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1
C
DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE Website: http://www.faopma.com
President: Mdm Huang Xiao Yun - ([email protected])
Administrator: Catherine Yan - ([email protected])
Editor: Doug Howick - ([email protected])
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_______________________________________________________________________
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear FAOPMA Members:
Change vs.
Constant !
I have met a successful leader in our industry who
is very well-versed and there are some great quotes
that I learned from him. One in particular struck a
chord when he quoted from Heraclitus, a Greek
philosopher:
“Change is the only constant in life”.
I very much agreed with this excellent quote when I
first heard it, as I think it is philosophically brilliant
and will resonate with a lot of people, but I did not
give too much thought to it at the time. However, as
life goes on, I have gradually come to appreciate its
profoundness, as I have observed things constantly
changing around us.
As we age, our appearance and our social circle
change; as our economy develops, our environment
and climate change; as the internet becomes an
indispensable part of our lives, the way we travel,
and shop and communicate have all changed
dramatically!
Who would have thought personal computers and
smartphones would play a more important role in
our lives than our home appliances? The biggest
change of all, is not our spending habits, lifestyles,
nor the way we communicate; the biggest change is
the way we think, which has now evolved into
internet thinking.
Let’s use this new way of thinking to assess
whether we are truly ready for the new challenges
every day. What is the one thing that will tackle
this “change” head on? That should be our
commitment, our dedication, our passion, and
our love for the industry.
Our pest management industry has changed
profoundly, from the ways we provide our services,
to how we interact with our customers. How we
should integrate online and offline business
strategies to enhance our value propositions; how to
develop smart apps to make the use of mobile
technologies as other industries have done?
We need to take the lead in all of the above in
building a stronger industry in the new economy
and we must maintain the “constant” goal of
serving our communities, preventing epidemics,
safeguarding public health, and doing so with
the utmost integrity. This will not change!
Mdm. Huang Xiao Yun
FAOPMA President (2015-2017)
The Chinese Pest Control Association
* * * * * * * * *
PPM News
NTACT
2
Ben mite have the nose for the job
by Rusty Woodger
Steve Butcher’s working cocker spaniel “Ben” is trained
to sniff out the presence of termites.
Meet the four-legged friend helping rid Echuca-
Moama homes of termites in Australia. Ben is a 22-
month-old working cocker spaniel and is the latest
member to join the team at Riverside Pest
Management.
Business owner Steve Butcher has been in the
industry for more than 10 years but said he had never
seen a worker like Ben. ‘‘I’m just blown away by
how accurate he is in picking up activity. The very
first day was beyond all expectations,’’ he said.
‘‘He has detected things we had absolutely no idea
were even there.’’
Steve said Ben’s reward was a tennis ball. When he
holds it up and says ‘‘find’’, that is Ben’s cue to get
to work.
‘‘Once he has found the termites or damage, he gets
the ball as a reward. He’s crazy about it,’’ Steve
said.
Ben hails from a champion blood line of detection
dogs who worked in Sydney and the Snowy
Mountains National Park.
He started his training with renowned pest control
expert Shane Clarke when he was six weeks old.
Specialising in the early detection of termites, he can
find the destructive pest hidden behind walls,
emerging from cracks or joints in concrete, trees and
virtually any structure.
Even when there are no termites, Ben is trained to
indicate on conducive conditions such as water leaks,
wood rot and decay.
Steve and wife Jess said Ben was an investment
for their growing business.
‘‘We researched extensively and looked at all
options before deciding on Ben,’’ Steve said. ‘‘He
can help us detect termites no other available
equipment can.’’
Steve said the canine was the only termite detection
dog working in the Riverina region. And when Ben
isn’t at work, Jess said he was a loving companion
for their two young girls similar to any family dog.
* * * * * * * * *
Scientists find pests in red gram fields
in Kalaburagi
Teams visiting agriculture fields in Kalaburagi district
have found the presence of pests in red gram fields in
Aland, Afzalpur and Jewargi and have advised farmers to
take up pest control methods in the initial stages itself to
prevent damage to the crop.
The teams consisting of entomologists and agriculture
scientists from the Agriculture Research Station in
Kalaburagi and officials from the Agriculture
Department found in low-lying agriculture fields in
Chittapur, Sedam, Chincholi taluks the menace
of Phytopthora, a fungal disease, between the soil and
plant zone, and a web-based pest which damaged flowers
in red gram.
The teams have in their findings said that the growth of
red gram plant in Chittapur, Sedam, Chincholi and
Kalaburagi taluks were somewhat stunted and was in the
flowering and pod forming stage.
The teams also found farmers taking up sowing of
Bengal Gram in many places and the condition of the
cotton crop in Jewargi taluk was normal. The sucking
pest menace was noticed in some fields. However, the
pink bollworm disease was not found in any of the cotton
fields.
* * * * * * * * *
3
Is poison best way to protect local
forests?
China DailyEditor : Xu Shanshan
Tourists visit the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing, capital of
China, Oct 23, 2016.(Photo/Xinhua)
The Forestry Bureau of Laishui county, in North China's
Hebei province, uses poisoned bait to kill mice, rats,
rabbits and hares to protect local woods. There must be
better ways to care for the forests, says Beijing News:
Environmental experts warn the poison may harm other
wild animals, too, and it is a threat to both the ecological
balance in the province and humans.
Because of the lack of predators, it is necessary to
control the number of small mammals that are damaging
the forests. But, having said that, the forestry bureau
needs to carefully assess the environmental impact of
using poisoned bait and consider whether it is the best
means of pest control.
If it does use poison, the bureau needs to be prudent and
choose the least toxic poison that is effective. It should
also identify the ranges where the animals are being most
destructive. To prevent any accidents, local residents
must be kept informed of the areas where poisoned bait
is being used and warned to keep livestock away.
While it is easy to bring down the number of pests by
poisoning, it should be borne in mind that herbivores are
important parts of the local biosystem. It is wrong to
simply try and exterminate them.
Instead, the bureau may think of introducing some small
predators to conserve the ecological equilibrium in a
more environmentally friendly way.
* * * * * * * * *
Victoria reinstates wild dog bounty
Rachel Gray Australian Associated Press
The Victorian government is reinstating its wild dog
bounty after scrapping the pest control incentive in mid-
2015.
Hunters will be paid $120 for each wild dog scalp they
collect in northern Victoria and Gippsland between
March and October 2017.
"Farmers and landholders tell us time after time that
foxes and wild dogs are a huge issue for them,"
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said in a statement on
Wednesday.
An advisory committee will evaluate the use of the
bounty after 12 months. It's in addition to an existing
$10 bounty on fox skins.
The government estimates wild dogs and foxes cost
Victoria's livestock industry $18 million every year.
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
Copyright Notice !
Items provided in "PPM News" are drawn from
a number of sources. The source of the item is
quoted, either by publication or organizations, in
line with the practice of fair reporting.
It is also relevant to note that neither the
content of articles nor comments of the Editor
are necessarily endorsed by FAOPMA or its
office bearers.
* * * * * * * * *
4
Termites eat into files at consumer
courts
Bhadra Sinha, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
The termites are eating into the case files piled up at the
consumer courts due to inadequate storage facility, a
Supreme Court-appointed panel has submitted before
the top court. (HT File Photo)
Set-up under the Consumer Protection Act, these courts
were to protect the rights of the consumers and provide
them quick access to justice against any unethical
practice by traders. However, a look at the panel’s report
reflects the pathetic conditions under which they
function.
The committee comprising former SC judge Justice
Arijit Passayat and retired Delhi high court judge Justice
Rekha Sharma said that in most of the states files are
kept in the open and are either being destroyed by
termites or are getting lost.
The central government-sponsored campaign “Jago
Grahak Jago” had a very limited impact on the
consumer, it said. There is lack of consumer awareness
in tribal and semi-urban areas where there is reluctance
among people to approach courts for redressal in case of
a dispute. The committee said politicians and bureaucrats
have filled non-judicial member posts in the forums with
their people.
This is the second report the panel has given after
visiting district consumer courts and state commissions
of 13 states. The first, submitted in May, highlighted
how, in many cases, the members did not have internet
access and meagre salary for them made the job
unattractive for talented and experienced people.
The panel’s latest revelations are no different. They
reveal how women members of consumer courts do not
have separate office rooms or toilets. In some district
forums, the committee found members held proceedings
for just two to three hours and that too not daily.
* * * * * * * * *
Taxman bites Singhvi after leader
says termites destroyed documents
New Delhi, Nov 15
The Income Tax department has slapped a penalty of
Rs.57 crore on Congress leader and senior advocate
Abhishek Manu Singhvi after he was unable to furnish
documentary proof to back his claim of expenses.
The department has rejected Singhvi's claim that a
termite attack on the premises of his chartered
accountant destroyed all records, said reports. The
department has also raised doubts over the advocate's
claim that he purchased laptops worth Rs 5 crore for his
staff, which entitled him to 30 per cent depreciation.
The Income Tax department and the Commission, had
earlier, added a sum over his declared professional
income of Rs. 91.95 crore over three years between
2010-11 to 2012-13 and slapped a penalty. The order
was then stayed by the Rajasthan Court, said reports.
The commission has also contended Singhvi's claim that
he spent Rs 35.98 crore on purchase of solar panels for
his company, Rishab Enterprises. According to reports,
the Jodhpur Income Tax Commissioner also came across
cash ranging between Rs.7 crore to Rs. 32 crore in
Singhvi's account.
The Congress leader said that it was meant to pay fees of
his legal assitants. Singhvi has reportedly alleged that he
was being trapped in a "cat and mouse game" and
argued that the Commission did not have the jurisdiction
to impose penalty on him.
Oneindia News
* * * * * * * * *
5
Melbourne Cup: Meet the raptor
pack being unleashed to keep
Flemington safe
(Editor’s Note: This article just
shows that effective “Pest
Management” IS really “Pest
Management” and is not
necessarily Pest eradication!!
Ed.)
Lateline By Ginny Stein
Meet the raptor pack. Their target? The slow moving
seagull.
These highly trained birds of prey will be unleashed at
Flemington race course ahead of the Melbourne Cup to
scare off flocks of seagulls. In the past, hundreds of
seagulls have descended on the track, creating dangerous
obstacles for horses and jockeys.
The raptor pack is part of an Australian-first
research project into pest management, being led by
Graeme Coles from Full Flight in Ballarat.
The birds are let loose to fly over the course ahead of
each race, with the aim of scaring seagulls away from
the track. Each member of the pack has been chosen for
specific attributes:
Zorro the wedge-tailed eagle
PHOTO: Nature's pest control: A wedge-tailed eagle.
(ABC: Ginny Stein)
The wedge-tailed eagle is the largest species of raptor in
Australia and its wingspan can reach almost three metres.
They could take down animals as large as an Eastern
grey kangaroo.
But Mr Coles says Zorro and the other raptors are
specially trained not to attack the seagulls, but
instead create an atmosphere of fear.
"Under our research requirements we're not allowed to
hunt the seagulls, it's purely just putting that prey-
predator situation together," he said.
"If that predator's hanging around those prey items, those
seagulls, they're obviously going take off and be scared."
Spitfire the peregrine falcon
PHOTO: Spitfire the Peregrine falcon (ABC: Ginny Stein)
The peregrine falcon is a natural born killer and it is the
fastest animal in the world. Its dive speed has been
clocked at 390 kilometres per hour. Mr Coles says the
peregrine falcon is a natural predator of the seagull.
"Putting that bird into that environment just puts pressure
on the seagulls," he said.
"Our birds don't kill the seagulls of course, because
they're protected, but the seagulls don't know they're not
hunting. So there's a little bit of trickery involved with
that."
B2 the barking owl
PHOTO: B2 the barking owl is one the birds in the
raptor pack. (ABC News)
Barking owls are silent in flight, but they make their
presence known through their range of calls, from a dog-
like bark to an intensely shrill human-like howl.
And yes, B2 has a brother called B1. Both birds were
raised from the same batch of eggs. Mr Coles, says B2
and other members of the raptor pack are trained for
most of their working lives so safety is paramount.
"The birds themselves are trained to do a specific job. They're not going to go and land on anybody's head or
anything like that. The risks are quite minimal," he said.
* * * * * * * * *
6
Future management of WIDT
ISSUE 13 | 27 OCTOBER 2016
Public consultation on the future management of
West Indian drywood termite (WIDT) is now
complete and a decision by the Queensland
Government has been reached.
Under the consultation, the views of stakeholders were
sought on whether a financial contribution to the cost of
fumigation should be made by owners of infested
properties. The feedback provided during the
consultation process indicated that stakeholders did not
support this proposal.
The government has listened to this feedback and
decided to continue its current arrangements, covering
the full cost of treating infested buildings and other
items. Property owners will not be asked to contribute
to fumigation treatment costs at this time.
A prevention and control program authorised under
the Biosecurity Act 2014 (the Act) provides the legal
framework for delivery of the fumigation control
measures for WIDT. The Act, which commenced on 1
July 2016, supersedes the previous legislation relating
to management of WIDT activities.
It should be noted that compensation for loss or damage
incurred as a result of a WIDT fumigation that was
available under previous legislation is not provided under
the new Act. This decision was made in 2014 and was
not a subject of this consultation process on financial
contribution to fumigation costs.
This also means that payments for additional
expenses, such as accommodation costs for residential
building occupants who need to relocate during the
treatment process for WIDT, will no longer be
provided.
WIDT is considered to be the world’s most destructive
drywood termite and is a pest of the built environment,
attacking timber-in-service including construction
timber, furniture and occasionally timber composites
(plywood and particle boards).
The Queensland Government’s surveillance and
treatment activities have successfully confined the pest to
sites in Brisbane, Wide Bay, Townsville and
Rockhampton since it was first discovered in Australia at
Maryborough in 1966.
The Act features a general biosecurity obligation (GBO),
which means that all persons have an obligation to
mitigate biosecurity risks and share responsibility for
managing biosecurity. WIDT is restricted matter under
the Act, meaning that the presence of the pest must be
reported to an authorised officer.
.* * * * * * * * *
Taxpayer will keep paying
TERMITES. Just the word is enough to strike fear into
the hearts of the owners of timber houses everywhere.
Those owners will be relieved to know the State
Government has decided to continue an existing program
of finding and exterminating the notorious West Indian
drywood termite.
The pest is Australia's most destructive termite and has
caused significant damage to buildings, chiefly in
Maryborough but also in Bundaberg, Brisbane
Rockhampton and Townsville.
A control and containment program, involving
surveillance and fumigation of infestations, has been in
place in Queensland since the 1960s. Agriculture
Minister and Member for Bundaberg Leanne Donaldson
said new biosecurity laws in Queensland required the
government, industry and community to share
responsibility for managing biosecurity risks.
Answering a question from the Member for
Maryborough Bruce Saunders, Ms Donaldson said the
government had decided to continue existing
arrangements. She said the government would fund the
full cost of controlling termites. "Owners of infested
buildings and other items will not be required to
contribute to the cost of treatment."
Ms Donaldson told parliament the West Indian drywood
termite had the potential to cause serious economic
impacts to Queensland's built environment due to their
ability to infest buildings "top down" through structural
gaps, unlike subterranean termites which enter buildings
from the ground up.
Drywood termites do not require any contact with the
soil, making them more difficult to detect and prevent
their entry into older buildings.
If you suspect a WIDT infestation please contact
Biosecurity Queensland immediately on 13 25 23 or
visit www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au for more information
7
From pauper to prince: the man
behind Hong Kong racing
sensation Pakistan Star
Self-made millionaire Kerm Din looks back at his early
childhood and how his life changed when he meet casino
magnate Stanley Ho
Nestled among the soaring residential towers of Central
– some of the most expensive real estate in the world –
sits an oasis of green, a time-capsule of sorts, where for
more than 160 years people have prayed and lived. Most
of the busy types that pass here on Shelley Street’s Mid-
Levels escalator, heads down, eyes on smartphones,
scarcely know Jamia Mosque and its humble dwellings
exist – but it is where self-made millionaire Kerm Din
was born and raised.
There aren’t many rags-to-riches tales in Hong Kong
racing. The cost of a Jockey Club membership and
buying and racing a horse ensures that. But Din, owner
of Hong Kong racing’s new sensation Pakistan Star,
doesn’t mind saying he grew up poor.
“We stayed in one room and a small dining room, and at
that time we didn’t have a toilet. We had to come
upstairs here to use the toilet, and sometimes had to line
up. I won’t forget this place, and it really makes me think
you have to look forward and aspire to be a sportsman or
businessman,” he says.
“It made me think, ‘I will work hard and am going to
show my mum and dad I’m going to do something.’”
Din stands at the top of the settlement’s staircase entry,
in the same courtyard he played in with his six brothers
and two sisters. As he looks at the small ferns pushing
through the cracks of the old stone wall beside him, he
remarks on how little has changed: “Everything looks the
same to me after many years.”
Din’s father Omar emigrated from Pakistan with little
more than a suitcase midway through last century,
married and settled in one of the makeshift apartments
just below Mosque Street.
“He would bet HK$30 each Sunday,” says Din of his
early racing memories. “When he lost he would tell us
and when he would win he would show us the ticket.”
“We started out in a small one-room apartment, and now
I have a penthouse. We worked hard, that’s the main
thing, we kept looking forward and working hard. Just
like this horse, we started slow, but we caught up,
pushed and never gave up.”
After leaving Shelley Street as a 20-year-old, Din
worked for British pest control company Rentokil
earning HK$450 per month before a natural
entrepreneurial streak saw him break away and start
his own business. A contract with Macau casino
magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun – himself a high-
profile horse owner at one time – helped Din go to
another level financially.
“First I made my first HK$100, then I made my first
HK$1,000, but then when I was around 25 I was lucky, I
had an office in Alexandra House which belonged to
Stanley.
He liked me very much and he gave me all of his
business. I did business with him for nearly 20 years
and everything that belonged to Stanley Ho I had the
pest control contract on.”
Din now lives in a twin-level apartment in Pok Fu Lam
with harbour views – it’s only a 15-minute taxi ride to
Shelley Street – probably less if he drives his Maserati or
two-door Bentley convertible. Even so, he hasn’t lost the
common touch and last Monday he revelled in the
tradition of giving lai see packets stuffed with cash to
staff at trainer Tony Cruz’s stable.
“If your friend trusts you and likes you, you have to be
faithful to them. Respect people, don’t try to be too
smart, just try to be nice – but then, if you get a little bit
of money, try to treat people the same,” is how Din
describes his business philosophy.
* * * * * * * * *
8
Photographer captures baby goannas
digging their way out of termite
mounds on Mt Ainslie
Katie Burgess
It may sound like the premise for a science fiction
film but there are giant lizards hatching out of
termite mounds in the middle of Canberra.
Canberra historian and conservationist Matthew Higgins
captured the moment a rare Rosenberg's monitor
poking its head out of a termite mound after hatching on
Mount Ainslie.
Rosenberg monitors are hatching on Mt AInslie in Canberra.
These rare goannas can grow to 1.5 m in length and lay their
eggs in termite mounds. Photo: Matthew Higgins
Mr Higgins had been keeping an eye on the mound since
he saw a Rosenberg's monitor he'd dubbed Rosie lay
eggs in there in January. "They use termite mounds
because the mound acts like an incubation chamber," Mr
Higgins said.
Rosie and her partner Rex guarded the nest until
February. Unlike the Lace monitor, the parents do not
return to help dig their hatchlings out and the little
goannas are left to claw their way to the surface on their
own.
As September rolled around, Mr Higgins started to
trek daily up the mountain with the hope of witnessing
something remarkable. He was not disappointed.
"At first it didn't catch my eye but when I looked at it
again I thought 'that's a hatchling hole'. I'd only seen one
of these holes before but as I waited, sure enough
the hatchlings inside started to poke their heads out."
Mr Higgins has identified 14 hatchlings in total. If they
reach maturity, the baby Rosenberg's monitors will grow
to 1.5 metres in length.
The hatchlings will live inside the mound eating the
termites for some time, before burrowing their way out
for the final time and disappearing into the bush.
"The poor old termites have their house nearly
destroyed by these goannas and they do all the
repairs and then they get eaten for their trouble," he
said.
Rosenberg's monitors are listed as threatened throughout
most of their range in Australia.
Mr Higgins first spotted this elusive species atop Mt
Ainslie three years ago and has worked with the ACT
government's senior ecologist Don Fletcher to monitor
their breeding cycle.
"They're very difficult animals so find because they're
extremely well camouflaged and they know how to hide
from people, they just stay still under some fallen
branches. You could be right on top of them and not
know that they're there," Mr Higgins said.
The next stage of the project will be to determine how
many of these evasive reptiles are left across the ACT.
But Mr Higgins said witnessing the birth of the next
generation of Rosenberg's monitors was a "golden
moment". "It was such a beautiful moment because it
represented the continuation of a very special
species," Mr Higgins said.
ACT Parks and Conservation director Daniel Iglesias
said it was wonderful to see Mt Ainslie supporting this
species.
This Rosenberg's monitor might be small now but they can
grow to 1.5 metres in length. Photo: Matthew Higgins
"Mt Ainslie is a very important component of the natural
environment here in Canberra. It is also one of our most
popular reserves so visitors should please remember the
area is home to many reptiles and other wildlife.
Responsible use of the reserve, including ensuring dogs
are kept on a leash, will help give these hatchlings and
other native wildlife the best chance of survival."
* * * * * * * * *