PPC120 | TECHNICAL

Speed read:

• You’re likely already ‘green’, with many sustainable pest solutions available
• When it comes to flea treatments, fail to prepare, prepare to fail!
• Regular maintenance of your equipment is crucial for keeping dust sticks usable in busy wasp seasons
• Yellow-legged hornets are a notifiable species, but you can get involved in other ways that don’t involve control.

Should I be offering “green” pest control to my customers? And how do I go about doing this? 

Green pest control or low chemical pest control has been available for many years, whether this is from steaming, pheromone traps, or even lower toxicity chemical use. 

As a nation we are seeing trends leaning towards more greener options; this could be from ethical standpoints on sustainability and animal welfare, or changes in legislation and product registrations. 

A lot of pest control treatments can be paired with solutions that are more sustainable, to reduce insecticide use:

• Vacuuming: whether it’s for bed bugs, fleas, or even wasps. A good vacuum with the appropriate filters can be a worthwhile investment
• Temperature: Using temperature (hot or cold) can be devastating to insect populations
• Low chemical or non-residual insecticides: these come in various formulations and modes of action, helping you deliver an important service while balancing customer preferences.

How do I stop my dust stick from clogging with pyrethrum-based insecticides?

Keep the powder dry. Store it correctly, use silica gel packets to absorb moisture, and empty your dust stick at the end of the day. Regularly maintain your equipment and check your pumps are working properly.

Some members also add objects like golf balls into their dust applicators to help agitate the powder, or use a compressor to increase output. I haven’t tried these methods myself, so experiment with caution!

If you're struggling with a clogging dust stick, speak to your manufacturer. They can help you with advice on how to properly maintain your equipment. You can also visit bpca.org.uk/dust-stick-tips where Darran Lebeter gives some top tips for keeping dusters working properly.

Why did the flea treatment fail?

Flea treatment failure is often down to preparation or application issues. Failures may stem from poor customer compliance, the wrong insecticide, or miscalibrated equipment. Overdosing or mixing above the label rate not only breaks the law, but can reduce effectiveness of the product used.

Another big ‘no’ is using spray mixed the day before. It’s against best practice and can also lead to poor results, as the product may have already deteriorated.

Why can’t I treat a Yellow-Legged (Asian) Hornet nest?

This question comes up a lot, especially within online forums. If it’s a problem, why can’t we treat it? 

At the moment Asian hornets are a notifiable species within the UK, and the National Bee Unit has been tasked in the destruction of Asian hornet nests, however if you wanted to get involved in helping with the Asian hornet monitoring there are ways you can do this. 

• You can sign up with your local Asian hornet Team. These are typically made up of members of the beekeeping community who respond to reports of Asian hornets within their areas 
• Raise public awareness – This will be key, as we’ve seen this year there has been an increase of nests found (73 so far at the time of writing) and with each colony able to produce 350 queens. There is a good chance if they are overwintering in the UK these will become further widespread and establish within the UK.

BPCA is working to ensure that pest professionals can join the fight to protect our shores from these invasive pests. Watch this space!

Who you gonna call?

The members of our technical team are happy to come out to visit sites with BPCA members who are struggling with a tough infestation and need hands-on advice.

Get in touch! technical@bpca.org.uk

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