Disposal of Unwanted Mixed Chemical and Empty Chemical Containers

Recently the QLD Department of Health contacted AEPMA to discuss the process pest controllers use to dispose of unwanted mixed chemical and empty chemical containers. 

During their recent audits of some pest managers, it was identified that the leftover mixed chemical was being disposed of in garden areas of treated properties. Although only a few cases were identified and involved minor amounts less than 1Litre, the Deptments concern was that these small amounts may build up over time with the potential to damage the environment. 

After discussions with the Department, AEPMA assured them that our members (and most of the industry) are well versed in the correct procedure for disposing of unwanted mixed chemical and empty chemical containers. We agreed however, to communicate this issue and as a refresher, the procedure, with our members.

Note: The information below is of a general nature, please refer to your respective state and territory legislation and manufacturers chemical label for specific disposal requirements. 

Step 1: For all treatments we should ensure that we calculate and only mix up the amount of product required to complete the immediate task (as per the label specifications). Completing this first step correctly will ensure you have minimal if any remaining mixed product.

Step 2: If you have mixed product remaining and it is required for additional tasks store correctly until the product can be used. This may involve transferring the product from the spray unit to an alternate appropriately labelled fit for purpose container. If the pesticide is not used immediately, you should refer to your state or territory licensing authority for further advice on labelling of containers.

Please Note: Never dispose of pesticide waste or rinsates down drains, toilets, sinks, gully traps or into bodies of water.

Step 3:  For disposal of empty chemical containers, the containers must be rinsed and disposed of, or recycled in the manner specified on the manufacturers chemical label. 

The container should be triple rinsed with clean water.
Ensure rinsates, that is the residual amounts of chemical from rinsing chemical containers, are added to a spray tank of pesticide to be used.

Check the container cap, thread, and outside surfaces and, if contaminated, rinse and wash to ensure all product residue is removed.

Puncture or crush the container so it cannot be refilled.

Let the container dry completely and replace the cap.

Please Note: Containers should not be burned. Never dispose of pesticide wastes or containers into public litter bins, private garbage bins or leave out in the street for municipal collection. 

References:

1. VIC Dept of Human Services. Guidelines for the safe use of Pesticides in non-agricultural workplaces. 2007.
2. WorkCover NSW. Safe use of Pesticides including Herbicides in Non-Agricultural Workplaces – Code of Practice. 2006. 

AEPMA Branch Update

AEPMA NSW Branch Update 

An AEPMA NSW ACT State Council meeting was held on Zoom on Monday 26 September 2022.
The meeting was well attended with 10 delegates and 5 apologies.

Chairperson Kylee Enwright welcomed all in attendance and asked to record the meeting for the purpose of drafting the minutes. It was agreed that Kylee Enwright would write the minutes and Patrick Legey the editorial to be passed to National office for inclusion in the newsletter.

After accepting the minutes of the previous meeting, we moved onto other matters of business which included finalising possible improvement suggestions for the 2023 AEPMA conference
(Based on some of the feedback received in NSW). 

Other topics included discussions on the Review of the Codes of Best Practice. People wanting to contribute to the review of the Code of Best Practice for Termite Management can contact the National Office.

The Field Biologist training course is ready to go live under the operational structure of the AEPMA Training portal, with the Codes of Practice training courses in the pipeline.

The AEPMA Training Portal is an in-house training portal which is now on the AEPMA website. 

Read more here 

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PMITAG NSW Update

The last PMITAG NSW meeting was on 14 Sept, by Zoom, 10 members participating,  12 apologies
 
Main topics discussed:
 
1. Pest Management Training Package 

• PMITAG Training Package Review Survey of RTOs – feedback is sought on latest package for PMITAG Training Package Continuous Improvement Register.
• Survey ready to email to RTOs this week on AEPMA/PMITAG letterhead as agreed with AEPMA H.O.

 
2. Reports from other Pest Management Training Bodies

• From ACFIPS ITAB (Arts, Communications, Finance Industries and Property Services Industry Training Advisory Body NSW). G. Cheetham, Senior Project Officer.

• Traineeship commencements data: Up to the end of June 2022 there were 57 commencements and in July there were a further 32 (24 males, 8 females). It is likely that by the end of 2022 there will have been 100, which is back to the 2018-2019 figures.

• No news yet on whether Artibus will continue to be the PM Skills Management company.

• From Cesar Aust regarding 15 May workshop. Phone enquiry suggests outcomes document  will be sent to us (and AEPMA NSW Council) when completed.

 
3. Status and review of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities

• AEPMA 2023 Conference 16-18 August -‘What customers want’ – planning is under way.
• Supplier Training (eg Agserv and Garrards) roadshows back to some Face-face in 2022.
• AEPMA CoBP and Field Biologist Training Courses  - CoBP well under way,  FB ready to go.
• AEPMA Training Portal on website nearly ready to go.
• PMITAG NSW List of Offshore Online Insect Training Courses – Version 2 being proofed and almost ready for circulation.

 
4. Licensing Standards in New South Wales

Trainee requirements: 

• Currently no MINIMUM trainee period, no requirement for compulsory log book, confusion over what constitutes ‘supervision’. Is a MAXIMUM trainee period of 2 years. Will need to negotiate better minimum requirements.

Timber pest license:

• Requires units 8 and 10 (or equivalent) but may be a delay for those seeking 8 & 10 because some of the current trainers may have to attain the new units themselves before they can issue them to trainees.
• In some cases very old (pre-competency) qualifications cannot be upgraded by Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to the most recent Units because elements of the current Units were not covered at that time. Some people may have to re-attain the 2 units to be TP licensed.
• P. Legey encouraging people having trouble with EPA (eg in establishing their timber pest credentials for timber pest licensing with EPA or other licensing matters) to contact AEPMA or him.

 Read more here 

Thinking of joining AEPMA?

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 

The Flockers – The Australian Bird Management Podcast

This is a new podcast which focuses on the Australian and New Zealand Bird Management Industry. Each weekly episode will discuss the impacts of pest birds, behavioural traits, management strategies, minimising conducive elements that encourage pest birds and creating a starting point to reduce the issue.

We will also be conducting regular interviews with professional bird managers, equipment manufactures, researchers and scientist, members of the animal ethics community and legislators.

Our presenter is Peter McCarthy. Peter has been a member of the pest management industry since completing university in the late 1980’s.

He began introducing bird management products, systems and training in Australia from 1994. As an innovator, he has introduced new systems in visual deterrents, electrified systems, electronic avian sensors and the latest developments in electromagnetic and ducted ozone technology.

Peter remains a director of PestIT, a leader in Australian bird management and a founding admin on the Australian Pest Management Network, Australia’s largest Facebook group for our industry. 

We hope you join us on our journey with The Flockers!

Listen on Spotify or Amazon  

COMMERCIAL PEST CONTROL – article by David Fielder 

Commercial Pest Control is a significant segment of the market, often requiring some different products and techniques compared to residential pest management and consists of restaurants, bakeries, nursing homes, hospitals, warehouses, factories, office buildings and the list goes on.
A good workplace is a “pest free” and clean environment, so, rats, mice, cockroaches, ants and other creepy crawlies are definitely unwanted guests!

Unfortunately, pest related issues in any business can result in very real costs to your reputation, your client base and your bottom line.

 An Integrated Pest Management System (IPM), coupled with good hygiene is one way of protecting your business from pest infestations. IPM practices include monitoring, prevention of access and common-sense environmental sensitivity when controlling for pests.

The issue with commercial establishments, especially restaurants is that they generally start early and close late.  This makes it increasingly harder to apply Integrated Pest Management and maintain cleanliness and hygiene.

Darrin Pierce, the owner of Berwick Pest Control gives a great example of this where a local restaurant had become increasingly popular in the area.  Darrin said “The restaurant had become very popular and was fully booked for lunches and dinner 7 days a week. Staff would go to work in the late mornings and clean up the previous night’s dirty dishes, as they were too busy and too tired to clean up late at night before going home. The next day they would start the process all over again!"

Darrin said, “German cockroaches were coming out at night and enjoying a feeding frenzy on the food scraps, leftovers and dirty dishes. The cockroach population was also growing in numbers.”
Things had to change and quickly to say the least, so Darrin implemented an Integrated Pest Management system coupled with a hygiene report to the restaurant owner, highlighting areas that required attention. First thing to change was the habit of leaving dirty dishes and food scraps out in the open after closing time. The kitchen had to be cleaned after each sitting, i.e., lunch and dinner.

Secondly, Darrin went about sealing all cracks and crevices and possible entry points where the cockroaches were gaining easy access. Darrin explained, “Once the main food source had been removed and a new level of hygiene had been introduced, things became much more manageable”.  
“I started to gain further control by applying a surface spray of Envu’s Temprid75 Residual Insecticide on the kitchen floor area and Maxforce Gold Cockroach Gel in the areas that the cockroaches were most likely to harbour”.

“Due to the domino effect of Maxforce Gold and the knock-down and residual of Temprid75,  I was able to reduce the infestation significantly to a more manageable number , whereby I am now back to a monthly maintenance “call cycle” with this customer, Darrin said.

Temprid75 Residual Insecticide will provide the perfect surface spray for when cockroaches and other crawling insects come out at night. This insecticide combines two powerful and effective residual insecticides, Beta-cyfluthrin and Imidacloprid to deliver greater control.

Envu’s Maxforce Gold Cockroach Gel is from the First Generation of gels with a tailor-made bait matrix specifically to cater for a balanced range of cockroach dietary preferences. Maxforce Gold is recommended for clean-out jobs.

Envu has a full range of products designed to assist you with your day-to-day pest control requirements. For more information contact your Envu Territory Business Development Manager today.

Win a YETI DayTrip lunch box

Get ready for summer with this fresh-for-hours, easy-to-clean DayTrip® lunch box. It’s your one-way ticket to packing a lunch you’ll actually look forward to. It’s loaded to the gills with insulation power, engineered with a water-resistant exterior, and built with a rock-solid form factor so it holds its own when riding in backpacks and bags.

To enter, simply purchase ANY FMC Biflex® product and complete the online form. 

With 100 to giveaway and monthly draws until February 2023 get your entries in today for more chances.

Agserv & Bell Sensing Technologies Webinar

iQ Product Solutions Beyond Rodent Control

Join Agserv and Patrick Lynch, General Manager of Bell Sensing Technologies for “iQ Product Solutions Beyond Rodent Control” on November 8th at 8:00 am AEDT.

Patrick will be discussing iQ Products from Bell Sensing Technologies, and how integrating sensing technology into your rodent control programs can make your business more effective, more efficient and more profitable.

Patrick Lynch, ACE, is the Senior Vice President of Sales for Bell Laboratories. After completing his MBA from New York Institute of Technology in 2006, he gained his expertise in the rodent control industry working as a Bell technical representative for the New York and New Jersey region. Patrick is also General Manager of Bell’s newest division, Bell Sensing Technologies.

He currently serves on the NPMA Board of Directors, the NPMA Public Policy Committee as well as the NPMA Leadership Committee.

Register here 

Ensystex. Rodenthor Direct

With a goal towards advancing food security and more sustainable pest management practices, Regional Director, Steve Broadbent, has announced the latest digital pest control initiative from Ensystex. Rodenthor Direct is powered by the internationally acclaimed GreenTrapOnline system to provide intelligent, 24/7 monitoring of rodents.

Rodenthor Direct is constantly monitoring and notifying rodent activity and catch in real-time. An e-mail is sent immediately after detection of the rodent activity, allowing prompt action to be taken and speed up of root cause analysis, thus reducing the risk of infestations growing. The alarm advises the time and place of the activity. It also provides digital reporting and data analytics to give improved audit readiness.

“What has impressed me most about this system is the plug-and-play simplicity of the set-up and its flexibility,” comments Mr Broadbent. “The GT Sensor can detect motion, vibration, or both. This allows for use with traps, or without traps, e.g., in run-through Stations or Stations that hold bait, whether it be a toxic bait or a monitor bait, in any Station type you prefer. It can be placed both indoors and outside, around any facility. Few other systems offer this flexibility in a proven package, that has been in the European market since 2005.

“It is a wireless solution built on LoRa (long range private network) communication from the Sensors to the GT Gateway, that connects the system to the internet. The GT Gateway can run any number of Sensors. LoRa transmission means low energy consumption too, which is reflected in the Sensor batteries lasting for 7-years, after which they are replaceable, ensuring longevity of use.

“The GT Gateway connects over the 4G network, ensuring coverage throughout urban Australia and high data security. Microsoft Azure software further ensures data security. Professional pest managers can install sites so no third party will have any knowledge of their site details or location. Site details are completely private between the pest manager and their client.”

Digital solutions allow professional pest managers to get an early warning of pest activity and provide quick treatment to avoid risks of infestation, reduce the use of rodenticides, and reduce labour costs.

For further information contact Ensystex on 13 35 36 or visit, www.Ensystex.com.au.

QuenchPRO Liquid Ant Bait – a New Tool for Treating Nuisance Ants

Sundew is pleased to announce the newest bait formulation in its extensive range of ant solutions – Quench®PRO Liquid Ant Bait.  

Sundew QuenchPRO is effective on most ant species including Argentine ants, Pharaoh ants, ghost ants, common house ants and a host of other nuisance ant species.  It can be used indoors and outdoors.  Its revolutionary carbohydrate bait matrix ensures it will continue to perform long after it has been applied.

Sundew QuenchPRO is a non-scheduled, odourless, clear-coloured treatment making this an excellent choice to use in sensitive areas.

QuenchPRO features a delayed mode of action (Smart Kill Technology®), allowing transfer to the nest for total colony elimination.

Made in Australia, QuenchPRO Liquid Ant Bait comes in a convenient 250 mL bottle with pharmaceutical tip applicator for professional application and no-leak storage.

As part of your Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, Sundew recommends using QuenchPRO Ant Bait Liquid in combination with Sundew EnsnarePRO 50 suspension concentrate indoxacarb no-repellant for the ultimate in ant control.

QuenchPRO Ant Bait Liquid will be available from Agserv, Garrards, David Grays and Globe in November 2022.  You can read more at sundewsolutions.com.au

Rapid Solutions – Customer Service Strategies for Pest Controllers 

Customer is king, so they say, but what does this really mean and does customer service really add value to your business?

We had clients asking us these questions, so we did some research and put together a short blog article on our website.

It also aligns nicely with AEPMA’s 2023 Pesticon theme “What Customers Want”.

To learn more, including ways you can improve your customer support as a pest controller, visit the blog here

No Monthly Fees with iQ Products

Bell Laboratories has announced the removal of the monthly subscription fee for the Bell Sensing Technologies App. No Subscriptions, No Charges, No Data Fees, No Catch! Use as many iQ devices, at as many accounts without any charges! Download the Bell Sensing Technologies App and begin monitoring instantly.

Bell’s full product line of iQ rodent monitoring devices include bait stations, multiple catch traps and snap traps. iQ products are powered by Bell Sensing Technology, which affordably collects rodent activity data for pest managers via Bluetooth technology.

The data gathered improves inspection and overall service for pest managers, letting them know when to add additional bait stations or rodenticide, or which traps need to be serviced. Not only do pest managers get a full picture of rodent activity at the account, but they will also save a great deal of time on the job site. That time can be used to complete in-depth inspections, implement exclusion efforts, or solve other pest problems.

Affordable rodent monitoring is a tool that belongs in every pest manager’s toolbox, and removing any additional fees is another way that Bell wants to ensure no pest manager gets left behind. 

To learn more, contact your local Pest Control Distributor or visit www.BellSensing.com.

Expecting employees to perform some minor preparatory tasks prior to starting a shift can be, on the surface, no more than requiring them to be ready and able to start work. But some activities can go beyond that and, as in a recent case, found to be “work” and thereby attracting payment.

Employees testified in court they were obliged to do a number of pre-start checks on machinery serviceability and collect work-related equipment and supplies before their ordinary hours (and payment for them) commenced.

Additionally, at shift end, they were obliged to perform similar tasks which were outside their ordinary hours too. The employer’s limited evidence showed the tasks took about five minutes, describing them as merely an expectation “to be ready to commence work at the start of the rostered shift”. But the court dismissed this as unrepresentative, finding thetasks took on average overall, close to 20 minutes per day.

Read more here 

SAVE THE DATE!!

• 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.

Or do you have something to say about an article you’ve read in the Newsletter? Why not leave your feedback on our Facebook page.