Insecticide products are often quite controversial. Many of the active ingredients are persistent in the environment (particularly within water) and carry a threat to non-target species long after the initial reason for treatment has been controlled. In the hands of a trained, professional pest controller, these risks are greatly mitigated through intelligent use – though the core risks are always there.
This is our ‘why’ for creating our Pyrethrum based range of products, we wanted to reduce these risks at source by creating products that utilise materials that won’t linger in the environment, that are ready to use (and removing the risks associated with over dosing) and that reduce risk to non-target species when compared to some other insecticidal products – and as a result help to protect the pest controller from creating unwanted side effects when completing treatments.
With this in mind, we are delighted to announce that all the products in our Pyrethrum range (Deadline PyDust, Deadline PySpray and Deadline PyFog) have all gained HACCP approval. HACCP certification means that these products are now recognised as suitable for use in food and beverage facilities that operate a HACCP based food safety programme. This will provide new opportunities for treatment within food manufacturing facilities that pest controllers didn’t have access to before.
Pest Control feels like it has ‘got off lightly’ this year – at least in comparison to many other sectors. Our status as key service providers to the food production industry has enabled many of us to continue trading throughout the year at a time when others have had to close their doors or shut up shop completely.
That’s not to say that it’s been easy. Many of us rely on business from the hospitality sector, which has taken a clear and obvious hit, and lots of industry colleagues will have felt that impact intensely. However, it now appears we have a glimmer of light at the end of tunnel – with vaccines hopefully providing a route back to something more familiar.
Throughout this period, the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) has been working hard to adapt. One of the challenges has been the continuing professionalization of the industry and professional development of its members. We had being getting pretty good integrating CPD into our working life. Organisations like the BPCA, NPTA and the manufacturers and distributor’s community had a strong programme of training events, trade shows and educational roadshows which made it easier than ever for pest controllers to update themselves on the latest news and developments, meet and network with other pest professionals and share best practice. Unfortunately all that took a bit of backwards step during this pandemic – both in terms of where CPD sat in our day to day list of priorities and the practicalities of making it happen. In a world where it’s too risky to visit elderly parents, the chance to mix in a room full of 50 pest controllers feels like a distant dream.
That’s why we are delighted to sponsor the next BPCA Digital Forum. Whilst we would dearly love to be engaging with pest controllers in person, but when this isn’t possible then we will go for the next best thing. Held on the 9th December on a Zoom screen near you, we will be discussing rodenticide stewardship five years on (Alan Buckle) and Natural England will be giving us updates on the 2021 Bird Licensing Scheme. I’ll also be talking about how Insecticides are changing and what we are doing about it, and Alex Wade will be attending to host a Christmas Pest Quiz – along with updates from Natalie and Ian from the BPCA. I believe places are limited at 500 for technical reasons so if you follow the link, please register to avoid missing out on the day.
Looking forward to seeing you in the virtual world on the 9th.
Jim Kirk
Deadline Products
At Deadline Products we love to support and speak at the events organised by both the BPCA and NPTA, as well as those organised by our distributors.
In an industry where the drive towards professionalism is supported by the vast majority of responsible pest controllers, events which promote best practice and share knowledge are an essential tool – and if that means early starts and clocking up a few miles on the car, we’re only too happy to do it.
It’s been great to see how these events have grown in stature over the years – from tiny little coffee morning style affairs with half a dozen people turning up to chat a bit about pest control, to the well attended events held by both associations today. You can expect to join 50-100 pest controllers, alongside the presence of half a dozen manufacturers and distributors supporting with technical talks and product displays.
This year the BPCA are looking to change their event format, to move it away from presentation based sessions where attendees are talked at – to a more interactive practical format based on demonstrations, practice and discussion groups. It’s early days at the moment so we’ll have to see if this format proves popular with the membership.
Scotland was the first trial of the new format. A discussion group led by Brady Hudson from Killgerm around the future of rodent glueboards was very topical for the local area – for those who don’t know, there is a petition to ban the use of all rodent glueboards across Scotland – so how to respond to this as an industry is very much a live issue.
The forum presented a great opportunity to get some feedback from the members who would be directly affected by any changes. Brady did a great job leading the discussion and it’s safe to say the Scottish members – whilst not always in complete agreement with each other – didn’t shy away from getting their points across.
Scotland also saw a practical trapping demonstration, a product demonstration from Sean Byrne of PestFix and an interesting talk about the dangers posed by the invasive Asian Hornet to our native Bee populations from Fiona Highet.
The London Forum saw us circle the M25 to reach Beckingham Cricket Club, the venue for the event. A good turnout on the day saw demonstrations and discussion group on topics such as Fly Killer Servicing (by the Pelsis team), alongside an interesting discussion by Natalie Bungay on treatment reports. Treatment reporting, effectively the practice of writing down what you have done and why you have done it, is becoming an increasingly important part of the pest controller’s job. Increased levels of scrutiny on use of products and potential environmentally hazardous practices mean that this is only going to become more and more essential to the professional pest controller, so it was good to see it taking centre stage as a topic. The inherently dry nature of the task though does make it something of a ‘tough gig’ in terms of presenting so well done to Nat for taking on that particular challenge with her customary gusto.
We also had the pleasure of watching Mark Wenman from Network Bird demonstrating some key issues with the AviShock system for deterring birds (or as one delegate said to me “is that the Scalextric thing you put on roofs?” – to which I replies “yeah, pretty much!”), as well as Melvyn Knapp from Killgerm who valiantly stepped into the breach to deliver a presentation case study on how the Asian Hornet is being dealt with across the channel islands after the originally booked speaker was forced to pull out at the last minute.
The next event on the calendar is the turn of the NPTA to spread the knowledge of pest control to professionals in Nottingham, and of course the surrounding areas, with an ‘NPTA On The Road’ session.
If anyone would like to get involved, or attend a pest control event in their local area, then you can find one through the events section of our website.
Or by visiting either of the associations websites, linked below:
I look forward to seeing you at an event close to you in the near future.
Cheers,
Jim Kirk, Deadline Products.
When talking to pest professionals who have a particularly tricky rodent infestation, our technical team usually suggest tracking agents as an investigative tool. The usual response is, “Hmmm, yeah maybe, I have some somewhere, I might dig it out…” We thought it might be worth giving an in-depth guide about this under-utilised tool. BPCA Technical Officer, Natalie Bungay and Jim Kirk from Deadline Products investigate.
My persuasive abilities could maybe be a little better at talking through the features and benefits of tracking dusts and agents. Conversations about tricky rodent infestations regularly divert back onto traps, baits, etc. But I really believe in the value of tracking agents – let’s take the opportunity to convert any non-believer in tracking dust to a bonafide ‘believer’!
Tracking agents are, in simple terms, a tool to use for discovering the truth.
Sounds dramatic but how often do you stand about pondering how and where the rodent is gaining ingress to a property? Or what routes of travel they are using? Or if the rodent is actually even bothering to investigate your traps or bait stations?
Yes, we can look for things like smear marks, droppings, trails of damage, etc but, when a rodent has newly entered a building, who’s to say these signs will be there?
And when you place down new(ish) monitoring or control points, how do we know if the rodent is even bothering at all with this new opportunity for food? How do we know if the rodent has behavioural issues such as trap shyness or box avoidance?
It may be hard to spot some new evidence of rodents. You may also not want to wait for a long period of time to then come to an assumption that box or trap shyness is an issue.
Instead of ‘wasting’ valuable time pondering, why not dig the tracking agent out of the van?
There are two main uses for tracking agents:
For the technician to identify rodent movements. They aid your choice of the placement of bait stations and traps, providing direction of travel and entry/exit point information. They help to distinguish when rodents are approaching bait stations but not eating the bait or simply not ‘finding’ the bait (identification of bait shyness).
For the technician to demonstrate rodent activity, showing the customer where their rodent movements are, as well as helping to provide ‘proof’ post-treatment that the infestation has been eradicated.
Different types available
There are two main formulations of tracking available: one is dust and the other, relatively new formulation, is gel.
They both have their advantages and each of us may have our preference. Whichever formulation is for you, make sure you always have a supply in your van.
Gel is usually the better choice on suitable surfaces. It is easier to clean up, stays where it is applied and can be applied to vertical surfaces. The gel product is also HACCP certified, meaning it can be left down in sensitive areas like food sites for extended periods.
Dust is often the best choice on a porous surface, where the gel may soak into the surface, reducing the length of time it is effective. However, it can be a bit messy if you were to get a draught coming through. I’ve also seen some interesting images of where the dust has spread and stained large areas of, for example, attic floor boarding.
Too much or too little?
Common mistakes can be applying too little which can mean that only a small amount gets onto the rodent, creating relatively short tracking.
Also, applying it in too many separate areas close together can muddy the water, making understanding the rodent movements difficult as it can lead to a mass of criss-crossing tracks.
Ultimately, every rodent infestation is different. You should determine site-specific applications for tracking agents. With practice and experience, you’ll soon know where and in what quantities the tracking agent is needed.
Earlier this year Jim Kirk succeeded Rupert Broome as Chair of the Manufacturers and Distributors Committee. Jim is sales and supply chain manager for Deadline products joining the company in 2008.
The M&D committee represent the interests of the manufacturing and distributing sector within the pest control industry lobbying key decision influencers within government to ensure they understand the issues facing the industry when forming legislation.
Regarding his appointment, Jim said:
“I have been a member of the Manufacturers and Distributors Committee since 2016 and have seen the value that it can bring to our industry.
“One of the major challenges for anyone involved in pest control is how to manage the changing climate in terms of chemical control of pests. We’ve seen a number of traditional solutions fall out of use through increased regulation.”
“It’s the role of the committee to try to give advance notice of these changes and, where appropriate, to push back against increased regulation where we believe it is counterproductive.
“I’m particularly proud of the work the committee did to influence the reversal of the decision to put Pheromone traps through the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) process, which would have resulted in them being removed from the market.”
For more information on the BPCA and the Manufacturers and Distributors Committee https://bpca.org.uk/
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