Tt july 10 whole mag

Today’sTechnicianQuarterly Journal of The National Pest Technician’s Association

Today’sTechnicianQuarterly Journal of The National Pest Technician’s Association

In this Issue.....

● Association information days

● Spotlight on Accreditation

● News & Information

Issue 66 - July 2010Official supporters of

this this issue...issue... Today’sTechnician

Welcome to issue number sixtysix of this fine publication“Today’s Technician”.

The front cover carries an imageof an unbelievably large waspnest sent in by Ryan Rickard of County Mole and PestControl, let’s hope this year will be a good wasp one,meanwhile £50 is on its way.

I remember putting together the very first issue of“Today’s Technician” many years ago and that was asingle page that we photocopied, now we are on issueSixty Six and I still feel a sense of achievement seeinga finished issue. I would like to think you the membershave always found articles of interest within its pages.As a working Pest Control Technician myself I havealways tried to make this journal interesting to peoplelike myself and not fill its pages with over technicalarticles. At times I have been criticised for what theother Directors and Barrie Sheard my assistant-editorcall my little rants, but what the hell! it’s good to getsome things off your chest.

This issue covers several of our training days that wehave ran starting with our annual Scottish Day, ourannual Southern Training day and our First IrishTraining Day. Barrie thinks we should blow our owntrumpet a bit more on some of our many successes, soread on and as usual enjoy. Ed.

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ededitorial...itorial...

Today’s Technician is published quarterly. ALL RIGHTSRESERVED. The opinions expressed in this publication are notnecessarily those of the NPTA or of the Editor.Advertising is accepted at the discretion of the NPTA ManagementBoard and in no way implies endorsement of the goods or servicesby the NPTA or it’s officials. The function of Today’s Technician isto improve communications within the public health pest controlindustry to the benefit of aIl involved. The NPTA has taken allreasonable care in the preparation of Today’s Technician, but doesnot accept any liability for the consequences of any errors oromissions. Use of the NPTA logo by members merely indicatesmembership of the Association and does not allude to endorsementof the member by the Association.

Editor John Davison.Assistant Editor J Barrie SheardDesign John Davison, 01949 81133Printing, Scotia Print, 0116 233 4266Cover picture, a rather large wasp nest by, Ryan Rickard,County Mole & Pest Control, £50 is on its way.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL – USE PESTICIDES SAFELY

Page 2. Today’s Technician July 2010

“Today's Technician” Deadlinesin 2010/11

Please note that the dates set for 2010/11 deadlines foradvertisements, product news, editorials and theirphotographs, articles (both long and short), letters for lastword, competitions, hot gossip, front page photographs,job advertisements and anything else to do with "Today'sTechnician" are as follows:

October 2010 issue Friday 30th Aug 2010

January 2011 issue Friday 29th Nov 2010

April 2011 issue Friday 30th Feb 2011

July 2011 issue Friday 25th May 2011

NOTE: The October issue will come out 4 weeks beforePEST-TECH 2010 so why not include details of your newproducts or services available on your Exhibition Stand?

HELP US TO HELP YOU GET YOUR “TT"ON TIME!

Scotland TScotland Training Report raining Report

Barrettine/NPTBarrettine/NPTAA TTraining Dayraining Day

NPTNPTAA Participation in EventsParticipation in Events

Chairman’Chairman’s Desks Desk

Northern Ireland TNorthern Ireland Training raining

Starting Out-Part 16-Starting Out-Part 16-Bob Newey Bob Newey

Spotlight on PestBustersSpotlight on PestBusters

ScottishScottish PersecutionPersecution of Red Kiteof Red Kite

Update on European proposalsUpdate on European proposals

NPTNPTAA VVisit isit YYorkshire orkshire WWaterater

Countryman’Countryman’s Corners Corner

Handling BumblebeesHandling Bumblebees

Last Last WWordord

Today’s Technician July 2010 .

• Practical Demonstrations• PCN Workshop• New Products• Networking

• Meet suppliers• Presentations• Advice - first hand• and much more...

NPTA Ltd . NPTA House . Hall Lane . Kinoulton . Nottingham . NG12 3EF . t 01949 81133 . e [email protected] office address as above. NPTA Limited registered in England. Registration Number 4189375

The National Motorcycle Museum, Junction 6, M42, Birmingham

For full details visit www.pesttech.org.uk or www.npta.org.uk

. Today’s Technician July 2010

A big A big ++ for Accreditationfor AccreditationHave you ever wanted that really big contract just down the road but could not costeffectively service the other company premises some hundred or more miles away?

Well now it is possible as being an NPTA Accredited member entitles you to take on multinational contractsand for those premises that you find are just too far, all you have to do is come to an arrangement with

another Accredited member to take the work in their area at an agreed price. yes it’s that easy.

Being a fully Accredited member of the NPTA verifies by way of audit that your working practices,paperwork, insurance, vehicles, store and training all comply with current legislation and is recognised

by the major supermarket chains and their auditors.

Being an Accredited member of the National Pest Technicians Association at last gives you the same benefitas a large national pest control company.

All you have to do to be Accredited is contact the NPTA office and our office staff will talk you through theapplication process, once you feel your company can comply with the requirements an auditor will visit your

premises, so why not phone today and join the growing number of Accredited members.

Contact NPTContact NPTAA House on 01949 81House on 01949 81133 for133 for furfurtherther details.details.

Only

available

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Bill Fountain, of W.F.Fountain, Insurance Agent will be happy to provide youwith a quotation, and has been providing this Insurance Service facility to the

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Yell working with the NPTA

Yell, (Yellow Pages, Yell.com and 118 24 7) continue to ensure only NPTA members are allowed to advertisebearing any reference to the NPTA within their products.

As a result of close working relationship between Yell and the NPTA for a number of years, both partiesundertake the checking of the Yellow Pages directory to ensure that misuse of the NPTA logo is prevented.

Yell also, when notified, instantly update any incorrect advertising that is on Yell.com or 118 247.

This continues to be a major initiative in protecting Yell product users and is welcomed by trading standardsofficials and consumer organisations across the country.

Guy Hayne, Trade Association Relationship Manager at Yell said:

“We do take this issue very seriously and we are committed to working with the NPTA on this initiative, whichhelps protect both consumers and NPTA members”

Julie Gillies, Head of Membership, said “The continuing alliance with Yell is a further demonstration of ourcommitment to ensuring all advertisers using the NPTA logo are entitled to do so”.

In addition to stamping out logo abuse, Yell were also delighted to have supported NPTA as one of their sponsorsat PestTech 2009 in November.

DiarDiaryDatesyDatesToday’sTechnicianToday’sTechnician

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NPTA House, Kinoulton, NottinghamDATAS Associates, March SX Environmental Supplies LtdJohn Lill, Wildlife Management SpecialistKillgerm Chemicals LimitedRoyal Society for the Promotion of HealthBarrettine Environmental Health

01949 8113301354 659 06101702 52404001507 603 75901924 268 4000203 17716000117 9672222

Julie GilliesDerek CullenRichard LunnJohn LillLisa WalesChris SuterChris Parmiter

July 2010RSPH Level 2Advaned Pest Control Workshop 1 - BedbugsWildlife AwareAuto Confusion - Seminar for Moth ControlAuto Confusion - Seminar for Moth ControlRodent WorkshopAuto Confusion - Seminar for Moth ControlAuto Confusion - Seminar for Moth ControlSafe Use of Aluminium Phosphide & Mole ControlInsect ControlRodent ControlSafe Use of PesticidesWorking Safely in Pest Control (IOSH)Working Safely at HeightsAir WeaponsPest Awareness for Non PCOs

August 2010Ant Control

September 2010Air WeaponsBed BugsSafe Use of Aluminium Phosphide & Rabbit & Mole ControlAir WeaponsPractical Rodent ControlSafe Use of PesticidesFlying InsectRodent ControlInsect ControlAir WeaponsPest Awareness for Non PCOsFlying InsectRodent ControlInsect ControlRodent ControlEquipment CourseRSPH Level IIBird ManagementSafe Use of PesticidesWildlife ManagementWorking Safely at HeightsInsect IdentificationPestTech 2010

July 5-7 DATAS CambridgeshireJuly 6 Killgerm ReigateJuly 7 Killgerm OssettJuly 8 Barrettine HullJuly 8 Barrettine Stoke on TrentJuly 8 Killgerm LingfieldJuly 13 Barrettine ChelmsfordJuly 13 Barrettine SwindonJuly 13 Barrettine PaisleyJuly 13 & 14 Killgerm BristolJuly 15 Killgerm BristolJuly 20 Killgerm BristolJuly 21 Killgerm BristolJuly 22 Killgerm BristolJuly 27 Killgerm Biggin HillJuly 29 Killgerm Norwich

Aug 31 Barrettine Shuttleworth

Sept 1 Killgerm MashamSept 1 Barrettine ShuttleworthSept 2 Barrettine ShuttleworthSept 2 Killgerm Biggin HillSept 3 Barrettine ShuttleworthSept 7 Killgerm ReigateSept 7 Killgerm OssettSept 9 Killgerm BristolSept 14 Killgerm LingfieldSept 15 & 16 Killgerm ReigateSept 16 Killgerm OssettSept 21 Killgerm SalisburySept 21 SX Env. BasingstokeSept 21 & 22 Killgerm OssettSept 23 Killgerm OssettSept 23 Killgerm BristolSept 27 & 28 Killgerm UxbridgeSept 28 SX Env. WarringtonSept 28 Killgerm OssettSept 29 SX Env. BromsgroveSept 30 Killgerm ReigateSept 30 Killgerm OssettNov 3 NPTA Birmingham



March 23rd saw memaking the long driveonce again up toScotland for our 15thannual training day

back at the old venueof the Grange Manor

Hotel, Grangemouth. Uponarrival the Killgerm staff were

already unloading and setting out their stands forthe following day, Wednesday 24th. I soon unloaded theNPTA stands and equipment after dumping my casein my room.

Killgerm, who kindly sponsored this eventonce again really went to town with theamount of stands and equipment theybrought. I on the other hand was restrictedthis year as I had almost a car load to drop offin the Borders on my way up, but we still hadall the usual information, mags and things. Mostof the sixty seven delegates who attended aremembers and as many told me, they look forward tothis day every year.

Anyway, I soon had everything setup and decided to check roundthe premises for some suitablemanhole lids that we could liftthe following day on thed r a i n a g eb r e a k o u t ,

w e a t h e rp e r m i t t i n g ,

this done mynext mission was to

find something to eat as all I had eatenall day was half a packet of fruitpastilles, now being 8.30pm my littlebelly (no comments please) wasmaking some unusual noises.

The next morning Peter our Chairman and Julie our officeeverything (below) turned up one hour before kickoff(typical) having flown up on one of those cheap flights(Peter loves flying and particulaly on small planes, he

loves the way the wingswobble) you know theones? they pay you, butyou pay taxes.

Anyway they did manthe stand for the day and

answered several membersquestions, so I suppose they did

make themselves useful in some ways, perhaps wemay let them go next year.

I soon welcomed delegates and went through allthe usual H&S stuff (you see I am not just Editoror CEO) before introducing the first speaker ofthe day John Charlton (top middle) whoupdated those present on rodenticideresistance, this was followed by man ofmystery Graham Bingham (bottom left) who

was assisted by Killgerms very own PeterFielding (top left) on new products.

After a short break for refreshments Dave Avery (topright) gave an interesting presentation on pheromonesbefore one of our Scottish members Craig Sieath (bottomright) held the floor for the final slotbefore lunch with an interestingpresentation on the legal traps whentreating bees.

A hearty lunchwas soon eatenand we draggedthem all back in(some kicking andblowing out smokefrom the fags they didnot get to finish) for the next speakerof the day Rodney Bell (middle right)who kept everyone awake for his

cockroach control presentation. The day was concludedby three breakout sessions, these were myself (yes Iknow, yet another job I have to do!) on drain faults andfault finding, Peter Fielding (top left) onbed bugs and Matt Davies on thedifficult topic of delusionaryparasitosis. Many thanks toKillgerm for their support andKillgerm staff LouiseColdwell and Nicola Shires(bottom middle) for sortingregistration as well as helpingon the Killgerm stands. A mostenjoyable and interesting day.

15th Annual ScottishTraining Day

Report by John Davison CEO


NPTA &Barrettine

Trainingdown in the

SOUTH

For the fouth year running our Association joined forceswith Barrettine Environmental Health for the Southerntraining day which was supported by Bayer UK, Bell

Laboratories, Rentokil, Agrisense and P&L Systems who allhad product stands on show and all provided speakersthroughout the event, our thanks go to Barrettine and all thoseinvolved throughout theevent for making the day avery worthwhile event.

Iain Turner did the honoursduring the day for the 68delegates that attended andalso gave new productpresentations and with thehelp of Tony Baker gavean excellent presentationon Feral Bee Awareness,Iain is of course regionalsales manager forBarrettine and a Directorof NPTA.

Peter Crowden (NPTA Chairman) was first up on the day withthe results and implications of our latest Rodent Survey Report,this was followed by our old friend Paul Butt from NaturalEngland with a presentation on “Pest Control & the Law - anUpdate” Paul also supplied a stand and information on WildlifeCrime throughout the day.

Andrew Adams (Head of Regulatory Affairs) Bayer, gave anexcellent update on the current EU political argumentsregarding the possible abolution of anticoagulant rodenticidesand what we can do about it. Andrew was followed by awelcome break for refreshments, some said after hearingAndrew we should have served Whisky.

After the break Nigel Batten or as he is better known NetworkNigel (from P&L Systems) gave an interesting MarketplaceUpdate.

The next speaker was Richard Comont from the Centre forEcology and Hydrology who explained “the HarlequinLadybird - an Emerging Pest” where it came from and how farwill it spread and how we should deal with this growingproblem.

After a short Bell marketplace update we welcomed backOliver Madge who presented “New Legislation & New

Technology for Lone Workers”. Oliver reflected on a recentcase involving Corporate Manslaughter and the implicationsthis could have on managers of Lone Workers.

Following this Alan Morris of Bayer UK gave a market updatewhich took us nicely up to the welcome lunch break which

consisted of a lovely hotbuffet lunch andrefreshments.

Dave Avery of Agrisencequickly followed lunchwith a marketplaceupdate which led nicelyto Iain and Tony tocomplete thepresentations, these werefollowed by BreakoutWorkshops presented byVermend Ratblocker andCamScan CameraSystems.

After a short break for refreshments and a final chance to speakto exhibitors and speakers those not enroled on the NPTA RiskAssessment Course left, those who stayed found thepresentation by Graham Sharman of great interest. Altogether afantastic day, it’s easy to see why this day each year is fullybooked long before the day.Thankyou Barrettine, all those who brought stands or didpresentations and all those delegates that attended.

Please note that the DVD of the Farnham Training Day is nowavailable, with all the presentations for those that could notmake the trip. They are £15.00 + VAT each (or £7.50each with carriage-paid order). Available from BarrettineEnvironmental Health. 0117 9672222.

The Speakers

Report by John Davison CEO

“The other key point I wanted to make to the President ofCEPA, the other Brit in the audience, was that not all pestcontrollers use pesticides in their work, so a ‘one size fitsall’ as far as training and examination is concerned maynot always be appropriate” he noted, “Many of ourMembers only use traps, snares and guns, or only installbird proofing systems, so the RSPH-type training in ‘pestcontrol’ should not always be the minimum requirementto be a pest controller”.

Talking of the RSPH, Iain’s second presentation was attheir recent Conference in the more mundanesurroundings of Central London, where he presented theNPTA’s “National Rodent Report 2008/2009”. Still, Mayin London is a lot warmer thanNaples in March.

‘Safe Use of Aluminium Phosphide’

Barrettine Environmental Health are going to berunning a ‘Safe Use of Aluminium Phosphide’ trainingcourse in Paisley on Tuesday 13th July and we thoughtyou might like Scottish Members to be made aware.

The tutor is Adrian Meyer of Acheta, one of the UK’sforemost experts on vertebrate control.

Aluminium phosphide can be used in the control of rats,moles and rabbits and is one of the few methods left thatcan still be used for these purposes. It is, however, apotentially dangerous material if not used properly andthere are Government plans for a much more strict‘certification’ process for users to be introduced in the nottoo distant future.

The venue is The Watermill Hotel, Lonend, Bladda Lane,Paisley, Renfrewshire PA1 1SR Telephone: +44 (141) 889 3201Further information is available at:http://www.thewatermillhotel.co.uk/

The price for the first delegate from an organisation is£105 + VAT. This will cover the training, all refreshmentsand lunch, together with a Certificate of Attendance.CPD points will also be available for students. If any oneorganisation wishes to send more than one student, wecan talk about discounted rates.

As places are limited, however, we will give priority tothe first person nominated from each organisation. Ifthere are places available, we will then invite others fromthose organisations requesting further places on a ‘firstcome first serve’ basis.

A 10% discount is available for NPTA Membersbooking through the NPTA Office on 01949 81133.


As well as running his own business, Peter Crowden alsoacts as the main spokesman for the NPTA, in his capacityas Chairman. Unfortunately, he can only be in one placeat a time, so every now and again, someone has to ‘sub’for him. However, all the Directors have busy lives andnot all are willing to stand up in front of audiences andspeak on behalf of the Association.

So far this year, Promotions Director, Iain Turner hasstepped in for Peter on two occasions, which as a fulltime employee of Barrettine Environmental Health, hasmeant giving up some holidays. “As volunteers, we allhave to be prepared to give up some evenings, weekendsand even holidays in order to keep the Associationgoing”, notes Iain – but even he had to admit that a fewdays in Southern Italy, courtesy of the Italian AssociationA.N.I.D. (Associazione Nazionale delle Imprese diDisinfestazione), was a sacrifice worth making.

The NPTA had been invited to explain why the UK hadmore than one Trade Association in the Pest ControlIndustry. In fact, most countries in Europe have morethan one Association. Some are based on geographicalRegions within a country, others, like the UK, have otherreasons.

“I was very conscious of two things” explains Turner,“firstly that most of the 200 + people in the audience didnot speak English, so were relying on simultaneoustranslation – and secondly that three of the four Britspresent were past Presidents of the BPCA!”

He made the point that the BPCA was essentially anexclusive club for those that wanted to separatethemselves from the rest of the industry, in order to appealto key customers of pest control services. This left therest, who either could not become members, like LocalAuthorities, or did not wish to join this club, without avoice in the industry. “The NPTA’s main function is to beas inclusive as possible – with certain minimum standardsof course,” he concludes. Whether the differencebetween ‘exclusive’ compared to ‘inclusive’ were pickedup by the translator, remains to be seen.

NPTA Participation at Industry Events

Kevan Higgins and NPTA representative Iain Turner. Naples.

Report by Iain Turner

ChairChairman’man’ss

DeskDesk


Welcome to my desk - before I get down to updatingyou on developments this quarter I believe it isimportant that you all realise how our newmemberships have this time reached a record level -one only has to glance down the list of newmemberships on page 25 to appreciate the numbers.May I express a personal sincere welcome and hopeyour decision to join us proves a great decision bothbusiness wise and profesionally?

This last quarter has been one of the busiest timesexperienced by the Association that anyone canrememeber. Not only did we recently attend andcontribute to NPTA training days in Grangemouth inScotland on March 23, but also at Frensham Pond inSouthern England on May 12 while also attendingLisburn in Northern Ireland on May 20th.

In addition we also accepted invitations to presentpapers to a RSPH seminar in central London andalso to the Greater London Pest Liaison Group(GLPLG) spring meeting again in central London.Subjects covered included the February 2010released NPTA Rodent Report 2008/09. Provingonce again the important link between promotion ofthe Association and also making PCT’s betterprofessionals.

I believe readers will be interested to learn that as aresult of the Cambridgeshire misuse of bendiocarbprosecution (see page 19 April 2010 TT) for “failureto take all reasonable precautions to protect humans,creatures and plants” has been taken a step forward.Namely by the Management Board creating a draftdocument, in association with the HSE, for earlysubmission to the Pest Management Allianceconsideration. Hopefully for the final document to bemade available across the whole of the UnitedKingdom. “Prevention always being far better andcheaper than a court appearance”!

Building upon the success of last year’s eventPestTech 2010 is being planned to be anothersuccessful event. As Chairman I am being told byour office staff and Chief Executive, John Davison,that early booking of exhibition space is a “must” forboth existing businesses as well as hopefully somenew companies.

Can I invite members to let both myself and JulieGillies know how you believe we can improvePestTech? Remembering as I always do that theAssociation is the total membership and not solelythose who volunteer to be on the ManagementBoard.

As Chairman I am delighted at the fact that so muchcorrespondence was sent from our membership andthe Management Board to our Euro MP’s, this hasmade these decision makers rethink the proposalsthat were originally put before the EuropeanCommittee, the proposals could still however lead tothe withdrawel of anticoagulant rodenticides; butnow it seems it’s more a case of interpretation of theoriganal wording, unfortunately this could still createthe same problem. Let’s hope common senseprevails.

Before closing this column may I make a particularreference to the special article (on page 10) writtenby the RSPH on the new level 2 courses (veryimportantly now developed into two styles).

May I also take this opportunity to invite all ourmembers to visit the NPTA stand at PestTech 2010 tosay hello to the Management Board and the firsthundred can obtain a voucher for a free cup oftea/coffee.

Peter Crowden

All the usual suspectsGary Moore (third from left bottom) of LisburnCouncil kindly organised the venue, NPTA andKillgerm organised the speakers and Julie (NPTA) &Louise and Amanda (Killgerm) did the rest.

Julie, Neil and myself (JD) attended on behalf of theAssociation and some forty six delegates attended torepresent the Irish pest control industry,(dissapointingly 25% of delegates who pre-booked,did not then attend).

After my welcome and introduction the day waskicked off by non-other than Jonathan Peck, the manat the top of Killgerm (bottom right). Jonathan gavethose present the latest developments regarding theproposed changes to European Legislationregarding the use of anticoagulant rodenticides. Thiswas quickly followed by Duncan Bosomworth (topright) also from Killgerm who presented “It aint whatyou do it’s the way that you do it!”; Duncan was thenfollowed by Richard Bevan (top second from right) ofBristol City Council who presented

“Working Together; EHO’s and PCO’s”,after which there was a welcome breakfor refreshments.

After the break Paul Butt ( top row,second left) of Natural Englandpresented “Wildlife Management &Legislation Update” always interesting.

Following Paul was Dave Avery (toprow, middle) from Agrisense with a very

interesting presentation on “Attractants andPheromones”. We were then treated to a smashingbuffet lunch was gratefully received by all thedelegates present, a big thank you to Killgerm.

After lunch Peter Connolley (top left) took the firstshift after an hours break with a presentation on“Risk Assessments”. Then the Breakouts,“Identifying the enemy in the kitchen & practical sideof form filling” which was taken by DuncanBosomworth and myself on “Drain faults & faultfinding”.

Altogether our Irish colleagues found the whole dayvery interesting and assured both Killgerm andNPTA that they would be most grateful if this couldbe made an annual event?

Even though the round trip was over six hundredmiles and meant driving there in order to take all therelevant equipment and information, the Associationfound the whole venture well worth while.

Tony O’Dowd (bottom secondleft) the Killgerm salesmanager for Ireland andmyself (bottom left) would liketo thank all those delegates,both members and non-members of the association,for attending.

Report by John Davison,CEO


NPTA/KillgermEmerald Isle

Success

Subscribing Members

The NPTA is a non-profit making body andcan only exist with the continued support of

companies in the industry. We therefore placeon record our gratitude to the following

twelve subscribing members.

• AgriSense BCS Ltd

• Barrettine Environmental Health

• BASF Pest Control Solutions

• Bayer Environmental Science

• SX Environmental Supplies Ltd

• Industrial Pesticides (N.W.)

• Killgerm Chemicals Ltd

• Lodi UK Ltd

• Certis Europe BV

• Rentokil

• Rodent Service (East Anglia) Ltd

• Russell IPM Ltd

Representing all fields of pest control from individual pest technicians to private pest controlcompanies, manufacturing companies, local authorities and suppliers to the industry.

If you work in the pest control industry, or you are interested in pest control and hygieneissues, you would be most welcome in the NPTA.

For an application form or additional information, please contact our office today:

Telephone 01949 81133 Facsimile 01949 823905 or E-mail [email protected] www.npta.org.uk and www.pesttech.org.uk

Or write to NPTA House, Hall Lane, Kinoulton, Nottingham, NG12 3EF

Accredited MembersAccredited MembersDiscreet Pest Control, ManchesterCentral Pest Control, HerefordshireClarkes 4 Pest Control, EssexCMA Nemesis, DorsetCulm Environmental, DevonS. M. Pest Control, SuffolkEastpoint Pest Control, SuffolkD. K. A. Environmental, ScotlandOakwood Groundcare & Pest Control, ShropshireAlba Environmental Services, ScotlandWakefield & District Housing, West YorkshireNight Night Pests, HampshireAcorn Environmental Services, CheshireKleena-Kill, LincolnshireBye Bye Pests, HampshireEnviropest Control Services, West MidlandsRavenstone Bird Control, IrelandMacLean Environmental, LeicestershireM. R. Pest Control (Kent) Ltd, KentOrkney Pest Control Services, ScotlandCountryside Pest Control Services, LincolnshireGuardian Pest Control, LincolnshireP&P Pest Control, WalesMark Jolly Pest Control, SuffolkIt Has 2 Be Done, DerbyshireComplete Pest Management, West MidlandsA.K. Pest Control, CornwallPestbusters (Midlands) Ltd, West MidlandsAdaptive Pest Control Ltd, Scotland5 Star Pest Control, Isle of WightElite Pest Management Ltd, LincolnshireAbate Ltd, NorfolkEssex & Suffolk Pest Solutions Ltd, Suffolk

JOIN JOIN TTODAODAYY, make your, make your voice heard!!!voice heard!!!


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Starting Out “part 16” by Bob Newey


It was a strange Spring for me in that I had less antjobs than usual, but the wasps started earlier. As wego to press it’s too early to see how busy the summeris going to be, but the early indications are good andthere were certainly plenty of queens about duringApril and May. Hopefully by the time you read thiswe will all be inundated. I’m steadily building up mycontracts and other regular stuff, but I’m still tooreliant on the wasp work I’m afraid. Last year wasquite busy, but the strange happenings in Augustwhen the nests started to die off was disappointing.Talking to other pesties around the country I wassurprised how it varied, with some really busy butothers had a quiet summer.

One issue that has really come to the fore is the issueof treating honeybees, following on from the courtcase the HSE brought against a pestie inCambridgeshire. The subject has been well coveredelsewhere in the mag so I won’t go into detail,suffice to say that I will treat them only if I can sealthe entrance(s) as it’s too risky to rely upon anybodyelse doing it. Trying to persuade the customer toleave them alone sometimes works but you neverknow if they are going to phone someone else, so totry to combat this I tell people that I will be makingthe local Beekeepers Association aware of the beespresence, which should then make the occupiercareful about how they go about dealing with theirproblem.

I had an interesting call from a customer about a batproblem. They had one (a pipistrelle) in theirbedroom and sure enough when I arrived there it washanging from the wall. Having never been faced withthis kind of situation before I phoned the BatConservation Trust for advice, and after havingchecked the loft and confirmed their presence inthere, I carefully removed the bat and placed it on ajoist close to the others. It was deep in hibernationand barely moved and hopefully it was none theworse from my interference.

Like me, many of you come across some filthyhomes when treating various pests. I don’t thinkmine are as bad as some of the ones you Councilboys have to deal with, but I occasionally get some‘bad uns’ nevertheless. Some of the worst I comeacross are students and particularly (andsurprisingly) the females. I was called out to onerecently where a group of girls were sharing a largehouse. One of the girl’s parents had complained tothe agent about the mice, and was disgusted that theirdaughter had to live in such conditions. Unlesssomething was done about it they would removetheir daughter, and such was their disgust that theyeven threatened to take some kind of legal actionagainst the agent for putting their daughter’s healthat risk.

So along I went,and I wassurprised that thestate of the placewasn’t too bad.The kitchen(where they werehaving most ofthe problems)was fairly clean,and the student’srooms were alittle untidy butfree of the usualkind of miceattracting debristhat we usually find. Then, as I was placing bait inthe kitchen I noticed a note attached to the fridge thatread, “ Pest controller is coming on Thursday so wemust make sure we clean everywhere, tidy up, andput everything away”.

So when the time came for my follow up visit Idecided to turn up without giving any advancenotice, and this well and truly revealed why theywere having mice problems. There were pots andpans lying around full of fat, plates with food left onthem which had obviously been left there for days,and the cooker was covered in grease, fat, and bits offood. The open waste bin had discarded fooddripping from it as well as some on the floor thathadn’t reached it. The bin outside had no lid andsome food around its base. One of the students hadeven placed one of those humane mousetraps by it!

Starting Out “part 16” by Bob Newey


Remarkably, there had been good ‘takes’ of bait, andthe infestation successfully dealt with. I took lots ofphotos and emailed them to the landlord who hadgreat delight in sending them, together with mydisparaging report, to the girl’s irate parents.

Talking of landlords, I had a recent job where Itreated a mice infestation at a property, but when itcame to submitting the invoice I found out that theprevious week the landlord had been imprisoned for5 years for fraud. I’m either going to have to be verypatient in getting my money or write it off as unluckytiming. I don’t suffer too badly with ‘bad debts’ asmost of the work I carry out requires payment at thetime of doing the job, and with contract customers Iinsist on payment quarterly in advance. From mydays in the haulage game I am well aware of theimportance of keeping on top of the cash flow, andalthough it’s a pain in the proverbials having to do it,I find that chasing money is time well spent if itmeans the dosh comes in quicker, and of course thesooner you receive it the less the risk is of losing itcompletely if whoever owes it goes bust.

I did though, take it a little too far recently, and itended up costing me. I employed one of those moneychasing solicitor companies to recover a debt thathad become old. It was only for £50 but these peoplehad really messed me about and I was fuming. Thecost of the initial warning letter was only £2.50 andI hoped that would do the trick. Unfortunately itdidn’t, so I instructed the solicitors to take it to thenext stage. The reasons for what happened after thatI’m not sure of, but I obviously took my focus off it,because a County Court Judgement followed, andwhen that was ignored it went to court. The rulingwent in my favour but it ended up costing me £220.I did get £60 back, which I think was the original £50plus interest, and the bailiffs are now trying torecover my costs. I doubt that I’ll get them but I haveat least been assured that I won’t have to part withany more money. So it ended up being a very costlyexperience but at least the blighters had to pay up inthe end!

I’ve been looking at some business opportunitieswhere wasps are causing a nuisance, particularlypublic places where food and drink are consumedoutside. There is rarely a wasp nest nearby so theonly option is trying to attract them away from thearea. With this in mind I contacted Waspbane, and

they sent me a very informative DVD about theirwasp traps. They invited me and my pestie mateGary from Pied Piper Pest and Wildlife Managementalong to their place in Cambridgeshire to learn moreabout their wasp traps and the best way to use themeffectively.

Not only did we learn a lot about the product, butalso so much about wasps, their biology andbehaviour. It was fascinating stuff and so interesting.I think that in the past we’d learnt all we had neededto know only for the purposes of actually treatingnests, but there was so much more about them wefound we didn’t know. Not only that, but some of themyths I’d read and heard about wasps were well andtruly exposed as being wrong, the most common onebeing that a late frost kills off many of the queens. Aspart of their studies Waspbane had regularly deepfrozen queens and then revived them so I wouldn’thave thought a few frosts are going to kill them. Allthat we’d learnt emphasised the importance of whereand how to place these traps, and how reallyeffective they can be when used properly, and theycan certainly be a source of additional businessduring the summer months.

In May I went along to help out at a couple of NPTAtraining days. The South day was held at the verypretty location of Frensham Pond in Surrey andsponsored by Barrettine Environmental Health, theIrish day was held at Lisburn near Belfast andsponsored by Killgerm Group. Both days were wellattended and a tremendous success and you can readmore about them elsewhere in the magazine. We arevery fortunate tohave the support oftwo such eminentcompanies, both ofwhom do so muchto help us put onthese events free ofcharge to ourmembers.

Till next time

Bob Newey


Spotlight on new Accredited Member

PestbustersPestbustersof King’s Norton, Birmingham

Introduction – Pestbusters (Midlands) Limited are oneof a trio of companies based in the West Midlandsworking alongside Gardenbusters Ltd andHygienebusters Ltd. David Nash who is the ManagingDirector is the man behind the formation of the originalPestbusters back in 2001.

Findings by the Auditor – Without any doubtfollowing undertaking dozens of Accreditation Auditsthroughout the United Kingdom, this particular pestcontrol business comes out very near to, if not at thetop of the ranking of businesses setting a greatstandard.

Pestbusters currently undertake a variety of pestcontrol work for factories, offices, food warehouses,Councils, hotels, schools, estate agents and alsomanaging agents. Of particular interest are threeshopping Centres, two in Birmingham and one inDudley. They are an independent company with acombined experience amongst their technicianworkforce of over 90 years. The pests they coverinclude: Ants and Wasps; Fleas and biting insects;Flies; Rats and mice; Squirrels; Rabbits; Pigeon andother bird work; EFK’s; Fly screen windows and doors.

An important part of any NPTA audit visit of inspectionis to check that the requirements of Risk Assessment,COSHH, client information sheets are all in place andused on every job. An important part of this is to ensurethe client business fully understands the “in and outs”of Risk Assessment. At King’s Norton they havecreated their own very precise “Method Statement”which covers their own workforce, particularly beforeentering onto any large construction and developmentsites. Too often we find some businesses talk aboutRisk Assessment and yet haven’t understood thepracticalities of achieving this on site! Perhaps an areathat needs inserting into the Level 2 RSPH examinationsyllabus?

Whilst we conduct our own audits along NPTAdetermined lines it was interesting to see that theCompany had already achieveda. the mark of “Investors in People”; b. plus what is termed ISO 9001 Quality; and c. are registered by National Britannia Supplyline

as a SAFE contractor.

Two other arms of their armouryA recent development in 2004 was what is calledGardenbusters where other trained specialists do treesurgery, garden and ground maintenance, includingclearances and the removal of rubbish. In addition,pruning of hedges, conifers, shrubs and trees is coveredas well as the more mundane mowing, strimming,fertilising, spraying, plus litter and leaf removal.This then developed into Hygienebusters for allwashroom requirements, including feminine hygienebins, nappy bins, soap dispensers, air fresheners, watermanagement and sanitisers and hand driers. Then aspecial section dealing with clearance works of emptyproperties for landlords and the removal of ‘sharps’ ifrequired.

Results of Auditors visit - Pestbusters have nowreceived their Accreditation Certificate with its uniquereference number along with the special GoldAccreditation logo for their use and we wish tocongratulate them on reaching such a high standard.This new business will be included in the NPTA'sAccreditation database, in all future "Today'sTechnician" magazines and on our ever changingWebsite.

References: www.pest-busters.co.uk

Written by J. Barrie Sheard FCIEH and Paul Burton– Joint Accreditation Auditors

The Pestbuster Team

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Scottish persecution of the Red Kite

The low expansion rate of the red kite populationin Scotland is due to the illegal killing of thespecies, according to research published recently.

The study, carried out by RSPB Scotland andfunded by Scottish Natural Heritage, compares theperformance of two red kite populations whereequal numbers of young birds were released overthe same period in Scotland and England.

The sites were in the Chiltern Hills inBuckinghamshire in southern England and theBlack Isle in Ross-shire in north Scotland.

According to the research, whilst the population inthe Chilterns has 'thrived', reaching around 320breeding pairs since the beginning of thereintroduction in 1989 up until 2006, the BlackIsle population has struggled, reaching just 41pairs over the same period. In 2009, the populationhas still only reached 49 breeding pairs.

The study says that low survival rates of young birds intheir first and second years of life is the main factorlimiting Scotland's red kite population growth since2006, and that illegal killing accounts almost entirelyfor these poor survival prospects.

Environment Minister RoseannaCunningham said:

"The Scottish Government welcomes any work whichcan add to our understanding of Scotland's populationsof valuable species. The more evidence we have, thebetter placed we are to act to protect and manage ourwildlife. In particular it is encouraging to see a re-introduction project that is the subject of such carefulmonitoring.

"However, it is hugely disappointing whenever we hearthat our bird populations are being threatened by illegalkilling. Continued persecution of our precious birds ofprey is simply unacceptable.

"Poisoning is an arbitrary method of killing whichposes serious risks to other wildlife, and potentiallypeople, in our countryside.

"The protection of Scotland's wildlife has never beforeoccupied such a prominent position politically or interms of the law. I hope that our continued joint actionto tackle raptor persecution across Scotland will reducethis threat to red kites."

Duncan Orr-Ewing,Head of Species andLand Managementat RSPB Scotland,said:

"We now have asignificant body ofevidence to show what amajor impact illegalpoisoning is having on thepopulations of iconicbirds such as the red kite.More widely, thereputation of Scotland as acountry that values itswildlife is at stake. It istime to look again at therange of sanctions and

penalties that can be deployed to tackle this damagingactivity and bring the perpetrators to justice."

Professor Des Thomson, of ScottishNatural Heritage, said:

"The red kite reintroduction programme has anexcellent profile in Scotland. We must find better waysof ensuring these birds have a much safer and moresecure future. Clearly, we have to do a lot more."

Luke Borwick, Chairman of the ScottishRural Property and Business Association,said:

"The SRPBA is unequivocally opposed to all forms ofwildlife crime and the findings of this report are ofgreat concern.

"We will continue to work with the ScottishGovernment, RSPB, Scotland's Police Forces and otherorganisations to ensure that there are robust legalmeasures in place to address the problem of illegalpersecution and to bring wildlife criminals to justice.

"Red kites are an undoubted asset to our richbiodiversity and our rural economy, and it is appallingthat a mindless few continue to perpetrate crimes thatare an absolute disgrace to our countryside."

The research has been published in the scientificjournal Biological Conservation.


Members will be aware of the concerns that pestcontrollers had recently concerning the possibility ofthe withdrawal of anticoagulant rodenticides for use incertain situations, hence many lines of enquiry werepursued to establish the reasoning and facts behind theproposal.

In response to a letter sent regarding the impact onrodent control with regard to the EuropeanCommission proposal for a regulation on BiocidalProducts, the Scotland representative for the NPTA hasreceived a written reply dated 17th May 2010 from TheHealth and Safety Executive in London.

The reply we have received from HSE sheds some verypositive light on the situation and the salient points ofthe letter are now detailed below for members’information.

Anti-coagulant rodenticides are inherently hazardoussubstances; they have to be to have their intendedeffects on rodents. As well as concerns arising fromclassification as Toxic for Reproduction, anti-coagulantrodenticides are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic(PBT). Substances having this combination ofproperties would normally be expected to be phasedout.

In making its proposal the European Commissionacknowledges that substances with such propertiesshould not normally be allowed in biocides. However,recognising the wider harm that can result if theseparticularly hazardous biocides are not used, theproposal provides a mechanism for such biocides to beused where at least one of three risk and socio-economic criteria are met.

These criteria are that:

a) Exposure of humans or the environment isnegligible;

b) The hazardous substance is necessary tocontrol a serious danger to public health orthe environment;

c) Not being able to use the active substancewould cause disproportionate negativeimpacts compared with the risk to humanhealth or the environment arising from useof the substance, and there are no suitablealternatives.

We would expect that, for anticoagulant rodenticides,at least one of these criteria will be met, for the reasonsset out very clearly in your letter. Authorisation forsupply and use of anticoagulant rodenticides willcontinue to specify a range of precautionary measuresto minimise as far as possible the risks in use.

The proposed European Regulation on biocides iscurrently under discussion in the Council of Ministersand in the European Parliament. A copy of the latesttext under consideration in the Council can be found athttp://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/10/st06/st06564-re01.en10.pdf . The relevant part is Article 5, andpoints a) to c) above are taken from Article 5(2). Asyou will see, there is still discussion on the detailedwording. However, encouragingly, the latest text ofArticle 5(2) deletes the restriction on active substancesfor product types 4 and 14 to 19 that you identify as aparticular concern. The UK was instrumental insecuring this deletion in the latest version of the textunder consideration in the Council, and will continue towork to maintain this position in the forthcomingdiscussions in the Council and in the EuropeanParliament.

However the final wording, or it’s interpretation on thefinal draft document may still be detrimental, so let’snot take our eye off the ball.

Dave Archer (NPTA Scottish Representative)

A Message from the NPTA officialPhotographer Ken Kay

You may have recently seen me camera in hand,dashing through the halls at PestTech and for the lastfour years with my nice sweatshirt carrying thewords NPTA Event Photographer.

Many of you may not realise I am an exenvironmental health officer, involved at the time inregular pest control work and I still keep a keeninterest in all things to do with environmental healthtoday. Should anyone be interested in using myreasonably priced photographic services, then pleasegive me a call on 07875 213556. Alternatively youmay wish to view examples of my non-copyrightedwork at either www.avocetphotography.info or www.avocetphotography.co.uk

Update on the European Commission proposal fora regulation on Biocidal Products.


ContrControl of rats in gardens ol of rats in gardens - how to teach old dogs new tricks- how to teach old dogs new tricks

Most pest controllers are no different from any otherpeople when it comes to resistance to change. Just asthe rat exhibits behavioural resistance, thwarting ourattempts to kill him with a rodenticide bait, then theoperator likewise exhibits behavioural resistancewhen asked to change his or her methods andphilosophy.

So the tradition of placing anticoagulant baits ingardens, (often now in tamper proof lockable boxes)and then rebaiting on full or part takes till the take ofthe bait stops is accepted as the standard and the bestpractice by many in our industry. I would argue however, that it is not best practice,and this is not a philosophy which I have plucked outof the air, but one I have based on my 33 years as apublic health pest controller.

There are two issues which I think need urgentlyaddressing in the task of efficient, low risk control ofrats in the gardens of dwellings. The first is to combat the growing problem known asbehavioural resistance, where rats show a reluctanceto enter a bait box, or in the rarer case will go in a boxbut then won’t eat the bait within.The second issue is the unnecessary rebaiting ofboxes and tubes following a full or part take.

Looking at the issue of behavioural resistance, weneed to revisit the events around the start of the massuse of tamper resistant bait boxes, which here in ourNorth West of England Council area was in 1998.Previous to that we had been using grain based baitsin primitive tubes as the standard option, but theindustry seemed to go on a frantic safety drive,without in my opinion, proper thought or researchbeing applied.

We here were caught up in this approach and at firstwe encountered few problems with gaining control ofrats in gardens using lockable boxes with blocks ofbait inside. However after a couple of years, issues ofbehavioural resistance started to manifest themselves,and treatments would fail or be very protracted.

Householders would typically report to us that theyobserved rats around the boxes placed in theirgardens, but not venturing inside, or on rareroccasions, rats would be reported to be going in theboxes only for us to open it on revisiting and find notake on the rodenticide block.

This situation could continue for weeks on end andwould sometimes result in a successful outcome, butmore often in abject failure.

The solution was to literally think outside the(bait) box and look more closely at the actualtoxicity of the grain based baits which had been sosuccessful in the past when placed in primitivetubes, and to recognise that although very smallquantities were required to be ingested to providea lethal dose to a rat, very large quantities wouldbe needed to harm a larger body mass creaturelike a human, or a dog.

The development of the “Rateyre” tube or theidentical “Romax” tube enabled us here to begin todevelop a theory which would address both of theissues with which we were struggling.

Firstly we researched and reviewed our methods andknowledge of our activities and wrote a thorough riskassessment based on the principle that it was prettymuch impossible to seriously harm any reasonablysized body mass animal with the rodenticides weused.

Secondly (and this was the second issue) werecognised that the true danger of secondarypoisoning was the risk of one small body masscreature, such as a bird of prey, eating another smallbody mass creature, such as a wood mouse, whichitself had eaten a rodenticide bait.

A by-product of the above was to recognise thatrebaiting full or part takes on bait stations was, in themajority of cases, only going to lead to the poisoningof non target species, as the first take on the bait wasalways likely to be by the rats we were targeting, whowould then die leaving the rebaited tubes free for theother smaller creatures to feed from.

So trials done by myself starting almost 10 years agofocussed around the use of 2 tubes per garden, baitedwith grain based bait as a standard treatment,followed up with a revisit 10 days later. Full or parttakes would not be rebaited but the tubes withdrawnand the job closed. Close monitoring of call backs tojobs closed in this way showed no increase over callbacks to jobs where rebaiting had happenedhistorically.

The skill was, is, and always will be the ability torecognise the small number of jobs which cannotbe closed on one full or part take because of extra-ordinary ongoing activity.T

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This is crucial to the success of embracing thisphilosophy, and is the hardest part to master, thoughconversely some operators struggle to close jobs withone full or part take, even when it is likely that theinfestation is cured, as it is contrary to their training andmethod.

However, in the interests of efficiency of treatmentsand having the bait down for the shortest possibletime and in the smallest quantities to do the job, it isa method which I have proved to my own satisfactionand has been adopted by my Council as “Bestpractice”

The big advantage from non target species poisoning, isthe reduction of smaller animals, such as the woodmouse, ingesting the anticoagulant, dying and/or beingcaught and eaten by predators who themselves then havethe compounds in their systems. Now of course there isno such thing as a “one size fits all” method, and I talkin only general terms and about “average” jobs here –that’s where the skill comes in- and yes, in the highestrisk circumstances there may be occasions where atamper proof box with bait blocks will be used in agarden, but it is a long while since I have used one.

The tube with grain based bait method has shown to benot conducive to birds entering it, shows no great habitof producing bait spillage and is suited to the preferenceof the rat.

If as a general rule the bait is cleared on full or parttake following treatment of your average gardeninfestation after 10 days or so in place then I believewe are edging towards the most efficient, low riskrodent control method we should all be striving for.

Peter Newbrook. Peter Newbrook is a Local Authority Pest Control Manager

RSPH has previously informed the pest control industry ofchanges in the government regulations regarding accreditedqualifications, which require changes to be made to the currentRSPH / BPCA Level 2 Certificate in Pest Control.

Following extensive consultation with the pest control industry,RSPH is pleased to announce that we will be submitting thefollowing two qualifications for accreditation.

The Level 2 Award in Pest ManagementThe Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management

The Level 2 Award is essentially the current Level 2 Certificate inPest Control. Following advice from the industry we are using theterm ‘pest management’ rather than ‘pest control’ as this is abetter reflection of the role of today’s industry, and it alsoprevents confusion with previous qualifications.

The Award will be offered by all of our existing centres, and willprovide the theoretical underpinning knowledge required forpeople working in the industry and for those in related industriessuch as food manufacturing, catering and facilities managementthat have always had a legitimate interest in pest control.

The qualification will consist of three units; vertebrate pests,invertebrate pests and H&S and legal aspects. Assessment willremain the same as for the existing qualification.

The Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management will consist of thesame three units as the Award, with an additional two‘techniques’ units. These additional units enable the qualificationto be of an appropriate size to qualify as a ‘Certificate’ under thenew regulations, and will allow candidates holding the Level 2Award to progress easily onto the Certificate. Please note thatthere is no requirement for candidates to obtain the Level 2 Awardbefore they can register for the Level 2 Certificate, they areseparate qualifications that share some common units.

The two new techniques units are intended to be practically basedand will provide the necessary practical skills for people to startto carry out pest management activities. These new units will beassessed by the centres. Centres will develop their ownprocedures for assessing candidates, but these procedures will beverified and approved by RSPH. Centres will only be allowed tooffer the new Level 2 Certificate after their assessments havebeen verified and approved.

The Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management is intended for newentrants into the profession.

The current RSPH/BPCA Level 2 Certificate in Pest Control isaccredited until the end of June 2010. Candidates registered withRSPH before this date will have one year to complete thequalification, RSPH will not be able to award certificates for thecurrent qualification after June 2011.

RSPH will be submitting the new qualifications to the regulatoryauthorities in time for a start date of July 2010 to ensure that thereis no gap in provision.

It sure is a big one!

Please find attached a photo of a wee rat I shot in a local petshop! It had evaded every attempt using bait and varioustraps! As you can see from it's size it had fed very well indeed!The body was 9 inches long and the tail another 11 inches.

Best Wishes, Brett Lavin

New Level 2Qualificationsin Pest Control


NPTNPTAA VISITS VISITS YORKSHIRE YORKSHIRE WWAATER COMPTER COMPANYANYHEADQUARHEADQUARTERS IN BRADFORDTERS IN BRADFORD

At the invitation of Yorkshire Water plc (YW) BarrieSheard (our Assistant Editor) and Julie Gillies(Office Administrator) were invited on the last day ofMarch 2010 to be introduced to YW’s newly createdsystem, known as “Rats on Maps” and have theirsystem demonstrated and a full explanationprovided.

Since the autumn of 2009 all 23 local authoritieswithin the area covered by this water company havereceived the specific maps for their respectivedistrict of YW Sewer records and “Rats on Maps“initiative at their own desk computers in their ownoffices, created through an Intranet Browsing WebPage. It should be appreciated that each Council hasa security controlled access into this system.

Great Council feed-backThe feedback has been excellent from the Councilson achieving this. Today Councils in the areascovered by Yorkshire Water are enabled to see at firsthand where public sewers are in each highway and/orpavements or other land; are able to see when a ‘ratsin sewer survey’ was last undertaken of a particularmanhole; the result of this last survey and whether ornot the problem found has been satisfactorily clearedup. In other words they are able to ascertain whetherthis manhole or adjacent manholes have become ‘hotspots’ showing a rat infestation. Knowing as alltrained PCT’s do that sewers are used by rats as theirmotorways for getting from A to B it is so importantthat peripheral properties around ‘hot spots’ are dealtwith expeditiously allied to the fact blocked sewers,broken covers, damaged pipework, perishedbrickwork, gratings and gullies can be repairedquickly using the powers contained in the PublicHealth Act.

Manhole recently test baitedand ‘no takes’ found - problem

resolved

Manhole recently test baitedand ‘takes’ found - problem

now resolve

My comment is that it is “an excellent workable andpractical system” and most importantly goes alongcompletely in accord with the Rats in SewersProtocol envisaged by Parliament way back in thelate 1990’s. So much so that in the NPTA's opinioncould so easily be spread over the whole of thecountry to the enormous benefit of both the generalpublic as well as each water company and each localauthority who have a statutory duty under thePrevention of Damage by Pests Act of 1949 to keeptheir district, borough, city or unitary authority clearof excessive rat numbers.

YW are perhaps unique in that in April 2007 a 3 yearcontract was drawn up and Rentokil, an NPTAmember, won the contract. This means thatRentokil’s 6 man team of PCT’s supported by theircontract manager and also clerical support covereach of the 23 local authorities. In addition to themhaving an ongoing lifting and treatment sewer ratprogramme of 100,000 lifts a year or 8,400 lifts amonth, they also have the duty of responding toalerts received as and when from the Council’s ownPCT’s. Interestingly Rentokil have recently beenawarded the same contract for the next 2 years,starting on 1st April 2010.

How is this all done?Using a system of ‘overlays’ now possible withcomputer systems, one of which is designated “Ratson Maps”, users of the system are able with the clickof the computer keys to immediately see an up todate record. For example, which manhole hadrecently been the subject of an alert, whether or notthere had been any ‘complete takes’, ‘part takes’ or‘no takes’ and also if the rats had been completelyeradicated for now. All this being most useful forusers to identify what the PC Industry know as ‘hotspots’ of rat infestations.

Tony Huddlestone YW (on right) and Simon Morrell Rentokil plc – March 2010


Sadly for the past decade, certainly brought to lightthrough us conducting the annual Rodent SurveyReport, Water Companies and many, many localauthority officers have not been talking to each otherand this has brought about serious public healthissues. Knowing your respective counterpart meansthat serious situations in YW will no longer exist.

The future?My wish, bearing in mind what many Council PCT’sare currently saying about the neglect by manyWater Companies of their sewers and theirassociated rats, that similar schemes based uponYW’s scheme of “Rats on Maps” can be taken upnationally. It is always important to appreciate thatbecause we have here such a positive and wellreceived system that truly works, that no-one needsto “reinvent the wheel again”. Our hope as theleading professional UK Pest Control Membershipbody which has as its first major aim “To promote aprofessional approach to pest control” that we seethis being taken on board. Who will be the first totake up this challenge?

Communication both ways is so importantWhat pleased me, more than anything else, was thatYW have recreated a complete and fullcommunication system that works both waysbetween themselves and the local authority officers.For example, Pest Control Officers particularly havethe ability to send “alerts” to YW when there is anysuspicion that a sewer may be involved in a propertyinfestation matter. The computer screen maps showthis at a glance pictorially.

Computer screenshowing “Rats onMaps”

Enlargedsection ofScreen


North of the Border

Reflections of a long term pestie.In 1979 I started work as a professional pestcontroller for the Local Authority at the age of 18.

I was given Lindane (Gamma BHC or Gammexane)to treat wasps nests using a piece of plumber’s pipetaped on the end of a broom stale. For those reallyawkward jobs, or where there was a chance of pelletcombustion it was Coopex Multispray. I usedAlphacloralose (Alphakil) or Sorexa CR on miceand Alphacloralose on feral pigeons. The new ratpoisons were Racumin 57 and Di-thoxin orNorbomide. For the really difficult rats with provenanticoagulant resistance, I used zinc phosphide.Concentrates were mixed in an antique butter churnand after it finished its time with Local Authority itwent to the museum of country life; as a Council wewere then given a brand new enamel bath and aspade to do our mixing.

A carpenter made our wooden bait boxes. Riskassessments were for engineers, scientists, tight ropewalkers and the like, and COSHH assessments wereonly done by thugs with iron bars after they hadwhacked their victims. Method statements wereonly given to the police by confessing criminals onhow they had intended to carry out their crime.

Even though we pesties were full time LocalAuthority employees, we had to use our own cars(or motorcycles with panniers) to do our work andwere paid a mileage allowance. Estate cars weredeemed more suitable for our work and we wereencouraged to buy these. Car loans were onlyavailable for cars made in the UK.

I have used Strychnine, Cymag (by the tonne for ratsand rabbits), in both motorised and brass handpumps, my only Cymag training was that I wasgiven strict instructions not to use the knife that wasused to cut the metal seal on the Cymag tin foranything else. In the mid-eighties chemists got verysuspicious regarding the sale of the Amyl Nitrateantidote, as it was apparently being used by ravers atparties to get high. Where they got it from I didn’tknow, but as a legal user who’s life may havedepended on it, I had to sign the official secrets actand give name, star sign and grandfathers left shoesize before even being considered to whisper thisantidotes name in public.

I used many, many other products that are all now inthe graveyard of condemned poisons and have beenlong swept along my memory’s tide.

Recently, I am now told the lead in my bullets andshotgun is harmful for those who may ingest minuteparticles of it, even though my school lead pencilswere chewed to buggery, and I used lead in paint,and 2, 3 and 4 star petrol. Now there is a seriousmurmur that all of us pest controllers had better stopusing anticoagulants soon as they may well notpermitted in certain circumstances.

My point? well those products listed above are nowbanned never to return, being proven harmful tohealth, I have a Working Operations Manual thatmakes The Holy Bible look like a flyer from thelocal convenience store, and amazingly oldGrandfather Archer is still here a-pesting!

What were the chances of that way back then! Oh! ifonly I had nipped down to Ladbrokes in the seventiesand had a wager on my life expectancy, the payoutnow would make a lottery win look like a OAP’swinter fuel payment. If there is no news from Northof the Border next time, look out for The GrimReaper’s stocktaking reports 2010!

Dave Archer (NPTA Scotland representative)

Anyone who met Dave at his stand at PestTech 2008will know he has a great sence of humour, his emailsto the NPTA office have Julie and Margaret institches and as you can read his articles are good aswell. Keep us all smiling Dave, in 2010 I think wewill all need a laugh. Ed


Fancy working somewhere a wee bit more remote?

A ranger is needed for the post on St. Kilda.

But as the ranger's post on the archipelago of StKilda is advertised for the 2010 season, a morequirky requirement of the contract has emerged;the successful candidate for the £16,457-a-yearpost must have excellent rat-trapping skills.

There are currently no rats on the remote Britishoutpost, 41 miles west of Benbecula in the OuterHebrides, and the National Trust for Scotland(NTS), which owns the remote archipelago,intends to keep it that way.

NTS Western Isles Area Manager Susan Bain saidkeeping rats at bay was as important a part of theranger's job as monitoring seabirds and welcomingthe thousands of visitors who flock to St Kilda oncruise ships and leisure craft.

Laying rat traps every time the island supply boatdocks is an essential part of the ranger's tasks. MsBain said: "We don't have any land-based predatorsat all. The ranger must see that we don't have anyinvasive species and the most obvious one is rats.

"There are rat traps put down when they areloading the supply boat at South Uist, there is apest control officer on board and when the boatcomes in to St Kilda to unload, the ranger will putout the rat traps there."

The supply boat, which, weather permitting, makesregular trips from South Uist to bring food andother essential supplies to St Kilda, is the onlyvessel allowed to berth there.

Ms Bain said: "It cost hundreds of thousands ofpounds to get the rats off Canna; it was a specialistNew Zealand team that was brought in. It's farbetter to be safe than sorry. We have to ensure thatpeople don't bring their pet rat, or cat, or ferret, onto St Kilda. That is one of the main threats to StKilda's World Heritage status. The main fear is thatthey would eat the birds' eggs and they might alsogo out to eat the St Kilda mouse."

Dave Archer, NPTA Scotland representative

New MembersThe Association would like to welcome thefollowing Businesses, Local Authorities andindividuals in the United Kingdom as NEW

MEMBERS:

M. B. Solutions Ltd, MiddlesexEssex & Herts. Pest Control, EssexAway with Pests, Cornwall5 Star Pest Control, Isle of WightE.C.H. Pest Solutions, EssexPest Remover, HerefordshireAbsolute Pest Solutions (Wales) Ltd, WalesWizard Pest Control, WalesAstra Pest Control, HertfordshireAnglia Pest Management, SuffolkDirect Environmental Solutions, West YorkshireNoahs Ark Environmental Services Ltd,NorthamptonshireAdvanced Pest Control Solutions, GloucestershireEnviron Pest Control, LondonRichard Hale Pest Control, SomersetPCS Property Services Ltd, SuffolkH2O Plants Environmental Services, EssexChores Hygiene Management Ltd, LincolnshireCobwebs SW, DevonX-Pest, WorcestershireEssex & Suffolk Pest Solutions Ltd, Suffolk Alan Lancashire – The Manchester Ratcatcher,LancashireSafe & Sound Hygiene & Pest Control, SuffolkBlackwood Pest Control, SurreyElite Pest Management Ltd, LincolnshireA J J Professional Pest Prevention, North YorkshireInten Ltd, KentPest-Man.com Ltd, LancashireA1 Pestmasters Ltd, HertfordshireUniversal Pest Control (South) Ltd, LondonProtect Pest Management, WorcestershireSwift Pest Control & Prevention Services, WalesAfterpest Services Ltd, NottinghamshireCardinal Pest Control Ltd, SurreyYorkshire Wolds Pest Control, YorkshireSNP Pest Control, LeicestershireOn Target Pest Control, LincolnshireYoung’s Pest Control, ManchesterMilgi, Mole & Pest Control, PembrokeshireN.E.E.S. Ltd, South YorkshireArrowsmith Pest Control, NorthamptonshireCastle Pest Control Services, NorfolkMidland Pest Control, IrelandPenkhull Pest Control, StaffordshirePest Control Bucks, BuckinghamshireAntipest Solutions, IrelandOrkin Ireland, Ireland

Individual Members:-Mr. Childs, ShropshireMr. Clarke, Northern Ireland


Early spring 1998 I received aphone call from Tom, a goodfriend in the Scottishhighlands, asking me if Iwould be interested in

bringing a few chums up todeal with a huge rabbit

problem he just could notcome to grips with on his own onsome common gazeing land onthe north coast.

After at least five seconds hemanaged to talk me into it, (silver-

tongued devil) so I put on mythinking cap and picked my teamfor the event. Strangely enough

not one of the crew I askeddeclined the offer, I can’t think

why ? Anyway the chosenteam consisted of myself

(obviously), Dave, who has accompanied me on manysuch forays and is now extremely handy on theferreting to shotguns side, Paul, my lamping chum whois very efficient with his 22 rimfire Rugar, Graham,who is just a very good shot and of course Tom whowas already on site.

After many phone calls to arrange things with Tom,it was decided to line up several other places in case weran out of targets, although Tom did insist there wasplenty to go at even though the site was only onehundred and fifty acres.

Being from the midlands however, we find it hard toimagine the size of the problems experienced in otherparts of the country, due to the fact that every rabbit inour area seems to have at least three people after it!

Over the summer the final preparations were made,including our accommodation, which, as you canimagine could be a nightmare considering we werearmed to the teeth with both shotguns, firearms andenough ammunition to sink the Bismarck - not tomention the ferrets, which luckily Tom said we couldkeep in his garage during the stay.

However just across the road from Tom’s house,would you believe, was a bed and breakfast which islucky because there is nothing else for miles. Tomassured me that the proprietors Vernon and Paulinewere a fabulous couple and at ten pounds a night withan evening meal for a fiver and a packed lunch for twoquid a day who could complain?

October soon arrived and we decided to start earlyon the Saturday morning to give us time to settle inafter the journey. And what a journey! Even though weonly stopped for short breaks of ten to fifteen minutesevery hundred and fifty miles or so we still did not

arrive until gone seven in the evening.

We were welcomed on arrival by the said couple,Vernon and Pauline, and were made to feel at homestraight away - what a fabulous couple these peoplewere, nothing was too much trouble. Vernon was notworried by the arsenal we arrived with and gave us freerun to come and go as we pleased. He even preparedbreakfast anything from 6am to 9.30am and eveningmeals between 5pm and 7.30pm depending on whenwe asked for it to be ready. The only thing we had todo when we got back in the small hours was to turn outthe outside light.

We soon unloaded the cars and walked across thebusy road (at least that’s how Vernon described it,although you rarely saw a vehicle) to Tom’s who wasitching to get stuck in and took us down for a lookstraight away. Boy was it an eye opener! Rabbitseverywhere - were we in for some sport! (if you cancall a clearance job sport?) The rimfires were out of thecases in seconds and many fell in the next couple of

hours, with two lamping and three shooting.

Exhausted after walking over the ground and gettingto know the lay of the land we decided to call it a dayand headed back to Tom’s where his wife May had thekettle on and Tom soon had the hard stuff out. (Oooermissus!) Some hours later with eyes wedged open withmatch sticks we dragged ourselves back over the roadto bed for the five hours kip before breakfast was dueto be ready. By nine the next morning, ferrets were fedand loaded and by nine thirty battle had commenced.

We split into two teams; one along the sand dunes,the second taking the other side of the narrow fields.The rabbits bolted almost as quickly as you could loadand the score was soon over the hundred.

On breaking for lunch the journey and night beforecombined with the battle fatigue of the morning wasbeginning to tell. Snap (That’s food to non-midlanders)devoured we were soon back into battle but onlymanaged to cover some three hundred yardsapproximately before it was time to leave for tea andsome heavy de-rusting work to be carried out on thefire sticks which could be seen to change colour inyour hands (what a corrosive atmosphere it is, with the

Mission Possible - Mission Possible - re-livedCountrCountryman’yman’ssCornerCorner


sea spray forming almost a mist).

After a couple of hours break we were back out withthe rifles. To our amazement, when we returned theplace was heaving and seemed to have more rabbitsthan it did before. Time flew, and although it onlyseemed like an hour tops, we spent the next four hoursjust walking and shooting, with Tom proving himself tobe the best free hand rifle shot I‘ve ever seen as well asa very fast shotgun man (probably all that clay pigeonand pistol shooting he used to do).

At the close of play we reckoned to have clearedover four hundred rabbits before we headed back toTom’s for a night cap. The next morning Paul and Iwent out early to try and nail some hooded crowswhich we had also been asked to reduce. When wearrived, we could hardly see the fields for hoodedcrows and gulls feeding on the carcasses (sad in a waybecause I hate to leave good rabbits) but both backhome and up there no one wants them.

Anyway, the first hooded crow soon fell to my trustyMarlin rimfire - a nice eighty yard shot off the top of apost and just like the rabbits that ran in waves at thefirst shot, the birds did the same. The sky was full andonly a small group of hooded crows remained to seewhy one of their group was not following. Soon, theywere back in range where another three and a carrion(crow) bit the dust.

The best two carcasses were collected to be mountedby Don Sharpe, one of the worlds leading Taxidermists,who many of you will know from the NPTA’s PestTechexhibitions. Then back for breakfast and after a shortbreak, yes, you guessed it, we were back out with theferrets.

Another rapid day flew past with only a short breakfor some lunch after which twoweasels were added to thealready impressive score.

Come Wednesday, Dave andGraham decided to take a dayoff and try a hand at fishing.Tom, Paul and I kept right onwith the ferrets and decided tostart at the far end for a changeof scenery.

What a day! The action wasfast and furious and Dave waspig sick when he got therundown at tea time as he andGraham did very little good onthe fishing.

By Thursday things seemeda little slower and we felt wehad really begun to get on topof them. At the close of playwith the ferrets we had workedmost holes on the place and

Mission Possible - Mission Possible - re-lived All Guns blazing All Guns blazing

were convinced that we had done a good job.

Having returned for tea and packed most of the gearfor an early start home (5am) Friday, we decided togive it one last look with the rimfires. Graham decidedhe would stop at the digs with some Caifreys, leavingtwo teams of two, one lamping and one shooting ineach team; Dave and Tom headed in one direction andPaul and I headed in the other.

I started on our team and dropped the first thirty-onebefore a miss. Paul took over and almost repeated myscore bar one. That was the standard of shootingthroughout the evening - we were hot baby! -andcould have removed a gnat’s testicles at seventy paces.Paul and I finished the night with 208. Tom and Davedidn’t do quite as well, but in all over three hundred bitthe dust in just over three hours to bring the final scorein the region of fifteen hundred rabbits in five days!

Even the gulls were beginning to get fed up withrabbit, in fact Paul swears he heard a black backed gullon Thursday morning shout, “Oh no, not them again!I’m stuffed. I couldn t eat another thing!”.

Anyway, the lads would like to say a big thank youto Tom for helping make it happen, and to Vernon andPauline for making the stay like home from home,apart from that is, the beautiful scenery and the mostspectacular sunsets you have ever seen.

Sadly nowdays this sort of job never comes up as thecontinued RHD followed by Myxcy followed by RHDfollowed by Myxcy followed by, has all but desimatedthe rabbit population in many parts of Scotland whereonce the place was alive. Now unfortunately we canonly bring back memories unless you know wherethere is a realy big problem, please, please call me.(Ask nicely and you won’t be charged a penny!)


This information was put together for the use ofthe National Pest Technician Association (NPTA)and associated groups. It includes useful adviceon the removal and re-location of Bumblebeenests, legislation protecting Bumblebees specieswithin the UK and the ecological and economicimportance of Bumblebees.

The Importance of Bumblebees

Bumblebees are beautiful, hard working andincredibly important pollinators. The UK had 27species, but sadly 3 are nationally extinct, and othersare seriously threatened. Bumblebees are a keystonespecies which essentially means that a huge numberof other species, both plants and animals rely on itscontinuing presence. Not only are bumblebeesincredibly important from a conservation andbiodiversity stand point, they are a vital part of theagricultural industry helping to pollinate a greatvariety of crops grown throughout the UK and indoing so contribute a huge amount of money to thecountry’s economy. Please check out our website orcontact us for more information (details can be foundat bottom of last page).

Legislation surrounding the UK’SBumblebee species

There is unfortunately no legislation to protectbumblebees and their nests and destroying a nestand/or the inhabitants is not yet an offence. Howeverthere are currently 6 UK BAP priority bumblebeespecies inhabiting the UK:

Great Yellow Moss Carder Shrill Carder Brown banded CarderRed-Shanked Ruderal bumblebee

In January 1994, the UK government launched theBiodiversity UK Action Plan which outlined futureplans concerning biodiversity conservation.

Although the BAP process is not a legal framework,the government has recognised the importance ofthese species and as a result does dictate national andlocal policy.

Handling Bumblebees Handling Bumblebees

The main aims being to: to conserve species andhabitats; to develop public awareness andunderstanding; and to contribute to biodiversitywork in the European and global context.

The removal and re-location ofBumblebee nests

Bumblebees are not at all aggressive, seldom sting,and are very easy to live with. We hope that byeducating the general public few should actuallyrequire a nearby bumblebee nest moved. However,in the event that a client is insistent, bumblebee nestscan be moved easily and efficiently with little to noharm caused.

To move a nest safely it's best to do it in the dark -when all of the bees will be 'asleep'. They might buzza bit... but they won’t fly in the dark, so you can doit reasonably safely. They don't see red light well, soif you need to see what you're doing, put some redplastic film/acetate over a torch. The ideal for thebees would be to find a shoe box or somethingsimilar - perhaps larger for a particularly big nest.Put dry grass or dry moss in the bottom of the box torest the nest in. Make a 2cm hole in the side, andcover it with sellotape or some kind of bung. Thenpick up the nest at night (either wearing long-sleevesand gardening gloves, or perhaps using a spade), popit in the box, and shut the lid. Try to keep the nestupright, otherwise their honey pots will spill. Put thenest somewhere sheltered, and put a board orsomething waterproof over the top to keep the rainout. It's also best to avoid direct sunlight if you can.It's best to move the nest at least 2 miles away,otherwise foraging bees are likely to get confusedand return to the original nest site. Once you'vemoved them, and the bees have settled down, justremove the sellotape/bung. The bees might take alittle while to adjust, but they should take to theirnew home pretty well.

A word of warning – most nests are located inreasonably accessible areas e.g. a compost heap,near or on the soils surface or in an abandoned birdbox.


However in some cases nests can be found in lessaccessible places e.g. deep underground or withinstone paving which may prove very time consumingor impossible to reach the nest. If it is not viable orpossible to remove the nest we ask that the client atleast understand not only the importance ofbumblebees but how harmless they are before anyfurther decisions are made.

Dealing with other bee species

Solitary Bees: There are over 200 solitary beespecies within the UK all with various differentnesting requirements and habitats. Solitary beespecies are unlikely to cause any problems andsimilarly to bumblebees are very unlikely to sting.Some species such as the Red Mason bee cansometimes be found tunnelling into the mortar of awall however no structural damage will occur as aresult. Solitary bees only remain nesting for arounda month and will then abandon the area. Theresultant eggs will emerge as full grown adults sometime later and leave the tunnel formation. Honey Bees: If you do come across a wild colony ofhoney bees, they can be removed quickly and safelyby a member of a local beekeeping association. Ifyou are unsure who to contact then the BritishBeekeeping Association (BBKA) will be more thanhappy to put you in touch with a local bee keeperwho can help.

Useful Links and Contacts:The Bumblebee Conservation Trustwww.bumblebeeconservation.org UK BAP website www.ukbap.org.ukBritish Beekeeping Associationwww.britishbee.org.uk

Bumblebee Conservation TrustSchool of Biological & Environmental Sciences,

University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Email:[email protected]

Charity No. 1115634

IT IS AN

OFFENCE

To operate a ‘one visit’rodent control treatment

You are legally-obliged to pickup your bait at the end of thetreatment – that’s 2 visits for

starters

You are also legally obliged to‘check frequently’ for rodent

bodies – that’s got to be at least3 visits, probably more, during a 4 – 6 week treatment programme

“But M’lud – the clientwouldn’t pay

for all this work!”

“We didn’t have thetime or resources to do this M’lud!”

“My Manager wouldn’tlet us do more visits”

Sorry – not good enough– send him down!

GET YOUR FOLLOWUPS SORTED


Dear Mr Editor

I would like to congratulate the NPTA for anotherexcellent Rodent Report. As in previous years it ispresented in such a professional manner, continuingto alert the authorities of a growing problem in theUK, a problem residents are very familiar with.

When our Campaign for Weekly Waste Collectionwas launched nationally in August 2004 it wasalready our experience that a combination of factorswere responsible for the evident increase in rodentnumbers in our local area. The promotion of homecomposting combined with fortnightly collection ofgeneral waste had led to a sharp increase in numbersof rats. Requests for official figures confirmed thatthere was a 100% increase in the year following thechange of waste policy. The Council ignored ourconcerns and simply introduced a £34 charge for pestcontrol service. Residents subsequently were thensimply buying rat poisons from stores or ignoring theproblems as they could not afford the new charges orchose not to pay. The charge here in Eastleigh,Hampshire is now £72.50 - consequently ourBorough will have no idea of the true scale of rodentproblems here.

This is one example of the concerns I receive fromresidents across the UK:

A Gloucestershire Council cutbacks saw the end ofthe pest control department and having 2 rivers andtheir tributaries we are now over run by rats.Fortnightly bin collections no side waste, lid closed,along with weekly food collections begin next week,but we are lucky that the council are keeping a 'bringto site' in the town for 6 months til residents get usedto it - then what?

This is typical - either raising fees to ridiculouslevels or closing down pest control departmentscompletely. Do the policy-makers genuinely believeit is right to simply ignore the problems we areexperiencing?

I hope the authorities act upon the NPTA findingsand return to taking public health seriously in thefuture.

Doretta CocksCampaign for Weekly Waste Collectionwww.weeklywaste.com

Rodent revisits

Dear Editor

How refreshing it was to read the article in issue 65from a fellow pest controller who feels like I do, that socalled experts continue to tell us what to do, when inthe real world we have learned the best method to usein each individual infestation.

I agree whole heartedly that seven day revisits can leadto non target species being killed, upon replenishingbaits on this seven day basis non target species willquickly feed on the remaining poison and so pose agreater risk to particulaly birds of prey ingesting theseanimals.

As the writer states, each individual infestation shouldbe assessed and sufficient bait laid to deal with thesituation, this comes as we all know with experiencebut a good rule I find is to fill all holes and disturb allruns after your first revisit, (provided a reasonableamount of bait has been taken) and then if in yourexperienced opinion you feel the result has beenachieved, revisit after a further week or so to check forany new disturbance, or ask the client to check and if atthis point new evidence can be found baits can bereplaced and further treatment can commence.

Using this system saves many small mammals fromingesting poison baits that would be replenished on aseven day visit basis.

For over twenty years I have been a pestie and I revisiton the basis of what I find on my initial visit, this mayrange from 3 days to over forteen days. I always usenatural bait points or tubes which rats find and usereadily, the amount of bait points depends on what Ifind and rarely do I have to replenish.

Well done that man for saying what many of us think,its time more pesties stood by what they know works,stop wasting resourses, time and experience. Use baitboxes if interference is possible, but remember ratsdon’t like them.

Keep the good work up editor and thank all thoseinvolved in the association for the fantastic work theydo on our behalf. Many of you are grass roots andunderstand what pest control is all about and know itsnot just killing rats but also protecting other species.

Don Jackson

LASTWORDLASTWORD LASTWORDLASTWORD


Dear Editor

My shed roof was not her wisest choice to set up home.I will monitor it for a while to see how quickly itdevelops

and then .............RegardsIan

LASTWORDLASTWORD

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