PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS CONFIRMED AS KEY WORKERS The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) have announced that George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), has confirmed that pest management is an essential sector during the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic. The “food and necessary goods” section, specifically concerning hygiene, covers pest management in…
Tetramethrin reclassification Insecticides containing tetramethrin at a concentration of 1% and greater will, from the 1st of May 2020, be required to feature a new hazard phrase on the label: ‘H351: Suspected of causing cancer’ due to their reclassification as category 2 carcinogens. Such labels will also feature the ‘health hazard’ warning symbol. The key…
Six general licences reissued for the control of wild birds Licences reissued on a temporary basis ahead of new licences coming into force on 1 August 2020. Defra has announced that six general licences for the control of wild birds will be reissued on a temporary basis ahead of new licences coming into force on…
Eleven species of birds, including rooks, great black-backed gulls and collared doves will have stronger protection from April 1, when they will be removed from General Licences, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) announced today. All wild birds are protected by law. General Licences allow certain birds to be killed without the need to apply for individual…
Disinfection procedures: – A timely reminder of available options News reports covering the novel Coronavirus outbreak serve as a reminder about the importance of effective disinfection procedures. Regarding available disinfection options there are a variety of disinfectant surface sprays, and ULV disinfectants, suitable for use against a wide range of viruses and bacteria. Dealing with…
Bird licence renewals for 2020 Certain licences for bird management were renewed (class licences by Natural England and general licences by DEFRA) as of 1st January 2020. Notable renewals, relevant to public health pest controllers, for 2020 are: Class licences (Natural England) Birds: licence to catch them on food premises (CL03) Birds: licence to kill…
Following on from the last announcement, please see below the important dates regarding the withdrawal timeframe for Bayer’s Ficam W. 8th June 2020 is the last date for sale and supply. 10th December 2020 is the last date for storage, use and disposal. These dates are explained as follows. The Ficam W withdrawal was…
NEW AREA SALES MANAGER – ROB SIMPSON Killgerm are pleased to announce that Rob Simpson, following the recent retirement of Ian Parry, will now be the Area Sales Manager for the North of England. Rob has spent the last 17 years working for Rentokil, where he was a pest control surveyor for 4 years before…
A fourth Asian hornet was reported and has been confirmed in Dorset. The Asian Hornet was sighted and reported by a member of the public at Highcliffe in Christchurch in Dorset and was confirmed 1st October. Monitoring is underway to detect any other Asian hornets in the vicinity. Identifying an Asian Hornet Asian hornets have…
Offers of presentations for ICUP 2020 sought The organisers of the next International Conference on Urban Pests (ICUP) to be held in Barcelona, Spain are inviting all those working, or researching, within the field of urban pest management to offer an abstract detailing their work to the organising committee. If accepted their paper will be…
Critical update to permanent rodenticide baiting conditions Conditions under which permanent baiting with rodenticide is allowed have been updated by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK to cover a critical difference between outdoor and indoor locations. In both situations, CRRU chairman Dr Alan Buckle emphasises that the fundamental requirement remains for a professional rodenticide…
Confirmed Asian Hornet Sighting – Hampshire The National Bee Unit has confirmed a sighting of an individual, female Asian hornet in New Milton, Hampshire, after it was reported by a member of the public. Monitoring is underway to detect any other Asian hornets in the vicinity. Identifying an Asian Hornet Asian hornets have a dark…
Bugs with bugs: hospital insects harbour drug-resistant bacteria Aston University study finds nine in 10 insects analysed from English hospitals were carrying potentially harmful bacteria – over half of which were antibiotic-resistant ‘Bugs with bugs’ were collected from food preparation areas and wards including neonatal and maternity units Findings underline the importance of pest control…
NEW GENERAL LICENCES NOW LIVE Three new general licences for the killing or taking of wild birds in England were issued at 00:01 on Friday 14 June. The new licences will allow users to control certain species of wild birds in order to: conserve wild birds and flora or fauna (WML GL34) preserve public health…