Latest news and professional advice from the Bayer team Waiting for wasps By Clive Boase, the Pest Management Consultancy For the British public, 2012 was the year of the Queens Jubilee and the London Olympics. However pest controllers remember that cool, wet summer when the number of wasp nest treatments fell by up to 90%. Now, the big question is Will the wasp population recover in 2013?. Only time will tell, but whether we treat 5 nests or 500, we still need to follow good practice. Our initial assessment of the site is crucial. We need to confirm that the target really is wasps, so if we find feral honey bees or bumble bees present instead, we may recommend leaving them untreated. The presence of protected species such as bats should also be checked, and if found, we should contact Natural England (Tel: 0845 600 3078; www.naturalengland.org.uk) for guidance. At some sites there may be other sensitive features close by, such as koi carp ponds, in which case we will have to choose our treatment very carefully. Where the wasp nest is accessible, then insecticide treatment is the usual option. Most pest controllers prefer an insecticide dust, with Ficam D being very widely used. A single treatment of around 10-20g of Ficam D per m 2, applied into and around the nest entrance, results in complete elimination of the colony in the vast majority of cases. There is no excitation of the wasps, and within 1-3 hours all activity will have ceased. Where nest entrances are located at height, then an extendable applicator is safer than using ladders. However where the nest itself cannot be located, then alternative approaches Continued on page 2 Looking for an alternative Sewer or Rat and Mouse Bait? See back page for more details >>
Continued from page 1 Waiting for wasps are required. Key measures will include reducing the attractiveness of the site to wasps, for example by better containment of food waste, and by thorough proofing of entry points. Wasp traps may also help, but should be sited to avoid attracting wasps into sensitive areas. Ficam D Key Features & Benefits Ficam D is the superior wasp and ant control product which has been tried and tested for over 35 years in the field. Superior against wasps and ants High penetration of voids (due to the talc used) Does not repel or excite the insects Areas of use Ficam D can be used in and around wasp and ant nests and for the treatment of inaccessible areas such as roof voids and service ducts where spraying is impractical and around electrical installations where spraying is undesirable. Finally, remember that wasps can defend their nests very vigorously, so always wear PPE, and ensure that others are not put at risk. Here s to a busier wasp year than 2012! Ficam D is suitable for the control of a wide range of flying and crawling insect pests including: Wasps, ants, silverfish, cockroaches, moths, flies, ticks, fleas, bed bugs, millipedes, spiders, beetles and woodlice. Show us a house fit for a queen and you could win 200 worth of Bayer professional pest control products! Bayer is running a competition to find the country s most impressive wasp nests. If you have seen something that you think might fit the bill, then email us a photograph. You may submit up to 3 images. To enter please write House fit for a queen competition in the subject header of your email, attach your image and give details of the location of where the photo was taken. Ensure you include your full name, company name, contact telephone number, nest height and width in your email too. Send your entries to pestcontrolexpert@ bayercropscience.com. Entries must be received by midnight 15th September 2013. The winner of the competition will be whoever has submitted the most impressive wasp nest photo taking into account factors such as its size, scale, shape and location. Competition T&Cs apply please see our website for details. Please remember that images need to be high resolution. Only Professional Pest Controller Operators are allowed to enter the competition. By entering this competition you are granting your permission for Bayer CropScience to use your information for the purposes of managing this competition and to contact you from time to time about other Bayer CropScience products and services that we believe may be of interest. Your personal information will not be shared with any third party. 02 03
Bayer s 12 point plan for Flea control Fleas are a continuing problem in public health and cases of incomplete control following insecticide treatment are occasionally reported especially at the height of the season. Vet and parasitologist Ian Wright said: In recent years, flea populations have exploded due to the milder winters and warm but wet summers. However, due to last winter being particularly cold, flea numbers are set to increase further with the sharp rise in Spring temperatures. Flea adults and larvae are very susceptible to good residual insecticides such as Ficam W and K-Othrine but the eggs and pupae are likely to be less susceptible. The pupae may be buried 1 3 Fleas are closely associated with animals. In many instances infestations of well kept houses can be easily traced to pets. Fleas are dislodged onto floors and animal bedding when grooming occurs. Adult fleas consume more blood than they need; the excess is available to feed the larvae. The excess is passed as food in their faeces. in bedding, carpets or food debris in cracks and crevices and may escape the first application of insecticide. In warm weather they quickly hatch out and there may appear to be a control failure if there has been no contact with insecticide residues. A pest control operator (PCO) may find that a second or even third insecticide treatment may have to be applied to gain control which is not good news for the PCO or the customer. It has been suggested that insecticides have lost their ability to kill fleas, yet resistance in fleas is not known. Poor results are due to other factors. Bayer recommends that you consider the following 12 points when trying to control fleas and reduce your callbacks: 2 4 The host animal must be treated to control the adult fleas. If not treated, the adult flea will continue to lay eggs. Owners must treat any pets with an approved product for animals. Drontal from Bayer Animal Health is a perfect option. The eggs and flea faeces drop off the host, onto carpets and floors. This creates the salt (egg) & pepper (faeces) effect. 9 11 7 5 Before treatment, ask the occupier to place insect powder into the vacuum bag before vacuuming the floor and soft furnishings. Also, ask the occupier to dispose of the bag in an outside bin. Vacuuming can remove fleas and stimulate pupae to emerge, making them vulnerable to the insecticide treatment. Insect growth regulators (IGR s) do not kill adult fleas, only insecticides such as, Ficam W and K-Othrine can control adult fleas. IGR s stop the larvae from developing into adult fleas: this takes time; the biting flea is the damaging stage. We recommend that an insecticide treatment is combined with an IGR to provide the best control. The flea larvae feed on adult flea faeces. They may also feed on organic debris, small and weak arthropods. Survey the site and ask the client probing questions. 12 8 10 6 The flea larvae do not like light, so they hide in dark places. They hide under sofas, beds and other furniture. It is essential to find the breeding site, usually where the host rests or sleeps. Look in animal bedding, carpets, soft furnishings, outside areas. After treatment, ask the occupier to leave the insecticide undisturbed. This can be done by not vacuuming for at least seven days. This deposit will control the flea pupae when they hatch. For spot treatments and for possible late emergence of pupae and isolated adult fleas use Bayer s insect killer aerosol. 04 05
Effective Flea control starts with Ficam W and K-Othrine 150 years of Bayer: Success through innovation and change Ficam W and K-Othrine are excellent for the control of a wide range of public hygiene insect pests including: ants, wasps, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, bed bugs, cockroaches, moths, silverfish, earwigs and booklice. Ficam W and K-Othrine are excellent products to kill adult fleas found in and on carpets and furniture. They can also be used to treat any crack or crevice that may be harbouring larvae and adults. Excellent against wasps, ants, fleas and bed bugs Does not repel or excite the insects Once added to water, no classification Odourless, non-staining, non-tainting and non-corrosive Provides prolonged, residual insecticidal activity Can be applied to mattresses Ficam W and K-Othrine should be combined with an insect growth regulator (IGR) to provide the best control of a flea infestation. Ideal for routine treatments Up to 12 weeks control Cockroaches, ants, flies, mosquitoes, fleas, bed bugs, moths, beetles (see full label for details), silverfish, booklice Minimal operator exposure Flexibility of mixing The Bayer Group is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with numerous events around the world. Bayer can look back on a long and highly successful history as an inventor company, explains CEO Dr. Marijn Dekkers. In the past 150 years, Bayer inventions have time and again helped improve people s quality of life. This great tradition is also our commitment to the future - entirely in line with our mission of Bayer: Science For A Better Life. As one of the numerous 150th anniversary activities planned, Bayer has had an airship built to celebrate and it will be traveling to five continents. Sydney is the first stop on its journey. The blue and green airship displaying the Bayer cross and the company s mission Science For A Better Life has been seen in Sydney on 28th March 2013. It will also be flying over big cities such as Johannesburg, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Rio and Barcelona as well as several locations in Germany including Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. Aviation fans can follow the world tour on the Internet page www.150.bayer.de and on the Bayer Facebook page, or can participate in the photography contest that is accompanying the airship tour. Follow us at www.150.bayer.com to find out more information about all the company s anniversary activities. 06 07
Industry News Looking for an alternative Sewer or Rat and Mouse Bait? At the end of July some of the Brodifacoum Rat & Mouse baits will be withdrawn from the market. The perfect alternative to these products is the revolutionary Rodilon range of rodenticides. Rodilon offers a highly effective solution for controlling rats and mice, in particular those ones that have developed a resistance to the existing options available. With four convenient and extremely palatable bait formulations including grain based baits, Rodilon Wheat Tech and Rodilon Trio; blocks, Rodilon Blocks and Rodilon Soft Block PCO s can be assured that there will be a suitable bait for every indoor situation. Key Contacts Alan Morris Head of Sales Professional Products UK & Ireland Tel: 07908 224862 Conor Egan National Account Manager Northern & Southern Ireland Tel: +353 (0)86 264 3001 Ilenia Vidili Marketing Campaign Planner Tel: 01223 226557 Ken Black National Account Manager Rural Hygiene Tel: 07908 224878 Claire Mathewman Product Manager Tel: 01223 226516 Please use pesticides and rodenticides responsibly, minimising the risk of exposure to people, pets and non-target species. For practical guidance, just follow the CRRU code www.thinkwildlife.org.uk Data Protection If you do NOT wish to receive details of future offers or information from Bayer please contact us by email at pestcontrolexpert@bayercropscience.com USE BIOCIDES SAFELY. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND PRODUCT INFORMATION BEFORE USE. PAY ATTENTION TO THE RISK INDICATIONS AND FOLLOW THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ON THE LABEL. Full details of all active ingredients and products referred to in this newsletter can be found at Copyright of Bayer 2012 - All rights reserved.