June 2006 / Vol.3 / Issue 6

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

Contents

1. Pest Talk
2. Where do termites go in winter?
3. Customer Question of the Month.
4. Story of the Month.
5. Monthly Special

Pest Talk

About Us... Did you know?

Not everyone is aware that Green Pest Control and Green Termite Bait Systems are sister companies under the one banner. Green Termite Bait Systems is our manufacturing and wholesale arm, and the other is our service and retail arm.

Green Pest Control does more than just control and exterminate termites. In fact we carry out all general pest control including cockies, spiders, ants, rats, mice, fleas etc plus we do post-construction termite treatments and termite reports.

We have chosen not to do pre-construction treatments and pre-purchase reports.

The advantage of operating two companies is that our wholesale and product development division has access to direct customer feedback which helps us to improve our products as well as our marketing systems and pricing structure.

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Where do termites go in winter?

During the winter months termites are still active 24/7 but on a restricted scale. This is because they are very much temperature and humidity dependent. In Darwin, activity is still strong, whereas in Adelaide the very strong summer activity is toned right down. Termites are a tropical insect and there are no termites of economic significance (that destroy homes) in Tasmania.

If you go above the Tropic of Capricorn you will find a large destructive termite called Mastotermes darwiniensis which has a fearsome reputation for inflicting large amounts of damage in a short period of time. Some alarmist current affairs programs would have you believe that with global warming they'll be on the doorstep of the southern states any day now. That is not as likely as they would have you believe, although they can always find a scientist who says it is. Of course they won't televise the scientist who says it isn't. That wouldn't make for good TV or be a ratings draw-card.

Interestingly enough there are large areas in North Queensland where Mastotermes darwiniensis doesn't exist, obviously for reasons other than temperature alone.

Plainly it is possible that with global warming Mastotermes darwiniensis may move into more southern reaches of Australia, but it is not a foregone conclusion. Watching current affairs TV can be educational. They are always exposing con-artists and scams. They also love to talk about termite disasters as it is a PROVEN ratings winner. Sadly, they are also hypocrites, editing out any additional truth that would ruin a good story, and we all know that omission of truth is no better than lying.

Of course we've all done it, and our children regularly do it when they suspect they will be in trouble. "Tommy broke it," says Timmy. It may be true, but the fact that Timmy tripped Tommy was omitted.

Personally my favourite bit of TV viewing occurred last year when one current affairs program had a dig at the other and a mini slanging match took place over a few nights. Talk about the pots calling the kettles black!

Anyway, enough digressing, lets return to why termites are less active in winter. As mentioned in our June 2005 newsletter, in general a termite nest is maintained at a steady 30° to 36°C all year round depending on the termite species. Humidity is kept close to 100%. These are the conditions that termites need to survive. Their outer membrane is very thin and they can desiccate very easily.

Winter is not only cold but the air is also drier. If termites are caught out in the cold they will quickly die. During the warmer, humid summer months some termite species will leave the safety of their underground tunnels and forage through garden mulch. In winter, the termites travel deeper in the soil to stay away from the frosty ground above.

Because termites need to maintain high humidity and warm temperatures in the nest and their underground tunnels, they are greatly restricted during the winter months as to how far they can travel from the nest. This is very important and needs to be taken into consideration if the house is being inspected for termites during the winter months. It is possible for an inexperienced termite inspector to find termite activity in a house but declare it as inactive when in fact it is actually active, just not at that time of the year or time of the day. It was too cold and there were no termites to be seen during the inspection. The termites might only be visiting the house during the middle of the day when the temperature is warmest. The number of termites visiting the home will also be reduced which is why we say that termites are less active during the winter months.

It is also possible that termites may have built their underground highway into your home during the summer months, but with the onset of winter they have withdrawn to the warmth and safety of their nest. The inexperienced person might then discover the activity but see that there are no termites. They proceed to do all the repairs and think no more of it. Summer arrives and the termites return along their highway to find all the repairs and new timber just waiting to be eaten. A few months later the damage bill is worse than the first time round. It's a pity that termite prevention wasn't included as part of the initial repair. It could have averted the second round of damage.

Last year we stated that putting in a Green Termite Bait System was a smart move. It still is. We would now also advise including an Ec2c Termite Windows System for the inside of the home. Here's why. If you found (apparently) inactive termite activity during a winter inspection you'd want to know if and when they return. By adding an Ec2c Termite Window to the affected area you would have a simple and quick alert. It's just another practical use of this simple device.

On the other hand if you simply repaired the wall thinking that the termites were gone, (and sadly a great many people make this error) then when they return in the summer months they will either eat the new timber or (if you have used treated timber for the repairs) they may move to other parts of the home and continued creating further damage that you won't be aware of; that is, until it is too late. We know that quite a few of our 1900 readers of this newsletter will identify with this situation.

When we introduced out bait system onto the Australian market in 1996, the idea of termite baiting was almost unheard of. There were lots of sceptics and critics who said it would never work. Ten years on and you will find nearly every pest control company has a bait system of some description to offer you.

Likewise, you can be sure that Ec2c Termite Windows will also be the norm in 10 years. We suspect that a future version will be installed as common practice into all new homes. In fact, we are developing and working on new designs even now.

The good news is that you can get your set of Ec2c Termite Windows installed today, but you need to hurry because from August 1st the price will be going up. It will still be great value, but for the early birds getting in before August 1st, it is an absolute bargain. You'll appreciate why this is so once you see the time and effort it takes for a complete neat and tidy installation. This includes location maps so the windows can be easily found in the future.

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Customer Question of the Month.

Question

Hi Jerry,

Do rats travel singly or in groups? Can I stop them without killing them?

I just don't like killing any of God's creatures and I thought because you are 'green' you might have an answer.

Thanks,

Jodie B. Nimbin NSW

Answer

Hi Jodie,

Thank you for your timely question. Every winter we see a surge of rodent activity as these unwanted vermin venture into our homes seeking warmth and shelter away from the cold.

The general rule of thumb is that rodents prefer to travel in family groups, especially mice. Rats may travel singly in their search for food and may travel quite a long way looking for new territory, whereas mice will usually stay quite close to their nest.

Rats will usually nest outside and venture into your home to look for food. If they do nest inside your home, it's usually in your roof void or wall cavity.

Mice will often nest IN your home; usually in a cluttered wardrobe, under a nest of drawers, or in behind the dishwasher in the cavity under the kitchen cabinets.

Mice can be caught in mouse cages quite easily as they are very inquisitive. Once you get one inside the rest will follow. Not too smart.

On the other hand, rats are wily creatures and if they see a fellow rat caught in a trap (especially a member of their group) then they are likely to be extremely cautious around similar rat traps in the future. So, you may trap one or two rats to start with, but then the older and wiser ones avoid the traps and go on to become a bigger nuisance than ever.

Getting back to your question; if you have a solitary rat visiting your home on an exploratory mission, then you stand a good chance of catching it using a well set up trap. The trap can either be a snap trap that will kill or maim the rat, or a cage that will allow you to release the rat. If you do decide to use the catch and release method, please think of others and release it in bushland rather than a residential area, and release it at least 2km from home so it doesn't find it's way back to you!

We have catch and release traps available for $33 each including GST. Add $11 p&h per order - no limit on the number of traps. Please state if you prefer the rat trap (shown) or the mouse trap. Both traps include important set up instructions so that they can be placed in the correct location.

Please phone 1800 6 12345 to order.

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Story of the Month.

Fleas Turn Friends into Fiends...

Written by Jerry Furnell.

If you are asked to mind someone's pets, I'd think twice if I were you.

So often we get calls to homes that are infested with fleas, yet they don't have any pets of their own.

When questioned, the unfortunate victim says, "We minded a friend's dog for a few days while they were away. Now we've got fleas."

quot;Have they offered to pay for your flea treatment?" we ask.

quot;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 and bang, you have an exploding population of fleas.

The lesson is simple. If your friends don't have their pet on a proven flea control program prescribed by a vet, it's best if you decline their request for pet minding. Why not offer to look after their pet at their home instead; it may be a wiser solution.

Three More Similar Flea Cases...

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

The reason for this phenomenon is simple. Whilst the fleas have a regular host (dog or cat) to feed on, they will maintain their population at controlled low levels. They will tend to live 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 survival mode. The eggs turn into larvae that feed on flea droppings, skin and hair follicles. Then the flea larvae 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 dog or cat (even a pet rat), 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 again.

Property managers and landlords 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 many years and then the pet passes away. It sounds like this...

quot;I don't understand," says Grandma, "I had Fluffy for 15 years and never saw a single flea. Poor fluffy died a month ago, and now my home is infested with fleas."

Now you know why.

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If you have an interesting pest story that you would like to share, please send the story via email and we will consider using it in our next newsletter. If published, you will receive a $25 Coles/Myer voucher.

Thank you.

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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 2006 Green Termite Bait Systems & Green Pest Control. All rights reserved.

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