February 2007 / Vol.4 / Issue 2

Hello and Welcome to the February Greenpest News. Each month we aim to provide you with some useful information, keeping it short, sweet and pertinent.

Contents

1. Pest Talk
2. Customer Question of the Month.
3. Story of the Month.
4. Monthly Special

Pest Talk

More distributors added.

Regular visitors to our site may have noticed that we have increased the number of our distributors from 100 to 150 in the last couple of months.

This is the result of a campaign we launched nationally to promote our new Green Termite Bait System with the dual purpose Ec2c Termite Windows. They are proving to be very popular amongst pest controllers mainly because of their effectiveness and simplicity to install and monitor.

In the coming months we hope to double the number of distributors yet again and our wholesale division is working hard to meet these targets. What this means for you the customer is that you will have more choice, and if you are in the country areas, more chance of finding a reputable service agent located nearby.

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Kids have great imagination.

Recently we sent a box of DIY Termite Baits off to Hallett Cove in South Australia. It was a busy week in the office and we forgot to pack the tops with the baits. When informed of the error, we quickly mailed off a set with our apologies, but it seems we had one customer who was very happy with our mistake.

His name is Jonathan Chapman and he's 7 years old.

Below are some examples of his creative endeavors:

Aircraft Carrier

Car Ramp

Rocket

Space Ship

Space Ship 2

Thank you Jonathan for your fun and creative ideas with our baits. We think we might make a move into the toy industry next!

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Natural Engineering

The following photos show a termite lead coming out of a ceiling in a girl's bedroom. It was reported that she was considerably frightened by this seemingly unnatural attack. The termite species is Heterotermes ssp.

The home is located in Alice Springs.

A close up view.

Thank you to Dave Billington from Red Centre Pest Control for these photos. You can see more photos on our photo page here.

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Customer Question of the Month.

Question:

Hello,

The bait system has been in place for more than 2 years now I think; is it normal to still be getting so many strikes?  Would you expect the nests to be eliminated?

Regards, Chris SUNNYBANK, QLD

Answer:

Hi Chris,

I just took a look at your service history record. It appears to be perfectly normal. You've had 2 lots of activity this summer, a single strike on one side of your home, then this cluster of strikes this month.

The three simultaneous strikes you had this month were in a group of nearby baits which indicates that a new termite colony has entered the area and moved in a general direction towards your home.  Thank heavens you have an effective termite baiting system that intercepted them at three places concurrently!

You had only one instance of termite activity summer 05/06.

Fact: New termite colonies are always looking to get established in any suitable area in their quest for a meal and survival. Just like all insects, there is no permanent solution, hence the need for an ONGOING termite management system.

Many people go for cheap one off fixes when they get termites and are surprised when their home is attacked by termites the following year. Your bait system is working for you to make you aware of termite activity and to allow you to see it actually working. It is not a dead nest or an old nest of termites attacking your baits, but the arrival of new termites to your area.

Sometimes a customer's Green Termite Bait System can go for a whole season without getting a termite strike, which has led a few to errantly think that it is all clear and safe to abandon their bait system; maybe save a few dollars on their home maintenance. They do their own bait inspections vigilantly for a few months, then that too drops off. You can see what's coming...

One day termites return to the area and the opportunity to catch the termites in a still functioning Green Termite Bait is overlooked. If not stopped then the house may be next on the menu. It's a tough way to learn the importance of constant vigilance; something every home needs.

Returning to your question, the answer is yes, I totally expect that the nest or nests are eliminated, but I also know that new nests can and do start over and over again. It might be months between individual termite strikes on your baits, or it could be a series of strikes before termite activity ceases for a period of time.

I don't want to be negative, but sooner or later termites will always return, which is why so many unprotected homes get damaged every year. It's also why every pest controller in this country will advise you that every home needs some kind of ongoing termite protection, whether it is physical protection (like steel framing), a functioning up-to-date chemical treated zone or an ongoing, effective, termite baiting system.

Jerry

Addendum: There is also another reason that some homes seem to have a very high and consistent number of strikes on their termite baits. This is simply because the yard or the nearby bushland may be full of little native termites (microcerotermes ssp.) which are not considered a species of economic significance as they rarely attack homes and if they do, then the damage is usually very minor. This is because they are extremely slow consumers of wood in comparison to those species that are considered a threat to homes.

Unfortunately, just like most other termite species, these little native termites find our baits irresistible. They can happily settle into a bait and make a meal of it for many months, unless of course, they are treated. After that, the bait still needs to be replaced. We are fishing for the major termite species and need every available bait doing it's job; these little native termites are to us, like the toadfish is to the angler; a nuisance.

So, if you live in an area where there are a lot of native termites, you can expect a considerable number of strikes on your baits.

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Story of the Month.

Fleas Turn Friends into Fiends...

If you are asked to mind a friend's pet, think twice before agreeing.

Every so often we get called to a home that is infested with fleas, yet the home owner doesn't have any pets of their own.

When questioned, the unfortunate client says, 'We minded a friend's dog (or cat) for a few days while they were away. Now we've got fleas.'

'Have they offered to pay for your flea treatment?' we ask.

'When we asked them, they said their dog doesn't have fleas, so it isn't their problem. So no, they won't pay. We are stuck with the bill.'

Of course, the dog WAS responsible for the fleas. It probably only had a couple of fleas on it. But that is all it takes. One female flea can lay 300 eggs in a short period of time.

A few weeks later there can emerge an exploding population of fleas, keen for a meal... and no pets to feed on, so they jump on the next best thing - us.

The lesson is simple - make sure that any pets you are going to take care of have been properly treated for fleas before arrival and are wearing an up-to-date flea collar.

Three More Similar Flea Cases...

1. If you have taken your pet on holiday or left your pet at a kennel for 2 or more weeks, don't be surprised to walk into your home when you return and find it infested with fleas.

The reason for this phenomena is simple. Whilst the fleas have a regular host (dog or cat) to feed on, they will naturally maintain their population at controlled low levels so as not to overtax their host(s). They will tend to feed on the pet, and not bother humans, as they prefer the pet's blood, bedding and general environment.

Often the fleas go unnoticed, and that is how they like it. But if their regular host leaves, then they begin laying hundreds of eggs and building up their population. They are in panic mode. The eggs turn into larvae that feed on flea droppings, skin and hair follicles. These then pupate and lie in wait for the next available host... Any available host!

When you return from holidays, they literally pounce.

2. The same happens when a tenant who owns a pet vacates a property. The property may sit idle for a couple of weeks before a new tenant takes over. When they move in, the fleas pounce.

Property managers should always insist on a professional flea treatment when a tenant with pets moves out. Carpet cleaning alone won't do the trick.

3. Our final example is one we hear from time to time from people who have a pet for may years and then the pet passes away. It sounds like this...

'I don't understand,' says Granny, 'I had Fluffy for 15 years and never saw a single flea. He died a month ago, and now my home has fleas everywhere.'

Now you understand how this occurs.

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This special is no longer available. Please go to our current newsletter for this month's special.

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The Greenpest News is Published by J & A Furnell Nominees P/L; Shop 23a Franklin Square, 60 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of Jerry Furnell. The reader is encouraged to seek further information from appropriate government and statutory departments before taking any action based on this material alone.

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See you again next month.

Always... At your service,

Jerry Furnell
Green Pest Control & Green Termite Bait Systems.
Phone 1800 6 12345.

Copyright 2007 Green Termite Bait Systems & Green Pest Control. All rights reserved.

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