Two of AEPMA’s Codes of Practice are due to be reviewed shortly.

• Code of Best Practice for Termite Management
• Code of Best Practice for Termite Management During Construction

If you would like to join the working group for either of these codes, please contact the AEPMA National Office via email info@aepma.com.au 

The next AEPMA Qld branch meeting will take place via Microsoft Teams on the 25th October 2022.  Minutes from the previous meeting held on 23rd August 2022 can be found here

Some of the benefits of joining our association include:

Job Referrals

The AEPMA National Office receives telephone enquiries on a daily basis from consumers seeking a pest manager which, in turn, are referred to member companies.  The AEPMA website receives enquiries every day through its “Search for a Pest Manager” facility and these are referred to member companies.  Commercial entities are particularly careful about the companies they engage to do pest control work and AEPMA is well known in the business world as a reference for ethical and professional pest management companies.

AEPMA Logo

Permission to use the AEPMA logo on advertisements, company stationery and your website.

Provide Up to Date Information

AEPMA keeps you up to date with developments and issues affecting the industry through newsletters, website information, meetings and conferences.

Industry Involvement

AEPMA holds National Conferences, local events and local branch meetings.  You can learn from your peers and help others as well as being part of a great social network.  

What’s New / Member Discounts
AEPMA’s corporate members and sponsors want to show you new products and share new technology to make your job easier.  

Dispute Mediation
In a perfect world, there would be no disputes.  However, misunderstandings do occur between pest managers and clients and AEPMA is happy to mediate for you in order to avoid costly court action and down-time spent attending to problems.

For more information please visit our website www.aepma.com.au 
 

September has been a very busy month for the Australian Women’s Pest Management Association Board we are very excited to announce our partnership project with AEPMA working on the Careers in Pest Control portfolio we are keen to develop this into a useful resource for all pest control businesses to lean on when developing career pathways in their business as well as attracting new people to our industry.

This month we held our first virtual seminar on ServiceM8 with superstar Fiona from Tradies Rescue, this session was well attended by both males and females in our industry, with many participants being keen to know how ServiceM8 works and how it will benefit their business.

Fiona from Tradies Rescue provided many examples of Services, Forms and details on what to expect in the new update to highlight the benefits of ServiceM8 and what it was capable of. She was also very helpful in answering the barrage of questions from all attendees. Many of our attendees have requested an in-depth seminar on Forms and how to build them, we hope to release a date for this shortly.

Coming up this month on the 7th October we have another Networking opportunity for our VIC Ladies at Trapt Bar and Escape Rooms - 377 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC. This event promises to be a great night out with drinks, an Escape Room and Dinner - how could it disappoint.?! We would like to thank Sundew Solutions for sponsoring this event and we can't wait to see the VIC Ladies and their partners.

To register your interest in attending please follow this link 

On the 29th October we will be holding a Networking Event for all our Gold Coast Pest controllers at Top Golf, this is open to women and men and will be a relaxed event with a few rounds of golf and some great conversation.

To register your interest in attending please follow this link 

We also have a number of events coming up in November, particularly for the lovely women in Western Australia so please keep an eye on our Facebook page and our E-Gazette over the next few weeks for more information.

AWPMA Memberships are due for renewal on the 1st November, in line with this we will be releasing our new member portal for all members to utilise. Become a member today and have your voice heard as we work towards making positive and inclusive changes within our industry.

If you are interested in getting involved with AWPMA or providing feedback on any of the events please reach out to our board at info@awpma.org.au

At BASF, we recognise that continued development, training and information are an integral part of the success of the pest control industry. We are pleased to support our customers on this journey by offering product training, presented by our expert team.

The BASF Team have developed a seminar for pest controllers that are looking to expand and diversify their businesses into commercial pest control.  Attendees are presented information on BASF products, upselling techniques and how to increase the profitability of their business by using some of our labour and cost saving solutions. 

These sessions provide great learning and networking opportunities for pest controllers and lots of positive feedback has been received. Attendees have raved about the value they obtained from the seminars and have commented on the “very professional presentation” and “informative and well put together training session”. It seems that many pest controllers look forward to further BASF training sessions, feeling motivated and positive about their future in the industry after the seminar. 

Follow our Facebook page and keep an eye out on your inbox for details and an opportunity to register for upcoming events and seminars!

Complete all BASF training courses: Termidor HE, Trelona ATBS, Selontra Soft Bait and Seclira Insecticide to become a BASF Certified Pest Manager!

This new initiative is a way of instilling an extra level of confidence for homeowners, knowing that their pest controller is an expert in administering and installing the products that protect their homes.

We are excited that the introduction of this initiative aligns with the launch of our Learning and Resources Hub where training will be even easier and can be completed at any time. At this stage we are offering training for Trelona on this platform and will be adding the other courses shortly.

To sign up for a Face-to-Face or Webinar training session, fill out the Product Training Registration Form.

We look forward to seeing you at one (or more!) of our training sessions or events!

BASF Termite Range     GIC Toolbox 

If you do, please read this update from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA). 

Timber pest management technician licences are being phased in. 

A timber pest management technician licence will be needed for treating termites and other timber pests after these dates: 

If you renewed or first got your licence on or after 17 December 2021, you will need to upgrade to a timber pest technician licence by 17 December 2023. Until 17 December 2023, you can continue treating timber pests with your ‘regular’ pest management technician licence. 

If you held a pest management technician licence before 17 December 2021 and it doesn’t need to be renewed until after 17 December 2023, you can continue undertaking commercial timber pest treatments with that licence until it expires. You will then need to upgrade to a timber pest technician licence when you renew. 

A timber pest management technician licence will also allow you to do non-timber pest control work. 

If you do not intend to treat timber pests, you can continue with your regular pest management technician licence. 

Extra training is needed for timber pest management technician licence 

To get a timber pest management technician licence, an extra nationally-recognised qualification in the control of timber pests is required in addition to your core training. 

The latest version of the approved training covers these two competencies: 

CPPUPM3008 Inspect for and report on timber pests and  
CPPUPM3010 Control timber pests 
Various training organisations offer this training to NSW technicians – search for ‘timber pest control training’. 

If you’re over 40, you may be able to apply for career planning and fee assistance through the Commonwealth Government’s “Skills Checkpoint” program – see www.verto.org.au/our-services/skills-checkpoint for information. Please note the EPA is not involved in this program and cannot advise on your eligibility. 

Previous versions of this training are also approved 

Previous versions of the above training dating back to the early 2000s are also acceptable – look for the following pairs of competencies on the transcript from your training organisation: 

If you trained from around 2012 onwards 
CPPPMT3008 Inspect for and report on timber pests and CPPPMT3010 Control timber pests, or 
CPPPMT3008A Inspect and report on timber pests and CPPPMT3010A Control timber pests 
If you trained between 2000 and 2012 
PRMPM08B Inspect and report on timber pests and PRMPM10B Control timber pests, or 
PRMPM08A Inspect and report on timber pests and PRMPM10A Control timber pests 
If you’ve done the approved timber pest training you can apply online 

You can apply to vary your current pesticide licence type online via eConnect EPA. Just select the option of “vary a pesticide licence” – there is no charge. But note if you’ve recently received a renewal notice you’ll have to renew your licence first. 

You will need to provide the EPA with a copy of your transcript showing you have achieved the required timber pest competencies. If you can’t find it ask your training organisation for a copy. 

Please note that product-specific training and accreditations offered by suppliers of some termite control systems are not approved qualifications for the timber pest management technician licence. If you are enrolled in approved training, talk to your trainer about the possible relevance of these to your course assessment. 

Why has this change been made? 

The timber pest management technician licence requires that technicians have the nationally recognised training needed to ensure safe and correct use of the pesticides used to control termites and other timber pests. 

The new licence type brings NSW into line with similar pest control licence and training requirements already in place in other states and territories. It will also be simpler to work interstate under mutual recognition arrangements. 

Further Information  

Information about the timber pest management licence can be found at the EPA’s pesticide licensing web page – click on timber pest management technician licence including training requirements. 

If you have any questions you can email info@epa.nsw.gov.au. You can also call Environment Line on 131 555 

If you are having difficulties in complying with the above requirements please contact the AEPMA National Office indicating your concerns so we can discuss them with the EPA.

Sundew Solutions is excited to announce the new and improved AbolishPRO Roach Bait Gel. 

Launched in April 2021, AbolishPRO has found favour with pest management professionals across Australia looking for an alternative bait matrix to rotate with their regular gel.  Feedback after the initial launch from AbolishPRO users was that they’d love to see the bait matrix a little ‘firmer’.  

“We are always responsive to our customer’s needs,” said David Priddy, C.E.O. at Sundew “working with our formulation chemists, we were easily able to ‘tweak’ the recipe to achieve an improved matrix that pesties will love.”

What makes AbolishPRO so attractive to cockroaches?  

AbolishPRO boasts a unique matrix with two different carbohydrates (neither of which is sugar) and two protein elements, one plant based, the other animal.  To a cockroach, AbolishPRO is like a burger with a milkshake, irresistible!

“The formulation enhancement means the gel will remain in place at temperatures up to 54 degrees Celsius,” claimed David. 

These improvements to the formulation will provide greater versatility of application and efficacy and will be a welcome update to pest management professionals across Australia.

AbolishPRO is available from Agserv, Garrards, David Grays and Globe. 

You can read more at sundewsolutions.com.au

Bayer has completed the sale of its Environmental Science Professional business to the international private equity firm Cinven, after the two companies had entered into a corresponding agreement in March. The conditions for closing the transaction – including the receipt of regulatory approval – have now been met. The purchase price for the business, which generated sales of approximately
600 million euros in 2021, amounts to 2.6 billion U.S. dollars (2.6 billion euros).

The divested business is set to operate as an independent company called Envu. The
business is a global leader offering solutions to control pests, disease and weeds in nonagricultural
areas such as vector control, professional pest management, vegetation management, forestry, and turf and ornamentals. It is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, United States, and is active in over 100 countries. Nearly 900 employees in totalwill transfer from Bayer to Envu.

Read more here 

A market research company called Instinct and Reason are conducting a study to help their client better understand the needs of professional pest managers, like yourself. 

They would like you to please complete a market research survey, and you will be given $50 as a thank you if you complete it. It will take about 25-minutes to complete. 

Your answers will be completely anonymous. And what you say will be analysed and reported with everyone else confidentially, abiding by the market research code of practice and privacy laws of Australia. 
Please click the link to start the survey, and complete it within the next week.

The 34th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Asian & Oceania Pest Managers Associations will be held on the 6th November at the Kyoto International Conference Centre. 

The Lord Howe Island Wood-feeding cockroach - long thought to be extinct on the main island - has been rediscovered at the foot of a single Banyan tree.

A large wingless wood-eating cockroach, unique to Australia’s Lord Howe Island and thought extinct since the 1930s, has been rediscovered by a University of Sydney biology student.

“For the first 10 seconds or so, I thought ‘No, it can’t be’,” said Maxim Adams, an Honours student under Professor Nathan Lo at the University of Sydney’s School of Biological Sciences. “I mean, I lifted the first rock under this huge banyan tree, and there it was.”

“We found families of them, all under this one banyan,” said Senior Scientist Nicholas Carlile of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), who was with Adams exploring North Bay, a secluded white, sandy beach only accessible by foot or water. “In fact, Maxim and Nathan were there for the rest of the week, looked under every other banyan in North Bay, but didn’t find anything"

Read more here 

Credit – University of Sydney 

A snake has been found soaking up the sun while having a quiet beer in eastern Victoria.   
Bryan Gell was mowing a strip of grass near his property in Heyfield on Monday when he stumbled upon a red-bellied black snake and a can of VB.

"I wasn't any Steve Irwin or anything like that," he said.

"I just gradually went over to it, and I could see a can near the snake, and I thought, that snake's got its head in the can"

Read more here

Credit – ABC News 

SAVE THE DATE!!

• AEPMA Queensland Branch Meeting  25th Oct @ 9am via Microsoft Teams
• Pesticon  16-18th Aug 2023 @ Star Gold Coast 

AEPMA welcomes any contributions or suggestions for articles that you feel are relevant to the industry. Simply forward to info@aepma.com.au.

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