including resistant strains.

® BITHOR is a registered trademark of Ensystex, Inc. used by licence to Ensystex New Zealand Ltd.

Call 0800 367 978www.ensystex.co.nz

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9

A brief history of fly control Carl Baptista* and Catherine Perez**

“Birds are the eyes of heaven, and Flies are the spies of hell”

Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

To band all types of flies together as a group does not do them justice, especially with over 30,000 different known species.

The most common of these, Musca domestica, has developed a close relationship with humans and our settlements. Its capability to capitalise on human waste and man- made environments assures its existence and proliferation globally. As cities and human activities grow, so does their waste and so does this creature and the diseases it carries.

Adult flies and their larvae are vectors of diseas-es to humans and livestock and vectors of dis-ease and spoilage in agricultural crops.

By the early 1900’s, Musca domestica was known to be the cause of crippling epidemics in major cities all over the world, including out-breaks of typhoid and cholera in London and New York. The common fly is so dangerous it has even been used as a weapon of war. In May 1942, the infamous Japanese Unit 731 dropped ceramic bombs containing flies and Vibrio chol-erae, which causes cholera, onto the Chinese city of Baoshan. The flies eventually spread cholera through the Yunnan province, and took almost as many lives as the atomic bombs in Na-gasaki and Hiroshima. Undoubtedly, flies are efficient vectors of disease and death.

Hygiene and horses

The first papers linking fly populations with dis-ease transmission emerged around the turn of the 20th Century and immediately made clear the need for fly control as a means of protecting public health. In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Vaughan et al reported that flies were “active in the dissemination of typhoid fever”. They discovered that soldiers in tents that had screen protections suffered proportion-ately less from typhoid fever.

They also discovered that, as fly populations decreased with the onset of cold weather, so did disease trans- mission; by the dead of win-ter, the fly pop- ulations were gone, and so was the typhoid. This observation was also made by Dunne in 1902 during the Boer War. However, it wasn’t until 1903 that Ficken reported, “flies could contaminate objects upon which they rested”. He discovered that typhoid bacilli were present on the bodies of flies 5 days after feed-ing, and still active in the alimenta- ry tract 9 days after feeding.

At the time of these discoveries, urban flies were being provided ample and filthy breeding grounds in horse manure common in city streets. The primary means of transporta-tion was horse and carriage, and at the height of their popularity in the early 1900s, there were over 50,000 horses transporting people around

10

A call to action

In 1907, Jackson produced a report on “Pollution of New York Harbour as a Menace to Health by the Dis-semination of Intestinal Diseases through the Agency of the Common House-Fly”, which was wide-ly circulated and was the best scientific paper of its time link-ing houseflies with a variety of common diseases of the time. However, it wasn’t until March 1911, in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, that Edward Hatch Jr, Chairman of the Fly-Fighting Committee, American Civic Association, pub-lished a superb non-scientific paper that encouraged a “thoroughgoing reform of general sanitary conditions, including the adoption of some system of sewage dis-posal” to reduce the deaths in cities.

Hatch called both governments and citizens to action, declaring “If there is no filth there will be no flies”. This could be considered the start of the Fly Control

revolution, and was prob- ably the first paper to argue the economic necessity of fly control. The committee also published literature on the topic for circulation to hotels, schools, factories and stores etc., called “Rules for Dealing with the Fly Nuisance”. A short film entitled “The Fly Pest” was commissioned in Europe and screened in hundreds of cinemas, accompanied by a free lecture from local health officials.

This prompted a variety of states to begin an ordi-nance to manage “unsanitary fly producing, disease causing conditions”. It also encouraged the movement

toward automobiles (which had just started to gain popularity) as a means to reduce the demands on horses, and the manure associated with them.

Control methods

Understanding that flies transmit disease led scientists and health officials to adopt modification of environ-mental conditions and improvement of sanitation and hygiene, as a means to save lives. However, control options were limited at the turn of the last century. Recommendations included the use of a weak solution (2 teaspoons to the pint) of formaldehyde and a “Pyrethrum powder, which when burned in the house, will also kill flies”.

Today there are a variety of control methods. These can be broadly classified as cultural control, biological control and chemical control.

Cultural control is defined as methods for monitoring and keeping flies away.

• Physical prevention methods against fly popula-tion

• UV insect light traps

• Colour Glueboard traps

• Odour producing lure based traps

• Management of sanitation and hygiene

Biological control is defined as a fly killing agents which are of biological origin.

• Viral - Salivary Gland Hypertrophy virus(MdSGHV)

• Bacterial - Bacillus thuringiensis

• Fungal - Entomophthora muscae, Entomophtho-ra schizophorae, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizi-um anisopliae

• Nematodes - Steinernematidae, Heterorhabditis

• Essential Oils - Blue gum, pennyroyal mint, pep-permint, rosemary

• Predators - Macrochield mites, Histeridae bee-tles, Hydrotaea (Ophyra), ducks

• Parasitoids - Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera)

Chemical control

• Fly baits

• Insecticides

• Insect Growth Regulators

Biological control offers many interesting and novel solutions for housefly population suppression. Viral control, on the surface, seems like an exciting pro-spect. For example, Hytrosaviridae MdSGHV transmits diseases in mature forms of house flies. The MdSGHV virus replicates in the salivary glands, and are regurgi-tated on to the fly’s food upon feeding, infecting the food surface for all other houseflies that feed there.

11

As SGHV replicates in the salivary gland in female flies, the virus hijacks the fly’s protein-manufacturing control system and all the protein that would normally go into the ovaries to develop a fly’s eggs is diverted to produce virus particles, rendering her infertile. These viruses are all host specific, and only occur in the insects they infect. However, as with all biological control, the environ- mental conditions must be favourable for the bio-logical to work optimally. Another novel solution are ducks. Ducks have been found to catch flies at a rate 30-times faster than UV light traps. However, implementation seems impractical.

Chemical controls are another popular choice in the management of the housefly. However, these have limited capability. Almost immediately after chemical control was introduced, resistance to these insecticides were being detected. As new and novel chemistry was discovered, the fly acquired resistance to them. Chemical resistance has been reported in houseflies for well over 60 years, and continues to be reported to this day.

Cultural control is the best way to make an impact on fly populations. By reducing food and favoura-ble conditions, the immediate reduction in fly pop-ulations is noticeable. Additionally, by using their

own biology against them, flies can be tricked into being caught in large numbers. With the use of specific wavelengths of light in the

UV range, flies can be attracted and lured onto a kill surface, such as a glue board or electrocution grid.

The future of fly control

As we move into the 20th Century, we must move Hatch’s century-old “If there is no filth there will be no flies” philosophy into the future. Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are advocating a new approach to fly and pest control. New regu-lations such as the Food Safety Modernization Act in the United States, and updates to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification cri-teria, focus on “preventative controls”, rather than relying on traditional reactive measures. Sanitation and hygiene is even more important than it was 100 years ago, and IoT-enabled technology allows businesses to create and monitor clean, safe, healthy environments.

Brandenburg UK Internet of Pests™ allows busi-nesses and pest control providers to monitor fly activity in real time, enabling proactive pest control strategies. Sensors added to UV Insect Light Traps can track and report fly activity as it happens, alerting businesses and pest control providers to the presence of a pest before it becomes an infes-tation. As IoT-based pest management proliferates, it has the capability to facilitate global data collec- tion, allowing for identification of trends in activity and formulation of preventative strategies for avoiding pest problems before they happen.

Whether it be in Cultural, Chemical, Biological or Technical control, we are set to have more tools to predict and prevent fly activity, and protect our en-vironment and our communities in ways Hatch nev-er imagined possible.

“The Lord In his wisdom made the fly, then forgot to tell us why”

Ogden Nash

12

FURTHER READING

Ogden Nash – Fly poem https://books.google.co.in/books?id=3s- FRCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6&redir_esc=y#v=one- page&q&f=false

Earliest Textbook on Musca domestica https://ia800407.us.archive.org/1/items/ b28047436/b28047436.pdf

Organic review of management of house- flies 2007, https://foodsecurecanada.org/sites/foodse- cure-canada.org/files/pig_organic_pest_ control.pdf

Chemical control Regimes - Overcoming resistance, 2002 https://actavet.vfu.cz/media/pdf/ avb_2002071030401.pdf

Biopesticides review http://www.jbiopest.com/users/LW8/efiles/ Vol_5_0_1_11F.pdf

Botanical for use against house flies http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ ab-s/10.1080/10412905.2006.9699110?s rc=recsystandfonline.com/doi/ ab-s/10.1080/0972060X.2007.10643566?s- rc=recsys

Parasatoid control https://academic.oup.com/jipm/ arti-cle/6/1/16/2936983 http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/bio- tact/bc-44.htm

Fungal control of Musca domestica http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ full/10.1080/09583157.2016.1210085?s- rc=recsys

Viral control of Musca domestica https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2013/ apr/flies http://aem.asm.org/content/76/4/994.full http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/4/4/ 683/htm

Ducks in fly control https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/2376638

Fly control with IGRs and Parasitoids https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/14700350

Disease carrier http://www.tums.ac.ir/1391/06/29/338(2). pdf-kakbarzadeh-2012-09-19-03-51.pdf http://ejbio.imedpub.com/microhabi- tats-and-pathogens-of-houseflies-mus- ca-domesticapublic-health-concern. php?aid=11092 https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/ 1011076.pdf

AUTHORS AND CREDITS

*Carl Baptista, Biotechnologist,

**Catherine Perez, Writing and Research Specialist

Brandenburg UK Ltd., Hurst Business Park,

Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1UT, UK

“This article first appeared in the Janu-

ary/February 2018 issue of International

Pest Control magazine – reprinted with

permission ”

Website: www.international-pest-control.com

13

News Bite

ED’s NOTE: This is a US Study, but I would think the principles would apply to our New Zealand industry.

In this 12-page special report, readers

will get a “10,000-foot view” of the

small fly market, as well as learn about

11 common mistakes in fruit fly con-

trol and how to successfully perform

the detective work necessary to solve

small fly horror stories.

To read the full report click here

The State of the Small Fly Market

14

NEW ZEALAND NEWS

‘Immediate action' needed to save insects, scientists warn

Scientists here and abroad are warning

"immediate action" must be taken to avoid

a collapse in insect populations.

A study last year found insect numbers are plum-meting, one of the authors warning they could be extinct in 100 years - with devastating consequenc-es for the rest of life on Earth. Local bug expert Ruud Kleinpaste told Newshub we

would have "no hope in hell of surviving" if that

happened.

In a new paper published in journal Nature Ecology

& Evolution, scientists from Australia and the Uni-

versity of Waikato have set out a "roadmap" on

how we can prevent this doomsday from becoming

reality.

"For most insects we don't know what is going on

in terms of their populations, but there is some evi-

dence of decline which is what led to this paper

and call to action, aiming to remove the issues now

and move towards new solutions while further re-

search is conducted," said Chrissie Painting from

the University of Waikato.

The scientists believe insects are "suffering from

multiple human-induced stress factors including

habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, invasive

species, climate change and overharvesting".

"Some of the immediate 'no-regret' solutions put

forward include reducing light, water and noise

pollution, phasing out pesticide use and replace

that with ecological measures, enhancing restora-

tion and conservation programmes and educating

for awareness among the general world popula-

tion," they said in a statement.

Other avenues include "aggressive steps to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions", cutting down on inten-

sive agriculture and giving tax breaks to "induce

the innovation and adoption of insect friendly tech-

nologies".

The challenge in New Zealand could be bigger than

that faced in the northern hemisphere too, as we

don't even know what species are out there.

"In Europe, the majority of insect species are de-

scribed and have names, whereas in New Zealand

we have an estimated 20,000 species, with only

half of those having scientific names," said Dr

Painting.

"This means we face bigger challenges, as we are

still learning what species we have here, what their

role in the ecosystem is and how human-induced

environmental changes are affecting those spe-

cies."

She said a big problem is that identifying and nam-

ing new species " is a specialist job, and it isn’t as

valued as it used to be".

Follow the link to see the news video:

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/

world/2020/01/immediate-action-needed-to-save-

insects-scientists-warn.html

Could we see the end of the wētā? Photo credit: File News-

hub

15

The ongoing battle against rodent infesta-

tions takes a leap forwards with the devel-

opment of the most compact electronically

monitored rat and NOW mouse trap ever!

Thanks to the wonders of miniaturization,

for the first time all the sensor technology

is contained within the base of the Trap

Sensor Rat and Mouse trap.

The technology for this breakthrough has

been jointly developed by Alpeco in New

Zealand, and Alerthouse ApS of Denmark.

The system builds on the technology of

Alert House’s successful Mink Police trap

system.

This system, which has been employed in

animal sanctuaries throughout the world,

including New Zealand where it is the trap

of choice for Predator Free 2050, was pri-

marily designed to trap mustelids.

Miniaturization of the components lead to

the development of a rat trap, and now,

thanks to Alpeco’s involvement and Nb-IoT,

a mouse trap.

The trap consists of a robust, waterproof

plastic base with a powerful spring trap

mounted upon it. Within the base, pow-

ered by AAA Lithium batteries, is a sensor

that will register when the trap is sprung. A

message is then sent by e mail to a cell

phone APP or computer.

A BETTER MOUSE OR RAT TRAP

16

A unique feature of the system is that rather

than each trap in a network sending an indi-

vidual message, the system gathers and col-

lates all the information to provide a single

message, summarizing daily trap activity.

The user then can decide how often he/she

wants to be updated on trap status.

Until now this level of technology has not

been possible for mouse traps – there was

simply not enough room to fit the compo-

nents into the trap.

TrapSensor Mouse is the first system to offer

all the advantages and convenience of its big

brother, Trap Sensor Rat.

Maintaining mouse and rat traps has never

been so user-friendly – provided of course

that ‘user’ is not a rat or mouse!

More info: D2K/Alpeco Ltd Phone 0064 7

2131317

Email info@alpeco.co.nz

17

A Napier woman was left "baffled" after spotting a rat scampering across an electricity line. Debbie Marr, of Napier, said she spotted the rebellious rodent when walking along Embankment Rd with her husband. "I was just walking along Embankment Rd – opposite the old Westshore Hotel, now the Econo Lodge - and these two guys on bikes were looking up," she said. "They said 'look at the entertainment' and I looked up and there was this huge rat running along the power line. It was rather bizarre."

Marr added: "We stood and watched for a short while to see if it would fall off." After watching the "rather large rat" for a number of minutes, Marr continued to walk along the road before eventually turning back, only to be greeted with the same persistent pest on the power line. "It ran right along the cable until it got to the pylon where it sat. It even started to clean itself there," she said "It was on the line at one point and it even started to wee. I thought oh my god, what am I seeing'. It was like someone on a tightrope. You'd think it'd just fall off."

Marr added: "I wondered how it wasn't getting electro-cuted, but my husband reminded me it was insulated which is why you see birds sit on it I suppose." Director of Hawke's Bay pest control company Mayfair Paul Foulkes said he had "never seen a rat running across a power line before". "Normally, the only rat-related problems we deal with are in commercial properties, backs of shops, in restau-rants or in residential areas," he said. "You see rats in business districts, in backs of shops or on roofs – but never on a power line. This isn't a com-mon occurrence as far as I am aware." Marr added: "It is nothing like I have ever seen in my life time and I don't think many other people would have either. I don't know what happened to it in the end because I didn't want to stand there all day watch-ing a rat."

By: Christian Fuller—Hawkes Bay Today

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12296668&fbclid=IwAR3SC8xHSk3nIAT_Em2xSa-b0YmCIyoc-f8IJTcawFDiPW6WZfkBuNE_U-w

Rebellious rodent: Rat walking tightrope on Napier

power line stuns, baffles

Debbie Marr spotted the rat on the electricity line on Embankment Rd in Napier. Photo / Supplied

18

Koekoeā, the long-tailed cuckoo,

returns to Rotorua forest

Newshub reports that a large native bird with very partic-

ular nesting habits has begun returning to Dansey Scenic

Reserve near Rotorua after a seven-year pest control

effort.

Rotorua Canopy Tours runs a zipline adventure tourism

business at the reserve and has reported native long-

tailed cuckoos, or koekoeā, were returning to roost in the

forest.

General manager Paul Button told RNZ's Summer Re-

port the bird was quite unique.

"A long-tailed cuckoo is quite large for our native birds,

it's very similar to the New Zealand falcon - it's very pred-

atory - and it's got a long tail that's kind of speckled

brown.

"They're quite a unique bird because they lay their eggs in

other birds' nests, particularly the yellowhead and white-

head birds."

He said they were returning to the forest because of the

conservation efforts in the area over the past seven years.

"At the start, the forest was silent but in the last seven

years a lot of bird life has come back - including really

good numbers of the whitehead and yellowhead, more so

the yellowhead - and so the long-tailed cuckoo has come

back, they've got the nests to lay the eggs in again."

He said the conservation effort had been part of the cano-

py tour business model since it started, but had become

more of a major part of the story as it saw dramatic re-

sults.

"We've got 700 traps through a 230ha block, the majority

are the Good Nature self-resetting traps and then we

have a lot of DOC 200s and a couple of other manual

traps.

"We're out there monthly clearing and resetting the traps

and removing our friends the possum and the rat and the

odd stoat and to be honest the results have been just

mindblowing.

"Our possum count is down to 3 percent and our rat

count was down to 19 percent which is unheard of in a

mast year."

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/01/koekoe-the-long-tailed-cuckoo-returns-to-rotorua-forest.html

Koekoeā, the long-tailed cuckoo. Scientific name eudynamys taitensis. Photo credit: CC BY-SA 4.0

19

For the 3 months between 1 October and 31 December 2019, PMANZ had 2022 visitors that viewed 3825 pages - that is an average of 1.901 pages per person. And for the first three weeks of January 2020 until Thursday 23 Jan, there were 511 visitors that viewed 1007 pages.

The top page views and increases over December are as listed below. This gives us a great indication of what pest activity is of current concern to the public , and helps you prepare yourself. This information will be a regular in-clusion in the Newsletter.

PMANZ WEBSITE

Alphabetical Page Name Views vs Previous

/home 163 +70.87%

/2019-conference.html 10 0%

/about-us.html 26 +144.44%

/ants.html 58 +100%

/approved-handler-update.html 19 +146.15%

/bed-bugs.html 10 0%

/bees.html 15 +78.95%

/careerforce-new-upm-course.html 13 +130%

/cockroaches.html 26 +173.33%

/code-of-practice-for-the-food-industry.html 12 +120%

/company-list.html 30 +107.14%

/constitution-rules.html 11 0%

/find-a-professional.html 32 +71.11%

/join-us.html 26 +144.44%

/members-area.html 17 0%

/mice.html 15 +93.75%

/news.html 14 +66.67%

/pest-information.html 10 +100%

/rats.html 12 +109.09%

/spiders.html 50 +80.65%

/technicians-by-region.html 46 +60.53%

/urban-pest-management-qualifications.html 55 +171.88%

/wasps.html 50 +87.72%

20

A Review of the proposed Conditions and Controls im-

posed by ACVM on the Registration of Vertebrate Toxins

Recent issues and residue detections indi-

cated that a review of the current controls

on the anticoagulant VTAs was needed

ACVM are working through data and infor-

mation available, and a review of the con-

trols

The review has been underway for a while,

but in July they released their working doc-

ument. ACVM believe the current controls

no longer adequately manage the risks in-

volved with the use of VTA’s as specified

by the ACVM ACT. While the EPA responsi-

bilities centre on environmental protection

and immediate safety of people and com-

munities, and the use of VTA that it consid-

ers to be hazardous substances.

Below are some of the processes and high-

lights from that document.

Process

• Identify the gaps in the process thatare used to manage the risks involvedwith the use of Vertebrate Toxins andpropose changes.

• Brodifacoum reassessment

• Reassessment of all other anti-coagulant VTA’s

• Reassessment of VTA’s

End User Definitions

• Public Use – Non-professional users(e.g. householders)

• Professional – persons who normallyuses VTAs as part of their business orfor commercial purposes

• Conservation & TB eradication uses

• Government Departments, Councils,Organisations operating conservationparks, mainland islands, island re-serves, and national parks

• Contractors and volunteers directly en-gaged and supervised by persons fromthe organisations listed above.

• Aerial Distribution – persons who nor-mally uses VTAs as part of their busi-ness or for commercial or conservationpurposes.

21

Highlights

• Classifications

– Public Use – restricted to pack sizes lessthan 300g

– Professional Use – restricted to 100 Kg

– Conservation / TB – No size limit

– Aerial Distribution – No size limit

• Sales

– Quantities less than 300g can be sold byretail outlets

– Quantities greater than 300g can onlybe sold by

• The registrant of the product

• An organisation holding an ap-proved ACVM Operating Plan

• Detailed records of sales are re-quired (including photo ID)

• Application

– Bait stations only (Domestic use)

– Bait stations (Professional & Conserva-tion purposes)

– Hand baiting of cyanide and pindone(Professional & Conservation purposes)

– Aerial Delivery (Professional & Conser-vation purposes)

• Hand baiting within 10 m of aboundary

• Certifications for sale to, or use of

>300g

– a Controlled Substance licence(mandatory for HSNO classes 6.1A and6.1B e.g. sodium fluoroacetate, cyanide,Cholecalciferol, Zinc Phosphide, PAPP)and / or

– NZQA unit standard XXXX (mandatory

for vertebrate toxic agents not covered by 4a. e.g. the anticoagulant type VTA’s and α-Chloralose). A CSL is also accepta-ble for these compounds.

• Responsibility for VTA

– Public Use – User

– Professional – Applicator

– Conservation / TB – Purchaser

– Aerial – Purchaser

• Responsibilities Include

– Compliance with all label requirements

– Carcase removal

– The position of all bait stations must bemapped

– All bait stations / spilled baits must bemonitored and removed at the end ofthe baiting program.

– Adverse events notifications

• Poison Use Statements

Editors Note: There is also indications that ACVM future Reviews and Reassessment may include all other anticoagulants follow-ing the brodifacoum reassessment, as well as other VTA products where indicated to en-sure controls are suitable to manage the as-sociated risks.

22

In chemistry, flocculation refers to the pro-

cess by which fine particulates in a fluid are

caused to clump together into a floc. The

floc may then float to the top of the liquid

(creaming) or settle to the bottom of the

liquid (sedimentation).

A common substance that we deal with in

the pest control industry that does this a lot

are all the Suspension Concentrates (SC’s

for short, or many of the liquid sprays we

use). As the name implies, the active ingre-

dients and the other additives, like the wax-

es, fillers, solvents, rain fasteners are sus-

pended in a liquid solvent. Eventually they

will clump together and settle to the

bottom over time.

We’ve all seen the white sludge that forms

at the bottom of a spray tank or on the

bottom of a bottle of Suspension Concen-

trate that hasn’t been used for a while.

What you might not know is that this pro-

cess can actually happen quite rapidly, and

may not even be visible to the naked eye to

start with. It also varies, depending on the

product type, temperature and a range of

other factors.

What this means is you the operator are at

risk of potentially over and then under-

dosing spray treatments as this process

goes on. A bottle of spray concentrate or a

spray mixture in a tank can look fine, but

the concentration can actually vary by quite

a lot from top to bottom.

Article continues on next page

Illustration of flocculation

Technical Hints—What the FLOC was that?

Dr Paul Craddock Technical and Operations Manager, Flybusters/Antiants

Paul is an Ecologist/Entomologist and Operations Manager, and been on staff since 2007. Prior to his

employment at Flybusters, Paul was employed at DOC as a technical advisory officer in biosecurity, a

position he held for three and a half years. Paul is currently Operations Manager for Flybusters/

Antiants and consults on a wide variety of large scale projects including ant, mosquito and midge con-

trol throughout New Zealand, Pacific Islands and California, Consulting entomologist, rodent control

expert, ecologist and taxonomist.

23

The outlet draw from a spray tank and from

a concentrate bottle is typically from the

bottom, so when the tank or bottle is mixed

evenly the concentration output through the

system is correct to start with. As the con-

tents settle, the liquid being pulled out from

the bottom becomes more and more con-

centrated. Further on, as the tank or bottle

empties, the active ingredient concentration

can then decrease sharply. This means by

the end of the fill the liquid mix may be well

below correct dose rate.

To prevent this we recommend you always

thoroughly shake bottles of concentrate eve-

ry time you use them, even if it was used a

short time earlier. You should also regularly

agitate your spray tank. A good rolling shake

every 20 minutes or so is ideal. Also remem-

ber to do this before each job, particularly if

you have spray mixture left over from the

previous job.

In all instances spray equipment should not

be left overnight with unused spray mixture

in them. The flocculated sludge left behind

coats the tank, hoses, filters and pump inter-

nals, and has the potential to cause block-

ages, damage and pump failures.

Always flush your equipment with clean wa-

ter and remember the old adage: Always

end the day with an empty tank.

Example of flocculation

24

BIG FLIES

House Flies

Most house fly issues originate from the exterior.

House flies (family Muscidae) breed primarily in

animal manure and secondarily in moist, organic

materials associated with Dumpsters and other

trash receptacles. If found breeding indoors, the

breeding site will most likely involve an overlooked

trash can, poorly maintained trash room or rotting

produce stored in boxes or bags. It has been re-

ported house flies breeding indoors involved an

overlooked box half-full of rotting potatoes...in the

middle of winter!

Where a house or building is located also may play

a role in the numbers of house flies seen around/

entering a building. Structures near farms where

livestock are present are more prone to house

flies, face flies, little house flies and even stable

flies (family Muscidae) — all of which breed in

fresh animal manure. The building doesn’t even

need to be adjacent to the farm as house flies are

capable of flying three to four kilometres, attracted

by odours or other factors. When establishing a

house fly management program, more comprehen-

sive efforts often are needed for buildings afflicted

by larger numbers of flies.

Blow Flies, Bottle Flies & Flesh Flies

Similar to House Flies.

Relative to their pres-

ence in and around

structures, blow and

bottle flies (family Calli-

phoridae) and flesh flies

(family Sarcophagidae) are similar to house flies.

Such flies are attracted by garbage and food

odours; most infestations originate from the exte-

rior. Control strategies focused on sanitation, ex-

clusion and ILTs are key for all these flies.

Where’s the Carcass?

Blow flies and flesh

flies both primarily

breed in animal car-

casses outdoors,

often being the first

insects to

discover a freshly dead animal. When dozens of

these flies suddenly appear inside, it’s a good bet

that some animal has died within the walls, ceiling,

attic, crawlspace or chimney. On occasions the

presence of blow flies inside a premises led to the

discovery of a dead mouse, rat or bird is involved.

Once a dead mouse that had already been infest-

ed by blow fly larvae, was allowed in the experi-

ment, for the flies to fully develop within a contain-

er; 125 blow flies were the result. Imagine the

number of flies produced from a larger animal.

Although the cause is easy to discern in these cas-

es, finding an animal carcass within the voids of a

structure can be quite difficult. Blow fly and flesh

fly larvae crawl out of the breeding material to find

a place to pupate and often the larvae can be

found dropping from ceilings or crawling along

baseboards. If larvae are found on top of a coun-

ter, bed, etc., look for vents or light fixtures in the

ceiling from which larvae could have emerged.

Either investigate the attic directly above or in-

spect the ceiling void, remove the vent cover or

fixture, and examine the void for an animal car-

cass.

Article continues on next page

Technical Hints—Flies Part 2

25

Use Traps. ILTs and/or sticky traps can help re-

move adult flies quickly until the dead animal is

discovered.

Insect Light Traps (ILTs). A well-designed insect

light trap program is essential for any commercial

building with house fly issues. ILTs work attracting

and catching flies 24 hours a day...as long as they

are well maintained and UV bulbs are changed out

as recommended by the manufacturer.

Placement of ILTs is key to effectiveness. If placed

too near natural light, an ILT’s ability to attract

flies during the daytime will be negated. Place-

ment too high on a wall, above 5 feet, will de-

crease the numbers of house flies captured. Hang-

ing an ILT too close to doorways allows flies to fly

right past the trap before they even “see” it. Lo-

cating traps so they can be seen from the outside

can attract night-time flying insects to the build-

ing. Pest professionals have a variety of quality,

economical ILT choices to offer customers. Design

the ILT plan to follow the natural flow flies might

take from entryways through the building. Use as

many ILTs as needed — don’t settle for just one in

the back and one in the front.

Outside. Trash Receptacles and Entryways. Are

outside trash cans and Dumpsters clean? Are

these located as far from doors as possible? Even

clean Dumpsters and trash cans will attract some

flies, but the messier receptacles bring more flies,

thus increasing the number of flies potentially en-

tering inside. Locating Dumpsters and trash cans

as far from the building as possible helps minimize

flies near entryways. Use of fly baits in these areas

can be beneficial in reducing numbers of flies in

the area.

Doors should not be propped open and when

opened, should close within a few seconds. If ven-

tilation is needed, such as seen with overhead

doors in warehouses during summer, doors

should be equipped with tight-fitting screens. Use

of plastic curtains on overhead doors can help ex-

clude flies where the doors are used frequently.

Technical Hints—Flies Part 2 cont.