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WHAT’S BUZZING? News from the World of Pest Management
IN THIS ISSUE President’s Pen 1
From the Editor 3
Cockroaches in Drains 4
Global Climate Change 8
Strangers in the Night 10
News Bites 11
NEW ZEALAND NEWS
Branson Plants One 12
Students Wage War 14
Saving Kiwi 15
1000 Dead Pests 16
New 1080 Rules 18
HSNO Five Options 20
Technical Hints 21
P M A N Z
PO Box 133215
Eastridge
Auckland
1146 New Zealand
Free phone: 0800 476 269
(0800 4PMANZ)
Email: info@pmanz.nz
Website: www.pmanz.nz
PRESIDENT
Steve Hunn
steve.hunn@nzdf.mil.nz
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Denise Faulkner / Jo Wright
info@pmanz.nz
PRESIDENT’S PEN – STEVE HUNN
Hi to all members
Please take time to read the editorial by Peter Barry in regards the EPA proposal for submissions to identify the “way ahead” for management and use of Class 9 substances that are toxic to the environment under the HSNO Act.
A brief summary of the original PMANZ submission, dated 17 Mar, included the following;
A. Recognition of existing NCUPM and the new NZCPO qualifications as evidence of existing HSNO training and that they are recognised until such time as member’s current AH Certificate expires.
B. Possible options in regard to adapting or adopting an existing (NZ or Australian) new unit standard to be undertaken by our members to meet EPA (and WorkSafe) requirements.
C. Feasibility of PMANZ and industry training providers collaborating in the design and conduct of a training package that satisfies both EPA and WorkSafe regulatory requirements in support of our members.
D. Acknowledgment of the complexity involved in setting-up refresher /currency requirements, e.g. every 5 years (or whatever is determined).
E. Determining and identifying the required qualifications of those who would be Compliance Certifiers and National NZCPO assessors. The need to identify what moderation procedures are required to support the above.
Further work is required to fully consider all the options as outlined in the EPA consultation document, and I urge all members to take the opportunity in voicing your opinion, together with PMANZ.
That’s it for now!
Best wishes
Steve
April 2017 •Volume 10 No. 2
2
SPECIAL CONFERENCE OFFER TO FULL
PMANZ MEMBERS THAT ATTEND THE FULL
CONFERENCE OR THURSDAY PROGRAMME.
REGISTER BEFORE 30TH JUNE 2017, AND
1. RESERVE YOUR FREE COPY (VALUED AT
$80.00) OF THE ‘SERVICE TECHNICIAN’S
INSPECTION AND IDENTIFICATION MAN-
UAL’,
2. AND GO INTO THE DRAW FOR AN ALL EX-
PENSES PAID TRIP FOR TWO TO ATTEND
THE 2018 AEPMA CONFERENCE ON THE
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA.
The Manual is a part of the Practical Guide for Pest
Control Professionals series by William H Robinson.
Its purpose is make inspection and identification
easier for service technicians, by, first, providing in-
formation to help the technician anticipate the com-
mon pests or damage that will be found during site
inspections, then linking that to detailed information
on, and illustrations of, more than 200 pests and
damage. The goal is to provide a single book with
guidelines for inspection and a means of confirming
what was found.
3
FROM THE EDITOR
Send all comments or suggestions to Peter Barry
peter@pestconsultancy.co.nz
I am reminded that our mission as an association of pest management firms is to communicate the role of our indus-try as protectors of food, health, property and the environ-ment and affect the success of our members through educa-tion and advocacy.
Through the efforts of PMANZ, the Urban Pest Management (UPM) industry is stronger, more professional and more uni-fied. PMANZ has guided its members and the industry through legislative and regulatory initiatives, the creation of verifiable technician training, the changing technologies used by industry and public and media relations.
From its beginning in 1976, PMANZ has been a clear, consist-ently positive voice for the industry, providing support ser-vices, consumer information, access to technical information and education training material for its members.
Once again I call upon you to have your say in a vitally im-portant part of our industry.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of NZ is calling for submissions on the qualifications required for class 9 pes-ticides, going forward.
They tell us, “Based on submitter feedback, and on conversa-tions held with other stakeholders, we don’t consider we are yet in a position to make a firm decision on exactly what qualifications to set for UPM operators. Instead, we will use this second consultation as an opportunity to present a num-ber of options, and request feedback on several specific questions asked in relation to each of the options present-ed.“.
There are five options EPA are proposing and are outlined in the table on page 19. It is likely that their final notice will include multiple options. Included in the table are issues they have identified for each option.
I urge you make your own submission to EPA.
PMANZ executive will be doing the same, but the more sub-missions EPA receive the easier it will be for them to select the most practical options for our industry.
In other countries that we look up to, Urban Pest Manage-ment operators have to be qualified and or licensed. In the case of Australia, United Kingdom, USA and South Africa for example it is legislated that operators must be licensed and some also require them to have a qualification.
In New Zealand we allow any person, after obtaining an Approved Handler certificate ONLY, to purchase and use class 9 insecticides in the urban environment.
Its like allowing a person to drive on the road after teaching them the road signs only.
The old level 2 National Certificate, and the new level 3 cer-tificate, ensure persons are able to be trained and guided by their peers and colleagues, and finally assessed by an ap-pointed assessor, much the same as one would be trained as a learner driver when gaining a drivers licence, then finally examined in a practical test.
Should this not be the same for all pest managers?
Many of you may not agree with what I have said here, but that is irrelevant, as whatever your thoughts on the matter, I urge you to make them known to EPA, and not me or PMANZ, as that's what will count at the end of the day...
This is THE OPPORTUNITY to get this right once and for all.
So download the document and have your say today!
We have until 5:00 pm, 19 April 2017.
Just do it!
Link to EPA website to download documents below:
http://www.epa.govt.nz/consultations/hazardous-substances/Pages/Consultation-open-on-rules-to-protect-people-and-our-environment-from-hazardous-
substances.aspx
NOTE: There is some good news. The notice will include a “grandfathering” provision for people who have a current approved handler certificate for class 9 agrichemicals. Such people will be considered a “qualified person” until their cur-rent approved handler certificate expires.
Fair Use Reporting
Articles provided in "What’s Buzzing" are drawn from a number of sources. The source of the material is quoted, either by
author, publication and/or organization, in line with the practice of ‘Fair Use’ reporting of news or information to PMANZ
members for their ongoing education. The information contained in this newsletter is for member information only, and
does not necessarily reflect the official views or opinions of the PMANZ Council and/or its members.
4
COCKROACHES IN DRAINS
Drain sanitation is a common problem in food facilities, but did you know that cockroach-
es can live in drains, feed on the gunk that builds up, and enter your plant to contaminate
food and food surfaces?
“Cockroaches often live in the sewer system so they can
travel up into facilities from there, but they can also
enter drains from the facilities themselves,” explained
Rockwell Labs Owner/President Cisse Spragins.
“Roaches need moisture, food, and non-freezing tem-
peratures, and drains generally provide all three.”
Cockroaches can enter facilities in other ways as well,
said Nisus National Technical Director and Entomologist
Reid Ipser. They can enter from outdoor areas, particu-
larly from trash receptacles and adjacent businesses
that exhibit low sanitation levels; they can be unknow-
ingly introduced through packaging and containers; and
they can use drain lines as conduits from outside har-
bourage areas and/or from interconnecting sewer sys-
tems.
Once introduced, they can be allowed to breed and fes-
ter due to poor sanitation practices. For the cockroach-
es, Ipser said, “Drains serve as a nice, cool, restful place
to breed, eat food-stuffs, and harbour for protection.”
American cockroaches tend to be the most problematic
species in relation to drains, with Orientals a problem in
some geographic areas, and German cockroaches also
having a tendency to be attracted to drains. German
cockroaches are more likely to move in and out, rather
than harbouring in the drains. But, said Diversified Sales
and Marketing Technical Consultant Carl Forehand, “If
they come in in other ways, they can be attracted to
drains if they are not clean.” Additionally, he said,
drains can be conducive to any insect activity if they are
not regularly being cleaned; if food particulates are al-
lowed to get into them; if they get wet, then dry out.
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P R O F E SS I O N A L P E ST M A N AG E M E N T
6
Manually cleaning drains can be helpful, but this also can aerosolize and transmit pathogenic bacteria.
© endopack | iStock.com
But regardless of the species, how the cockroaches enter
the facility, or what attracts them to the drain, they are an
issue. “Once in a facility and moving around, they can carry
disease, and if someone eats a product contaminated with
fecal matter, it can cause asthma, dysentery, salmonellosis,
etc.,” Forehand said.
“As roaches move across food contact surfaces from drains
and possibly sewers they can spread pathogens,” Ipser
said, adding that FDA (USA) estimates that 48 million peo-
ple are struck with foodborne illness each year.
As such, cockroaches are a public health pest, particularly
in food facilities, Spragins said. “Their faeces, sputum, and
the insects themselves, or their parts that get into food,
can transmit disease. Infestations also negatively affect
employee morale and the general image a facility projects
to employees, vendors, customers and other visitors.”
COMPLIANCE
Cockroach presence could cause issues with performance
standards and produce safety. But, Ipser said, “it is not just
compliance; infestations are a violation of the Good Manu-
facturing Practices.” As Spragins explained, “Food Control
Plans (old Food Safety Programmes) calls for implementing
proactive measures to prevent food contamination, and
pest management is a central tenet of such a program. It is
impossible to prevent food contamination if insects are
roaming freely within a facility. The biofilm that builds up in
drains is well-known to harbour noxious bacteria. Roaches
(or flies) going from drains to food contact surfaces can
transmit these pathogens throughout a facility.”
It is for this reason that rules have to be instilled in all em-
ployees to ensure they are trying to maintain a safe envi-
ronment, Forehand said. “Everyone in the facility should be
familiar with rules of a Food Control Plan. Auditors also
come in looking for issues, so the facility needs to be in
compliance.”
This is true whether the facility performs its own pest con-
trol or contracts with a third-party service provider. If con-
tracting the service, he said, the pest management profes-
sional needs to do a good inspection, not just a walk-
through, and then offer solutions to take care of the prob-
lem and treat for the insect infestation. Then he or she
needs to follow-up to ensure the problem is solved — and
to make sure it hasn’t popped up elsewhere. “One of the
biggest things we fail in is communication, and that’s a two
-way street,” Forehand said.
Article continues over page
7
If a facility conducts its own service, all employees need to
understand the process, Forehand said. “Everyone needs to
be in on the program, not just the one person.” For example,
a facility may want to post rules on a wall, similar to the way
handwashing signs are posted.
Additionally, everyone in the facility should be familiar with
the purpose and requirements , including the answers to
questions such as: What hazards exist? What are the solu-
tions?
SOLVING DRAIN ISSUES
Whether the cockroaches are coming into the facility through
drains or going to drains after they come in through other
means, there are a number of solutions you can employ to
eliminate the cockroaches and reduce drain attraction.
As provided by Spragins, Isper, and Forehand, such solutions
include:
Exterior Treatments. Proactive perimeter pest control is nec-
essary, including habitat reduction around the outside perim-
eter, barrier spray on the foundation and around entry
points, and a band of moisture-resistant granular bait applied
outside the spray barrier. Always read the label to determine
what products can be used and where.
Drain Cleaning. Manually cleaning drains can be helpful, but
be mindful of the fact that scrubbing, steaming, pressure
washing, etc., can aerosolize pathogenic bacteria and poten-
tially transmit them onto food or food processing surfaces.
Bio-sanitation products can effectively clean drains in envi-
ronments with chronic moisture and high organic load, and
can help keep drains clean by digesting organic build-up in
which both pests and pathogens can harbour. Maintaining
drain cleanliness and using foams also can provide continued
pest suppression. Regular use of any cleaner is very
important, as even those that don’t kill the insect will remove
the conditions conducive to insect breeding.
Drain Treatments. Some pesticides can be used in and around
drains, but many cannot, so read labels before applying. If
there is any movement in the drain, especially if water is
flowing, be careful about chemical use; ensure that you don’t
contaminate ground water or areas where water drains out
(such as into an open stream).
Drain Traps. Traps in drain lines need to be installed and
working properly to help prevent roaches from entering
drains and coming into the facility through the sewer or out-
door water treatment facilities. The water trap seal valve sits
in the drain, letting water flow out, but not allowing insects
to move up into the facility. The traps also can eliminate gas-
ses and odours that can come up through drains and attract
insects.
Interior Inspections. Regular and thorough inspections of the
areas adjoining drains will reveal whether the drain program
is effective. Cockroaches can harbour in tight spaces under
and behind equipment, in stainless steel table legs, behind
and under cracked tile, and in wall voids that are accessible
through plumbing and utility penetrations. Inspect these are-
as for cockroaches as well. If needed, deploy a baiting pro-
gram throughout the facility, as permitted by regulation.
There are a lot of problems created in drains, Forehand said,
so it is important that facilities conduct inspections and elimi-
nate conducive conditions. “Be familiar with and knowledge-
able about what it takes to keep those problems from occur-
ring,” he said.
“It takes a continuous effort to maintain drain sanitation,”
Ipser said. “Clean drains equal fewer pest issues.”
Maintaining drain cleanliness and using foams can pro-
vide continued pest suppression.
Courtesy of Nisus
The author is Lisa Lupo - Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net. Reprinted with permission from Quality Assurance & Food Safety (QA) magazine February/2017 Link to full article - http://magazine.qualityassurancemag.com/article/february-2017/pest-management-cockroaches-in-drains.aspx
8
IMPACT OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ON URBAN AND PUBLIC PESTS
Climate change has generated enor-
mous interest in the scientific world
over the past two decades. It is de-
fined by Epstein (2004) as “the heat-
ing of the inner atmosphere, oceans,
and land surfaces of the earth, result-
ing in more intense and extreme
weather events and the altered tim-
ing, intensity, and distribution of pre-
cipitation”.
In the absence of predators and competitors, as in an urban
environment, pests can attain densities purely on the
availability of food and breeding opportunities. These two
parameters, combined with favourable climate, could lead to
high populations, as sometimes seen after catastrophic
events such as earthquakes (Srinivasan, 2006, Lee 2012). For
urban pests, air, water and food are indispensable and often
found in excess. However, one element which has a
significant influence on insect pests is temperature. Insects
are cold- blooded organisms and cannot regulate their body
temperature. The temperature of their body is approximate-
ly the same as that of its immediate environment. Therefore,
temperature is probably the single most important environ-
mental factor influencing pest behaviour, distribution, devel-
opment, survival, and reproduction (Petzoldt and Sea-
man, 2010). It could be safely assumed that the influence
of temperature on insects largely overwhelms all other
environmental factors (Bale et al. 2002). It has been
estimated that with a 2°C temperature increase, insect might
experience one to five additional life cycles per season
(Yamamura & Kiritani, 1998).
The effect of climate on urban pests has generated interest,
mostly through research on insect vectors such as mosqui-
toes. It is however expected that changes in the environ-
ment will also affect other pests, specifically non- vectors
and nuisance pests. Roy et al (2009) undertook a study to
determine the effect of climate change on nuisance insect
species in the United Kingdom. Several insect pests such as
German cockroach, bed bug, Pharaoh ant, wood- worm, cat
fleas, powder post beetle are unlikely to be affected by
climate warming, whereas species such as moth, fly, garden
ant, Argentine ant, Mediterranean termite, Culex and Aedes
mosquito and house fly are most likely to increase with cli-
mate warming.
Sims and Appel (2013) documented examples to illustrate
weather-influenced effects on pests. Termite
swarming occurring unusually early in the year, followed an
extremely mild winter of 2011-12, followed by a very warm
and dry summer. There was also a significant increase in
houses invaded by brown recluse spiders that normally re-
side outdoors. Quarles (2007) suggested temperature in-
creases in the U.S. will favour warm weather pests such as
ants, termites, clothes moths, flies, mosquitoes, fleas, stored
product moths, wood boring beetles, and even bed bugs. An
increase in the geographic range of mosquitoes following
warm temperature gradients into previously unknown terri-
tories in USA (Rochlin et al, 2013), serves as another good
example how temperature can influence urban pest dynam-
ics.
Alteration to the environment because of flooding or
drought, in addition to changes in land-use patterns, can
influence pest distribution in urban areas (Bonnefoy et al.,
2008). Climate change also has the potential to modify the
impact of exotic invasive species by affecting their source,
pathway and destination (Hobbs, 2000).
In addition to general variations in climate, many
socioeconomic conditions and human behaviours can
influence pest distribution.
Extracted from International Pest Control January/February Issue—to read the full article follow link below:
http://international-pest-control.com/
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10
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
Field crickets become abundant around structures in late
summer and autumn. Their eggs are laid in autumn...so guess
what they’re up to now?
Illustration by Wesley Merritt
Have you ever listened to the mesmerizing serenade of crick-
ets on a crisp autumn evening and wondered why? I mean,
the mercury’s definitely headed south soon, the nights are
going to become chill and those bugs’ll be belly-up before
too long. Yet they’re standing on the stoop warbling im-
promptu a cappellas. What’s up with that?
I’ll give it to you straight: crickets or Sinatra, it all comes
down to Guys and Dolls.
First there’s An Affair to Remember.
OK, several affairs.
What can I say? The Lady is a Tramp.
A few weeks later the she-cricket leaves her eggs to be fos-
tered by soil or plant stems, then scurries away to die of ex-
posure shortly thereafter. The guy(s) have long since split but
suffer a similar fate. The following spring their orphaned off-
spring hatch, molt and become wingless nymphs — tiny ver-
sions of Mom and Pop(s). Summer is spent looking for rations
and staying out of trouble. Autumn leaves mean it’s time to
go underground until things heat up again. Come spring
they’ll emerge with a song in their hearts.
Well…not exactly.
Crickets don’t actually sing. The females are silent, and when
males want to croon they don’t clear their throats. They rub
their wings together like snapping fingers. Very hip. So may-
be it would be more accurate to say they wear their hearts
on their sleeves…except they don’t have sleeves. Or arms.
Let’s just say they do it their way. I’m sure The Chairman of
the Board would understand.
Frank had plenty of hits and, early in his career, an impres-
sive two-octave range. Male crickets have a much more lim-
ited range and repertoire — one Nice ’n’ Easy hit, usually a
single note. Repeated as many times as necessary. These cats
don’t swing but they do have stamina, plus they mix up the
tempo to suit the room’s temperature.
And Jeepers Creepers, there’s something about a love song
that sets the female heart a-flutter, especially In The Wee
Small Hours of the Morning. Makes no difference whether
she’s a dame or The Girl Next Door. She’ll leave home and go
Wandering in search of a song she just can’t resist…and in no
time at all she’ll be Taking a Chance on Love. Apparently, a
dreamy tune counts for a lot more than looks because she
completely ignores the fact that her suitor’s ears are on his
front legs. She’s Funny That Way.
Come to think of it, Frankie’s ears were rather conspicuous,
too, but the bobbysoxers still swooned.
Author Kieran Lindsey
The author loves looking for wild things in all the wrong plac-es…so she became an urban wildlife biologist. She’s also the official Animal-Vehicle Biologist for NPR’s “Car Talk.” Read her blog at www.nextdoornature.org.
11
The bed bug's most closely guarded secrets —
stashed away in protective armor that enables these
blood-sucking little nasties to shrug off insecticides
and thrive in homes and hotels — were on the agen-
da at a major scientific meeting. In a talk at the
246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American
Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific
society, scientists are describing identification of the
genes responsibe for pesticide-resistance in bed bugs,
and the implications for millions of people trying to
cope with bed bug infestations that have been re-
surging for more than a decade.
The bed bug presentation was part of an international
research award symposium at the ACS National Meet-
ing, which includes 12 other research papers on top-
ics ranging from pesticide resistance to monitoring
chemicals in the environment to tick spit.
"Every living thing on Earth has a unique set of strat-
egies to adapt to life-threatening situations in the
environment," says Fang Zhu, PhD, a leader of the
research who spoke at the meeting. "The surprise
discovery we never expected is that most of the
genes responsible for pesticide resistance in the bed
bug are active in its outer skin-like shell or cuticle.
This is the unique adaption that has not been discov-
ered in cockroaches, termites, ants or other insects."
Zhu of Washington State University and colleagues,
who are with the University of Kentucky, quickly real-
ized that the location was the ideal spot for genes
that mute the effects of pyrethroid insecticides — to-
day's mainstay home and garden pesticides. The bod-
ies of bed bugs, she explained, are extremely flat be-
fore the creatures slurp up a meal of human blood.
That profile adapts bed bugs for a life of hiding in the
seams of mattresses, upholstered chairs, the lining of
suitcases and other concealed locations. But it also
creates a vulnerability to environmental toxins, giving
bed bugs an unusually large surface area where pes-
ticides can enter their bodies. The shell is tough —
and accounts for the difficulty in squashing a bed
bug. But research by Zhu's team and others has es-
tablished that it's also a metabolic hot spot to protect
against insecticides. Some genes in the cuticle, for
instance, produce substances that tear apart the mo-
lecular backbone of insecticides, rendering them
harmless. Other genes manufacture biological pumps
that literally pump insecticides back out of the cuticle
before they can enter the body.
Zhu's team sifted through the bed bug's genome —
its complete set of genes — to identify the genes re-
sponsible for this pesticide resistance. They studied
21 populations of bed bugs from cities in Ohio and
Kentucky (Cincinnati, Lexington and Louisville) that
were plagued with bedbug infestations.
"We took advantage of cutting-edge next-generation
genetic sequencing technology that's now available. It
enabled us to perform quickly an analysis that would
have taken years in the 1990s — a genome-wide
analysis of the insecticide-resistance related genes in
bedbugs."
They found 14 genes that in various combinations
help bedbugs survive pesticide treatments with pyre-
throid-type insecticides. Most were active in the bug's
cuticle, and block or slow an insecticide from reaching
the nerve cells where it can kill. In addition to this
first-line of defense, Zhu's team discovered that bed-
bugs have developed a second layer of protection. In
case insecticides slip past the armor, other genes kick
in to prevent the toxins from attacking the nervous
system.
Zhu says the findings suggest that development of
new pesticides should focus on chemicals that shut
down or mute genes in the cuticle that thwart today's
pesticides. New pesticides alone, however, will not be
enough to cope with the bed bug resurgence. Zhu
cited evidence that bed bugs in laboratory colonies
exposed to lethal doses of pyrethroids begin to devel-
op resistance within a few generations, which can be
less than one year.
"It reminds us how quickly a new insecticide can be-
come ineffective," she says. "In the future, efficient
bedbug management should not rely on any single
insecticide. We need to combine as many chemical
and non-chemical approaches as we have to get rid of
the infestation."
She cited, specifically, integrated pest management
for bed bugs, approaches in which careful use of pes-
ticides combines with other, common-sense
measures. Those include removing bedroom clutter
where bed bugs can hide, frequent vacuuming of dust
and other debris, washing bed linens in hot water and
heat-drying in a dryer, and sealing cracks and crevic-
es to eliminate hiding places.
Zhu's colleagues with the University of Kentucky in-
clude Subba R. Palli, Ph.D.; Kenneth F. Haynes, PhD;
Michael F. Potter,
PhD; Hemant Gujar; and Jennifer R. Gordon.
For more information on the bed bug problem: http://
www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/publications/bed_bugs_cdc-
epa_statement.htm.
SCIENTISTS EXPLAIN HOW BED BUGS SHRUG OFF PESTICIDES
NEWS BITES
12
NEW ZEALAND NEWS
SIR RICHARD BRANSON PLANTS ONE OF AUCKLAND'S PROMISED MILLION MORE TREES
Billionaire philanthropist Sir Richard Branson has made his
mark in Auckland this afternoon, planting one of the million
trees mayor Phil Goff has promised over the next three years.
Branson is here ahead of a fundraising dinner where he will
be quizzed by former Prime Minister John Key.
In a fly-by visit to Shakespear Regional Park north of Auckland
this afternoon Branson appeared delighted with New Zea-
land's fauna, saying no where else in the world had made the
same commitment to eradicating pests.
The Government has committed to making New Zealand
predator-free by 2050.
Entrepreneurs needed to play their part in helping govern-
ments and social groups come up with solutions to the
world's problems, Branson said.
"We at Virgin play quite a big role in protecting species and
it's great to see it happening here," a slightly puffed Branson
told the Herald as he walked through the regional park.
"The latest move to aim at getting rid of species by 2050 is
tremendous, I think you're the only country in the world
that's made that pledge.
"The difference it will make to forest and other species is dra-
matic."
After arriving on a helicopter from Waiheke Island with Goff,
Branson had time to briefly admire our bird life and plant a
tree before flying off again less than an hour later.
Branson said Goff's plan to plant a million more mainly native
trees around Auckland over the next three years was a
"wonderful initiative".
He and Goff planted a native mahoe tree and a pigeon wood,
with Branson joking he wanted a camera set up so he could
watch the tree grow back home in England.
Branson, who was last on our shores in 2011 for an Outward
Bound fundraising gala, said he was pleased to be back and
credited Kiwis for having an open friendliness.
"I think it's lovely to be in a country where the biggest prob-
lems that you seem to be facing is how to get rid of rats."
Branson, who founded the Virgin Group, is one of the world's
most well-known entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
The billionaire has been named among the BBC's 100 greatest
Britons and counts working with Nelson Mandela and former
UN Secretary Kofi Annan among his humanitarian achieve-
ments.
Branson counts the Obamas among his famous friends,
hosting them in the British Virgin Islands following the end of
Barack Obama's presidency in February where they were
joined by Weekend Herald columnist Michelle "Nanogirl"
Dickinson.
NZ Herald - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11825552
Phil Goff and Richard Branson plant trees at Shakespear Regional Park today. Photo / Dean Purcell
13
14
NORTHLAND STUDENTS WAGE WAR AGAINST RODENTS
Project Rodent participants Keegan Imms and Blake Weenink (Tauraroa Area School) set rat traps in Whangarei
with NRC biosecurity staff member Pete Graham and Paul Dimery.
It wasn't quite the story of the Pied Piper when the
Northland Regional Council brought young people and
rats together.
Still, the outcome will mean fewer vermin invading
Northland's environment.
More than 20 students from three schools gathered in
Whangarei recently to gain hands-on knowledge of con-
trolling rats and mice, through the council-assisted Envi-
roschools programme's first Project Rodent.
The rodent training comes after the success in recent
years of similar programmes, Project Possum and Pro-
ject Mustelid.
Councillor Paul Dimery said the latest project targeted
the two most common rats in New Zealand - Norway
and ship - as well as the common house mouse.
The students from Tauraroa Area School and Otamatea
and Whangarei Girls' High Schools learned about rodent
pest control, biology and environmental impacts.
A hands-on skills workshop, the trial included the stu-
dents setting trap and bait stations in a variety of habi-
tats.
The course was held at Kiwi North in Whangarei and,
like its possum and mustelid forerunners, offered partic-
ipants the chance to earn NCEA unit standard credits.
Tutukaka-based Mr Dimery said he was pleased to see
young people taking an interest in pest control.
"[The] council invests a great deal of time and money on
behalf of ratepayers working with Northland communi-
ties to control a large number of pests - animal and
plant - in and around the region, both on land and wa-
ter.
"Coincidentally this Project Rodent training comes just
as we're beginning an extensive public consultation pro-
cess which include how pests are managed through our
Northland Regional Pest and Marine Pathway Manage-
ment Plan."
Information on rodents, other pest animals and weeds
is available from the regional council's website via
www.nrc.govt.nz/pestcontrolhub.
- Northern Advocatehttp://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=11822189
15
WHAKATANE: SAVING KIWI WITH A SOUVENIR TRAP
Our trap has taken out four stoats, one weasel and a hedgehog. Photo / Neil Robert Hutton
I've bought some pretty quirky stuff while travelling. Lately
there have been a lot of carved wooden weapons; I blame
the 10-year-old for those. There have also been a fair few
musical instruments: stringed, percussion and even a
wooden tank that doubles as a music box. As for the erro-
neous snow globes from tropical climes, there's something
so hard to resist about snow falling on palm trees. But the
best souvenir I think I've ever bought is the stoat trap I
picked up after a trip to Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty.
In the Bay we met up with Lynda Walter from the Wha-katane Kiwi Trust and she told us all about the amazing work being done by the trust's wonderful team, most of whom are volunteers. Having started out with four naturally occurring kiwi pairs
in 2000, the area around Ohope Beach has become some-
thing of a wildlife sanctuary, even though there is no fence
to keep the predators out.
Today it is estimated there are more than 125 kiwi pairs in
residence within the project area, and one of the keys to
that growing population is pest control.
When Lynda told us that for just $135 a year we could be
the proud owners of our own trap, I couldn't resist and
when I returned home I put my credit card to good use.
Since the Whakatane Kiwi Trust paired up with the Wha-
katane West Rotary Club, that $135 donation supports
both organisations to service, maintain and expand the
predator trap network within the Whakatane Kiwi Project
area, and now my son and I are part of the team.
And the neatest thing is we can visit the Whakatane Kiwi
Trust website to keep tabs on how many kills our trap has
achieved and where we stand on the leader board. Not
wanting to brag, but in just three months we've taken sev-
en lives which puts us way out in front of the other spon-
sors. Our trap has taken out four stoats, one weasel and a
hedgehog.
And I do apologise to the more sensitive souls reading this;
I know it sounds bloodthirsty but the trap is humane and
the benefits to our native bird population more than make
up for any sorrow you might feel for the mammalian car-
nage.
While staying in Ohope over Christmas, my son and I
thought we'd check up on the lives we'd helped protect by
doing the self-guided kiwi walk around the Fairbrother
Track in the Ohope Scenic Reserve.
Waiting for dark to fall, we tiptoed around the one-hour
loop track and, while we didn't see any kiwi, we heard their
call as well as the tell-tale rustle of the birds scuttling about
in the bush. There were even glow-worms, which were re-
ward enough for staying up past our bedtimes.
Without a doubt, that stoat trap is the best souvenir we've
ever bought and, what's more, it's tax-deductible.
Further information: See whakatanekiwi.org.nz/donation for more on sponsoring a stoat trap.
- NZ Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11583594
16
Article continues on the next page
1000 DEAD PESTS - AND TAUPO PAIR WANT MORE
1000 AND COUNTING: Hadlee Cade made a special trip up to Taupo to help his father Didymo Dave clear the
1000th pest - a stoat - from the pair's trap line on the Hinemaiaia River.
It all started on a winter's morning in 2007 when
Dave 'Didymo Dave' Cade went fishing on the
Hinemaiaia River south of Taupo.
He left his bag on the bank and began fishing his
favourite pool. When daylight came, he stopped
for a cuppa and a snack. But when he picked up
his sandwich in keen anticipation of a feed, he
discovered a great hunk of it missing.
A week later it happened again and this time, in-
trigued and more than a little annoyed at missing
his breakfast, Dave realised the culprits were rats.
He swore revenge.
"Right you little sucker, you're dead."
The next time he went fishing he took a trap. He
got a rat, then another, then another. A week lat-
er, he got a weasel.
Dave began looking into the pest situation and
was horrified to discover that although he had
never seen any vermin on the stream, they were
everywhere, and worse, they were preying on the
birds.
"By this time my son Hadlee and I were getting
uncomfortable. We were asking ourselves 'what's
going on?', and the more we trapped, the more
we realised that the lovely little birds we enjoyed
seeing while we were fishing were in danger.
While we were snoring our heads off at night in a
warm bed, these defenceless beautiful little birds
and their chicks were being slaughtered."
So Dave and Hadlee scrounged some recycled
timber and old trap mechanisms, built themselves
some box traps and began trapping pests in the
Hinemaiaia River valley. Before long, they had 130
traps, and as the numbers of trapped vermin in-
creased, the pair began to understand there was
a major, albeit unseen, problem with vermin.
They were catching rats, stoats and weasels, but
seldom seeing them in daylight because they are
mostly nocturnal.
17
February 17 this year was a milestone day for the
pair's efforts, with the 1000th pest caught. Over the
years they have caught 809 rats, 100 stoats and 91
weasels. What's more Dave says the effect on bird
life has been dramatic, with more birds evident.
"It's now common to see North Island robins, tom-
tits, whiteheads throughout the valley as well as tui,
bellbirds and kereru."
Dave says the catch rate over the years has re-
mained unchanged, with usually one in every five
traps holding a dead pest when checked every
three weeks or so. While Dave says his and Hadlee's
efforts are only small compared to organised pest
management groups such as the one at Pukawa at
the other end of the lake, it's still proof that getting
involved can make a difference.
"It doesn't matter how big it is, it wouldn't matter if
we had only pulled 200 or 300 pests out, it's made a
difference."
With 130 box traps in the Hinemaiaia, including 15
self-resetting traps, Dave is continuing the work. A
thousand dead pests isn't anywhere near enough.
"If you take [the pests] out you create a vacuum
and they pour in from outside, but we've obviously
created enough of a gap for birds to breed."
By Laurilee McMichael - Rotorua Daily Post
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503438&objectid=11815824
18
ENVIRONMENT MINISTER DR NICK SMITH ANNOUNCES NEW 1080 RULES
The use of poisons including 1080 and brodifacoum will be subject to new rules after concern about inconsistency between different regional rules.
The use of poisons including 1080 and brodifacoum will be
subject to new rules after concern about inconsistency be-
tween different regional rules.
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith made the announce-
ment while visiting Tiritiri Matangi Sanctuary in the Hauraki
Gulf.
"I know there is opposition to poisons like 1080 and brodi-
facoum but they are essential tools to saving New Zea-
land's natural heritage.
"The change will not increase any of the risks around the
use of these poisons...It is expected to save $11 million
over the next 20 years, enabling more pests to be con-
trolled and more species saved."
The new national regulations will start from April 1, and are
approved under the Resource Management Act.
Smith said the new approach would standardise the rules
for using poisons like 1080.
Currently there are different rules according to what region
the poison is used in.
The change was advocated for by the Parliamentary Com-
missioner for the Environment, who expressed concern
about the duplication and inconsistency between regional
rules.
The Government has recently tightened up regulations
around 1080, after a blackmail scare that cost the country
millions of dollars.
Jeremy Hamish Kerr was jailed last July after admitting two
counts of blackmail over the 1080 scandal, which made
global headlines.
In November 2014, Kerr mixed highly concentrated
amounts of the poison with baby milk formula and posted
them to the dairy co-op and to Federated Farmers, with a
letter demanding the country stop using 1080 or he would
release poisoned infant milk powder into the Chinese mar-
ket and one unspecified market.
The Ministry of Primary Industries moved to secure the
safety of the dairy supply chain, testing 150,000 samples,
and the blackmail letters triggered an unprecedented po-
lice investigation. The blackmail case cost the country more
than $37 million.
In response the government introduced new controls for
all workplaces and laboratories using sodium fluoroacetate
(1080), including a requirement for holders of 1080 to noti-
fy the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the quan-
tity and supplier.
Any new imports require an import certificate from the
EPA before it can be collected from the New Zealand Cus-
toms Service. Laboratory managers must also ensure that
1080 is securely locked up when not in use.
19
In announcing the Government's target for New Zealand
to be predator-free by 2050 last July, Conservation Minis-
ter Maggie Barry said 1080 poison would continue to play
a key role.
"It is always going to be the weapon of choice in the battle
to get rid of these vermin in the very steep country," she
said.
1080 has been widely used in New Zealand against pests
such as rats, stoats and opossum, and has faced fierce op-
position from some, partly because pest-baiting cam-
paigns in the past have killed non-target species such as
dogs, cattle and deer.
A majority of scientists support the use of 1080 in pest
control, and their work has been important in devising
more effective ways to spread 1080 baits and to reduce
the amount of actual poison in pellets laced with the sub-
stance.
In June 2011 Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan
Wright issued perhaps the most significant study on the
use of 1080 in New Zealand. It was released at a time sup-
porters and opponents of 1080 were at loggerheads with
calls for a moratorium on its use. Her conclusions signifi-
cantly pushed the debate towards continued use of the
pesticide, though she stressed the need for its safe appli-
cation.
Dr Wright said New Zealand did not have an alternative
method of effectively killing possums, rats and stoats.
What is 1080?
Sodium monofluoroacetate, commonly known as 1080, is
a fine white powder. It has a slight odour and taste and is
said to dissolve easily in water.
While manufactured 1080 is a highly lethal poison to many
species, the active ingredient, fluoroacetate, is identical to
a substance that occurs naturally in many poisonous
plants. These plants are found in Brazil, Africa, and Aus-
tralia.
1080 comes in several forms, usually in small dyed green
pellets, but also sprayed carrot baits, pastes and gels.
How long has it been used here?
1080 has been used in New Zealand for pest control since
the mid-1950s and is the only poison registered for aerial
drops. It is also used in Australia, the United States, Mexi-
co and Israel. New Zealand uses about 80 per cent of the
world's production of manufactured 1080.
How does it work?
Whether laid on the ground, or dropped from the sky in
large remote areas, the 1080 is eaten by the animal.
If enough is ingested, the poison disrupts the process of
breaking down food to provide energy for cells to func-
tion. Once the animal has run out of energy, it dies from
heart or respiratory failure.
Herbivores like possums become lethargic, and usually die
within 6-18 hours from cardiac failure. Carnivores experi-
ence problems with their central nervous systems and
may suffer convulsions before dying.
What are the risks?
1080 is extremely toxic to many animals, and dogs are par-
ticularly sensitive.
In 2007, West Coast man Ryan Fitzmaurice's pet Labrador,
Tigger, died after eating a possum that had 1080 in its sys-
tem.
The possum had been poisoned by a drop near his home.
Fitzmaurice was offered undisclosed compensation by the
pest control company. Humans are also at risk if they in-
gest 1080.
What measures are taken to keep the public and their
animals safe?
DoC must meet strict Ministry of Health conditions before
getting a permit for a 1080 operation.
DoC must also talk to communities where 1080 operations
are planned, let the public know an operation is going
ahead and put up signs to show areas where poisoning has
taken place.
- NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11807877
20
Hazardous Substances (Hazardous Property Controls) Notice (Five Options)
The five options EPA are proposing are outlined in the table below. It is likely that the final notice will include multiple op-
tions. Included in the table are issues they have identified for each option. In reviewing these options, please remember that
the focus of these should be to ensure protection of the environment. Responsibility for setting controls to manage risks to
people (both workers and bystanders) is with the new HSW HS legislation. Careerforce has identified that they can support
either the New Zealand unit standard option (which is a partial qualification) or the New Zealand Certificate option. They are
keen to work with EPA and other industry stakeholders to find a solution that results in a workforce that is safe, productive,
recognised and valued. They identified impacts on cost and access of the options available and have offered to provide some
guidance on these once your feedback has been received.
Option Issue
Option A
Require UPM operators to obtain New Zealand Certificate in Pest Operations (Level 3) (Urban Pest Control)
The EPA notes that some submitters had a view that the (old) National Certificate was set at too high a level for the EPA to adopt as a national minimum require-ment, and that this certificate is a higher level qualification than the current ap-proved handler certificate.
However, the EPA also notes that the October 2016 consultation was during a period of transition from the National Certificate to the New Zealand Certificate, and the impact of this may not have been realised by submitters.
We would like to gain a better understanding of any issues with the new New Zea-land Certificate, in particular are the competencies in the qualification fit for pur-pose and if not what, why not, or are the issues related to accessibility or cost. The relevant ITO (Careerforce) will work with us and other industry stakeholders to address identified issues.
Option B
Require UPM operators to obtain three unit standards from the New Zealand Certificate in Pest Operations (Level 3) (Urban Pest Control). The relevant unit standards are:
Unit standard 28786 Demonstrate knowledge of the purpose and impacts of urban pest management
Unit standard 28787 Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative framework and regulatory controls governing the urban pest management industry
Either Unit standard 28791 Apply pest management services in the urban pest management industry
OR
Unit standard 28790 Identify pests, assess pest activity and rec-ommend integrated pest management or a standard treatment.
The EPA is aware that these unit standards which make up 20 credits of the New Zealand Certificate are not currently able to be attained as a standalone pro-gramme.
Nevertheless, we want to gauge whether people think it is more appropriate to achieve a partial qualification rather than the full New Zealand Certificate as the national minimum standard.
Refer Question 2 below.
Option C
Require that UPM operators obtain the following three core units from the Australian Pest Management Qualification “CPP30911 Cer-tificate III in Pest Management”. These are the three units currently required to obtain a UPM Licence in Australia.
CPPMT3005A Modify environment to manage pests
CPPMT3006A Apply pesticides to manage pests
CPPMT30018B Maintain equipment and chemical storage areas
Prior to confirming this as a viable option, there will need to be an equivalency test carried out to determine if these three units can be recognised within the New Zealand framework.
It would also need to be confirmed that this option would be (widely) acces-sible to people in NZ.
Refer Question 3 below.
Option D
Attendance at an industry-approved course for UPM operators.
This option may be problematic as there would need to be some way of having assurance that the course was of a suitable quality, fit-for-purpose and the assess-ment or other outcomes of the course met the agreed standards.
Refer Question 4 below.
Option E
Not require any (HSNO) qualifications for UPM operators (acknowledging that operators will need to comply with the general duties for training etc required under the HSW legislation)
Most submitters supported the HPC Notice including qualification requirements for UPM operators to replace the class 9 approved handler control in order to ensure continued management of risks in this area.
Refer Question 5 below.
21
TECHNICAL HINTS
Biscuit beetles (Stegobium paniceum ) are one of the most common species of stored product insect pest encountered in the
global food industry. Their food preferences are wide ranging, encompassing cereal-based foods such as dry dough, dry pet
food, soup powders, breakfast cereals and (unsurprisingly) biscuits.
The common name used for this species in much of the world, the drugstore beetle, highlights that it is a species that will
devour most materials of plant origin, including such toxic plant materials as strychnine. Their wide-ranging taste in dried
plant matter also makes them a potentially highly destructive pest in museum and herbarium collections.
Biscuit beetles are excellent flyers, even at relatively low temperatures. They are closely related to, and look very like, the
woodworm beetle (Anobium punctatum) and, like that species, both adult and larvae have well developed mouthpart. As a
result, they are excellent penetrators of food packaging materials, including paper, plastic films and foils. For the scientists
amongst you, biscuit beetles harbour symbiotic yeasts that produce B vitamins. These yeasts are deposited on the eggs as
they pass through the oviduct of the female beetle and are consumed by the larvae during egg hatch. These yeasts enable
the larvae to feed and survive on foods of poor nutritional quality.
In short, this is a highly adaptable species, which is found widely in commercial, industrial, leisure and residential environ-
ments. In the food industry, it is found right through the supply chain.
Like many stored product insect species with a short-lived adult stage, the female biscuit beetle produces a pheromone to
attract males. Unlike the storage moth sex pheromones, this pheromone, stegobinone (2,3-dihydro-2,3,5trimethyl-6-(1-
methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4) has a complex structure, and indications are that it has proved very difficult to synthesise in
sufficient quantity to be used for commercial monitoring purposes.
There are a small number of commercially available 'pheromone' lures on the market which specifically target biscuit bee-
tles. It is generally unclear from the manufacturers’ literature exactly what the attractant is. Talk to your supplier about the
right pheromone lure for this pest - there are a number available.
Recommended