Rats and mice are pest species that cause enormous amounts of damage, food loss, health issues and more. We invest many resources in their control, with a strong emphasis on the use of toxic baits. But the world is changing. The use of anti-coagulant rodenticides is under grave threat in Europe, and increasing restrictions are being placed on rodenticides in the USA.
Research from the University of Florida, USA, has shown that when Formosan subterranean termites are weakened by insecticide bait, a neighbouring colony will invade their territory, only to meet the identical fate. The research finding is key for pest managers in understanding the potential effects of termite baiting.
As a senior technician at Nationwide Pest Control in Sydney, John Esquillo is responsible for training the other members of the Nationwide team and takes the lead in trying out new products they are thinking of using.
When it comes to spider control, success is achieved through designing an appropriate treatment and managing customer expectations. Understanding spider behaviour and preferred harbourages is key to success.
In this feature, we turn the spotlight onto some of the key companies within our industry. Here, we look at bird control specialist Pest IT.
The pre-construction termite market is a tough business. Flexibility is key, not only in job scheduling, but when arriving on site, you never know what construction challenges you may find. The ability to think on your feet is vital, but you also need a range of products on hand that can deal with any situation.
When it comes to dealing with ants in outdoor areas and lawns, pest managers have a number of options on the table. Do you spray, do you use insecticide granules or do you apply bait?
Sydney pest manager Dennis Kokontis shares his experience of tackling a cockroach infestation using two Bayer products.
Every year pest managers can be financially impacted by ineffective housekeeping practices in looking after their equipment and tools of the trade.
Designed by industry professionals from the ‘ground up’, the Ensystex Dual Powerlight has been specifically produced for use by professional pest managers. The Dual Powerlight uniquely combines two powerful five-watt Cree LED lamps, offering two different light modes: a bright 300 lumens white light mode for standard pest inspections and a UVA black light mode for targeting specific hygiene and pest situations.
A flea infestation may be annoying and the bites may be itchy, but in Australia we don’t really associate fleas with disease. However, it is easy to forget that the bubonic plague or ‘black death’ is spread by fleas, in particular the oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis).
There are several different types of sprayers used by professional pest managers: trigger sprayers, which are pressurised by pulling the spray trigger; compression sprayers, which are pressurised by being pumped up; and backpack sprayers, which are either pressurised manually or powered by a petrol or battery-driven motor. These are the types most commonly encountered.