AEPMA Code of Practice Working Groups

Two of AEPMA’s Codes of Practice are due to be reviewed shortly.

• Code of Best Practice for Termite Management
• Code of Best Practice for Termite Management During Construction

If you would like to join the working group for either of these codes, please contact the AEPMA National Office via email info@aepma.com.au 

Pesticon 2023 – “What Customers Want”

Following from our successful 2022 conference, the theme for 2023 will be “What Customers Want”
This year’s theme will enable an individual pest control firm to build its business, better service its customers, and provide benchmarks to improve profitability and customer base.

Whether your business is large or small, Pesticon 2023 will give your business a winning edge.  Don’t miss this opportunity to discover new ways to deliver your services to the public.

Pesticon 2023 will be held at The Star, Gold Coast from the 16th – 18th August 2023.

Pest Manager of the Year 2022 – Meet Our Winners!

The winner of the 2022 Pest Manager of the Year - Micro Category was Checkmate Pest Control.

“Checkmate Pest Control started in 2014, we started very slowly and wanted to be unique in everything we do. 

Luke has been in the industry for over 22 years and SueAnn only has become full time in the business since 2019 after leaving her long term job.

We built our business mainly from word of mouth from family, friends and community support.
Customer focus and service is what we are all about, our customers are treated like family, so this is what drives us every day to be the best we can be for our customers and to give them a quality service at an affordable price”

The judging process was easy to navigate (other than our nerves) and was an amazing experience win or lose. 

Share your secrets!  How did you win this competition?  What was your strategy?

"We really didn’t have a strategy, we just put ourselves out there and hoped for the best we never intended to win, it was all about just having a go. 

We have implemented so many things in our business from scheduling programs, signage, social media and much more.
Looking back now we are so proud how far we have come and looking forward to the future"
 
Any tips for next years nominees?

"To just be true to who you are and what your business is about, learn new things whether it’s implementing programs or learning new things out of your comfort zone, you really don’t have anything to lose, but to try and have a go.

Last but not least BE PASSIONATE! about all your interests"

How did winning your category help your business?

"Winning this award has been one of the most amazing surreal things, that has ever happened to us.
The people that we have met and made friendships within the industry has really touched our hearts.
The drive and motivation it has given us to believe in ourselves and to take the next step to also push forth with our self growth and business growth and for Luke to pursue his passion to further grow his termite education and for SueAnn to start her general pest licence to understand the industry and knowledge to be the best she can be and for us to push forward with the growth and further development of our business.  

It has also been amazing to have a panel of judges and industry leaders believe in us, it is one of the most heartwarming things we have ever felt.

Then the love from our customers, family and friends, we can never thank everyone enough, we are just two people reaching for the moon and might end up making it to the stars. 

One thing we would like to say is a massive THANKYOU  to the team of volunteers and directors at AEPMA for supporting the industry and making this all possible, we are so honoured being apart of this industry, I really want to help push the industry to new heights and to really show the world what the pest industry is all about and the amazing people that do their best everyday to improve and share knowledge to help improve the industry.  

Thank you again to all the industry from the bottom of our hearts for the honour, friendships and for believing in us and helping us grow to be the best we can be. You all are inspirational" 

2022 BASF Pest Manager of the Year - Micro Category Winners

Photos from the 2022 Pest Manager of the Year Awards are available to view here 

AEPMA would like to thank BASF for sponsoring these awards

R U OK Day - 8th September 2022 

Be an R U OK? Workplace Champion.

Build an R U OK? Culture

Research has found four in ten Australians feel asking someone “are you OK?” is a conversation better had with an expert.

However, R U OK? want you to know you don’t need qualifications to have an R U OK? conversation. 

The work of health professionals is vital, and their value cannot be underestimated however we can all play a role in supporting the people in our world. 

You don’t need to be an expert to have an R U OK? conversation. Listening and giving someone your time might be just what they need to help them through.

Ask R U OK? No qualifications needed, because a conversation could change a life.

More information can be found here 

Bayer Appoints New Regulatory Affairs Manager

Bayer has announced the appointment of Melita Shalders to the position of Regulatory Affairs Manager, effective 10/08/22. 

Melita will report directly to Jeff Einam and will be based in Melbourne. She will be a permanent member of the Environmental Science team at Bayer (soon to become Envu).

Melita has been in Regulatory Affairs for 18+ years.  Originally from Ireland, she moved to Australia and started her Agchem career as a Research Officer conducting efficacy and safety field trials on a range of horticultural crops in Tasmania.  After three years in the field, she was joined Nufarm in the role of Regulatory Product Manager where she managed a 100+ product portfolio consisting of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, PGRs and fumigants. 

After starting a family, Melita ran her own consultancy for a number of years before moving into a Senior Regulatory role with Eurofins Agroscience Services. 

Over the next three years she worked with a wide range of local and overseas companies seeking registrations in Australia and New Zealand.  In 2020, she joined Staphyt as Senior Regulatory Manager and set up a successful regulatory business unit for Australasia.   

Melita is most looking forward to getting to know the Bayer team and finding out what exciting new products are in development!

AWPMA

August has been a busy month for the Australian Women’s Pest Management Association, with the Board continuing to work together on many incredible projects!

We are proud to announce our new website has been released!  Please check it out at www.awpma.org.au.

AWPMA are delighted to be working with AEPMA on the 2023 Pesticon Conference. The theme is “What Customers Want” and we look forward to showcasing and supporting women in our industry via the National platform that Pesticon offers.

As an organisation we made the decision to cancel our March conference as we felt we should combine our efforts with an already established conference that benefits the whole industry.  By doing this companies can reduce their expenditure, time and efforts to the one large event. 

AWPMA are looking forward to holding our Women’s breakfast, which was such a huge success at the last conference and now we will be adding another social event, on one of the evenings so please watch this space. On top of this we are in the planning stage of selecting our own key speakers that have been chosen by women in the pest industry specifically for women in the pest industry. We welcome the opportunity to promote women with the larger audience that Pesticon provides.

This month, we held our first of several AWPMA gatherings, which was Sponsored by Greenzone. The goal of these get-togethers is to create an inclusive, intimate environment where women and men can network, collaborate, and talk all things pest. Our group of 11 attended Lumber Punks Axe throwing in West Brisbane with Greenzone’s representative, Nathalie Clerk. Many laughs were had, stories shared, and lasting bonds made. Thank you again to Greenzone for sponsoring our Brisbane Event! 

Our Next “In person” gathering will be held on Friday 7th October at 6:30pm at Trapt Bar and Escape Rooms - 377 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC. This event promises to be a great night out with drinks, an Escape Room and Dinner - how could it disappoint.?! We would like to thank Sundew Solutions for sponsoring this event and we can't wait to see the VIC Ladies and their partners. To register your interest in attending please follow this link 

We have a further five events yet to be scheduled in the lead up to Pesticon. The reason we have focused on this strategy is that we have received feedback from women in the industry that large conferences can be overwhelming and daunting. We aim to give women the opportunity to make supportive relationships, so that attending the next pest conference is seen as a social event without any angst attached to it. This underpins our shared values with AEPMA of diversity, inclusiveness, respect and cooperation. 

In the age of the digital world the AWPMA board has been working tirelessly to arrange for some online seminars for our members. We understand between working, running your own business, studying, children and trying to maintain a social life it can be hard to attend everything on offer. To assist we have engaged with manufacturers and representatives to host online seminars where our members can have access with the click of a button. 

Our first virtual seminar will be held on Friday 16th September at 4:30pm with ServiceM8 superstar Fiona from Tradies Rescue, Fiona is an absolute legend at building forms in ServiceM8, this session will be open to anyone interested in attending (Male or Female). To register your interest please complete this link 

If you are interested in getting involved with AWPMA or providing feedback on any of the events please reach out to our board at info@awpma.org.au. Become a member today and have your voice heard as we work towards making positive and inclusive changes within our industry. 

AEPMA’s 2022 Pest Manager of the Year (firms with fewer than 10 people) award went to Enviropest in WA.

We were inspired by the story behind the success of Rhiannon and Mark Brown, so we caught up with Rhiannon recently and asked her to share what winning the award meant for her and her team and what advice she had for women wanting to enter the industry.

You can read our interview with Rhiannon on our blog

Bayer Environmental Science Professional Business To Be Called Envu Upon Successful Acquisition Close

Bayer’s Environmental Science Professional business today announced it will become Envu as a standalone company, contingent on the successful close of Cinven’s acquisition of the business from Bayer*. Pronounced “ehn-VIEW”, the name is derived from “environment” and “vision” and developed with input from both employees and customers around the world.

“As a trusted industry leader, we know that ensuring continued customer success requires strong partnerships and a renewed perspective,” said Gilles Galliou, president of the Environmental Science Professional business at Bayer and future CEO of the new standalone company. “That’s why Envu will be dedicated to bringing customers innovative solutions to help them push their business forward and tackle the toughest challenges our environments face today.”

Envu will work alongside customers to see challenges through their eyes, bringing together diverse points-of-view and a vision beyond chemistry.

“The fact that our new company will be focused solely on environmental science will allow us to solve problems faster, smarter and more efficiently,” said Galliou. “The challenges we solve today will help ensure a healthy future for all is clearly in view,” Galliou continued.

“We have an established track record of bringing effective, safe and sustainable solutions to customers,” said Tiffany Fremder, head of global marketing for Environmental Science. “We will continue this commitment as Envu and expand our focus on innovation to achieve long-standing environmental health and sustainability.”

From now until the divestment transaction officially closes, the organization will remain the Environmental Science Professional business of Bayer. However, the company looks forward to fully launching its new corporate identity upon the successful close, which is on track for later this year. The business will also continue to proudly collaborate with Bayer as a standalone company.

Building Ministers’ Meeting: Communiqué August 2022

Commonwealth, state and territory Building Ministers met today to discuss upgraded energy efficiency provisions for residential buildings, implementation and transition timeframes for the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC), the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) Business Plan, funding and Intergovernmental Agreement, and Board Appointments.

Ministers also discussed market capacity in the building, construction and maintenance sectors and progress with consideration of a Building Product Assurance Framework stemming from the Building Confidence Report.

NCC 2022

After acknowledging the extensive input from key building industry and advocacy stakeholders over several years, Ministers considered the Decision Regulation Impact Statement (DRIS) prepared by the ABCB on upgraded residential energy efficiency provisions and agreed to include those provisions in NCC 2022. Building new energy efficient homes supports the economy’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050.

The key changes are adopting a minimum standard of 7 stars and the introduction of an annual energy use budget. For the average new home, achieving a 7 star rating may require elements like better insulation, higher quality glazing and smarter floor plans. Meeting the annual energy use budget requires consideration of the efficiency of the appliances used in new homes and roof top solar and batteries. While this will differ from house to house depending on factors like climate, orientation and construction materials, Ministers recognised that overall these changes will improve amenity and drive down energy bills in new homes.

Read more here 

National construction code changes to add thousands of dollars to cost of new homes, builders say

From October next year, all new homes will need to meet accessibility and energy efficiency requirements in many parts of Australia. 

• Master Builders says the changes will add $30,000 on average to every new build
• Changes to the National Construction Code will be mandatory for all Queensland homes from October 2023
• The government says energy-saving measures will see power bills reduced by $185 a year
• Queensland's peak industry body, Master Builders, said they anticipated the changes would add an extra $30,000 to an average build.

"It's the first homebuyers who are most impacted, who are struggling to get a deposit together, to make the repayments, and then the cost of construction goes up," Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell said.
"$30,000 is a significant amount."

Read more here

OvoControl “Birth Control” for Pigeons in Australia

Many of the urban and industrial areas of Australia are overwhelmed with pigeons. Pest Controllers have tried many abatement methods with varying degrees of success. 

OvoControl®P (nicarbazin 0.5%) is a ready-to-use bait that controls the reproduction of treated birds, resulting in population decline. It is a proven, safe and effective solution for controlling pigeon flocks in large areas without having to resort to poisons and their associated risks. Registered in Australia by the APVMA and supported by the RSPCA Australia.

The OvoControl® pigeon control program is ideal for large industrial facilities, infrastructure such as council facilities, hospitals, universities, prisons and other places where physical exclusion is not an option. With an OvoControl® program, the pigeon population will decline at a rate of 50%, annually, with an ending population of 5-10% of the starting point. 

The ready-to-use bait is dispensed on flat rooftops via a mechanical feeder. The birds receive one dose of OvoControl per day.

Evicom the Australian distributors for OvoControl® P have developed the Evi-I (AI) camera unit. The Evi-I can accurately identify a specific species of interest and build statistical profiles around frequency of encounters as well as the associated numbers in attendance. This data is reported back on regular intervals via mobile communications network and can be used to support operational decision making along with KPI tracking and reporting.

For further information please visit our website www.evicom.com.au. Or contact Garrards  

Market Research Survey 

A market research company called Instinct and Reason are conducting a study to help their client better understand the needs of professional pest managers, like yourself. 

They would like you to please complete a market research survey, and you will be given $50 as a thank you if you complete it. It will take about 25-minutes to complete. 

Your answers will be completely anonymous. And what you say will be analysed and reported with everyone else confidentially, abiding by the market research code of practice and privacy laws of Australia. 

Please click here to start the survey, and complete it within the next week: 

Sundew – Looking Forward to Catching You at Agserv PESTECH September 2022. 

It’s that time of year again when the keenly anticipated Pestech Roadshows hosted by Agserv do their circuit across Australia during September.

Come along and catch up with the Sundew crew and find out about the latest innovations for our industry, VESPEX and AbolishPRO.  Ask our team about how VESPEX can bring your business an exciting new income stream!

We’ve got cool giveaways and a business card draw – so be sure to bring your business cards.
The Team at Sundew looks forward to catching up with our old friends and new members to the industry.  Can’t wait to see you there!

David Priddy 
C.E.O. Sundew Solutions Pty Ltd.

The FAOPMA-Pest Summit 2022 will take place in Kyoto from 6th-8th  November and everyone is excited for the first hybrid conference in FAOPMA-Pest Summit history since the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, all industry players have the opportunity to visit Kyoto International Conference Centre in person, and even virtually, to be part of biggest trade event in Asia and Oceania region. 
Visa Application for Foreign Visitors and Assistance by JPCA .

Japan is currently open for foreign visitors, with pre-requisite of a visa. The organiser, Japan Pest Control Association (JPCA) will assist you with your visa application through Japan’s ERFS system after you register for FAOPMA-Pest Summit 2022 Kyoto. 

Esteemed Sponsors 

We are honoured to formally introduce our esteemed board of Sponsors for FAOPMA-Pest Summit 2022 and we are excited to collaborate to make this industry event a great success! 

Platinum: Sumitomo Chemical Group, Bayer CropScience 
Gold: Fuji Flavor, IKARI Holdings, Earth Chemical, Dainihon Jochugiku 
Silver: SEMCO, Hohto Shoji, Burrtec, Killgerm/PestWest (double Silver), Syngenta APAC 
Other sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please reach out to us for more information. 

​​Facebook and LinkedIn 

We are pleased to announce that FAOPMA-Pest Summit 2022 Kyoto is now live on Facebook and LinkedIn. Our Facebook and LinkedIn platforms are ready to engage our delegates with latest updates and contents about the conference, plus some tourist tips for our foreign delegates and tech updates for our virtual delegates. 

Follow us and interact with us on Facebook  

Reach out to your professional network in LinkedIn for FAOPMA-Pest Summit 2022 Kyoto here 

For more information, please visit FAOPMA-Pest Summit 2022 Kyoto website where you will find the following information available: 

1. Registration for In-person and Virtual Delegates 
2. Early Bird and Group Booking discounts 
3. Conference Programme and Speaker List 
4. Sponsorship and Exhibitor Packages 
5. Venue Information and Transport Options 
6. Inquiry Portal for Assistance, Support and Questions 
For any support, please send us your enquiry here:  

Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you in Japan or virtually in November! 

Yours sincerely,  
Federation of Asian & Oceania Pest Managers Associations 

Under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (MPA), which commenced on 27 September 2021, pest management technicians (PMTs) who held a licence before the MPA commenced have until 26 September 2022 to obtain the new endorsements for high-risk and sensitive places and bird pests.

PMTs who obtained their licence after the MPA commenced must complete the competencies to obtain the endorsements as prescribed in the Queensland Health Departmental Standard - Competency requirements for licensed technicians undertaking pest management activities with pesticides and fumigants.

Read more here 

HomeGuard® Precision Termite Management installations

FMC Australasia Pty Ltd would like to reaffirm that HomeGuard® Precision Termite Management installations, performed by accredited operators, do not require a sign-off or an inspection from an FMC Australasia Pty Ltd employee in any state or territory within Australia.

This is for both residential and commercial projects.

An accredited HomeGuard® operator is an individual that holds the appropriate licensing, site safety particulars, and the correct indemnity insurance for the state they are working within and has a current HomeGuard® Accreditation Certificate.

Accredited HomeGuard Installer Responsibilities are:
The installation of the HomeGuard® Precision Termite Management system is the sole responsibility of the HomeGuard® accredited pest professional.

Any and all communication for the scope of work is to be managed by the installer; all stake holders should be considered; architect, builder, plumber, carpenter etc.

WIPM had the privilege to attend the 2022 PMANZ Conference in Auckland a few weeks ago to represent Women In Pest Management. We were excited to announce the WIPM Representative for New Zealand, Anita Collins-Preiss. Anita was born into the pest management industry and has recently taken over the family business alongside her husband now that her dad, Mike Collins (past PMANZ president) has retired. The WIPM committee are looking forward to working with Anita and we have already started collaborating some great ideas. 

Pest management is a people business, so after three years of mostly virtual interactions, it was energising, for NZ, to reconnect in person at this years PMANZ Conference. Thanks to the Pest Management Association of New Zealand’s hard work, we were once again able to travel and collaborative with others and discuss how we will continue to move the industry forward. 

This conference turned out to be quite an inspiring event, delivering the most female attendance to date. We want to share a few important themes from these conversations we had throughout the conference as we believe this is the reason for such an amazing attendance, and this is valuable for all of us to remember and consider.

1. More is achieved when we work together.. PMANZ were very supportive of WIPM attending the conference. WIPM’s top priority is supporting pest management professionals (PMP) to achieve the highest level of success. We were thrilled to connect with so many dedicated women at the event. We listened to their challenges and talked about solutions. It was inspiring to see so much collaboration and discussions in solving the industries toughest challenges. This conference was a reminder to us that we really do need one another to survive and succeed. We are so much stronger when we work together. 
2. Despite these continued challenges, our industry has learned to adapt. The spirit of adapting to help customers is ingrained in all of us, and it will serve our industry well into the future. 
3. The best days are ahead of us. The pest industry is well-positioned to not only grow but innovate and thrive as we meet ever changing needs of consumers and businesses. This also includes the start up chapter of WIPM New Zealand. We greatly appreciated spending time with so many women at the conference and we cannot wait to see them again throughout the coming months at PESTacular Road Show organised by Key Industries. 

We have many exciting events taking place over the next twelve months. Nicky will be heading over to Fiji with Anita Collins-Preiss with camera crew in tow to spend time with South Pacific WIPM Representative Asita Devi Deo, to film a documentary of three passionate women championing Women In Pest Management. Nicky is off again to represent and experience her first FAOPMA conference in Japan in November.

This will be an amazing opportunity to experience how a conference of this size is run as well as networking with people from all over the Asian, Pacific, and Indian regions. Seeing how things are done in other countries and seeing how women are involved in these industries is a great opportunity to learn. We are so excited to hear about the update on this one!

Progress is underway for the personal development workshops that will be held in each state of Australia and New Zealand. Eliza Urey, our WIPM events co-ordinator has been hard at work putting together an itinerary as well as facilitating the very first WIPM National Breakfast. 

Please click on the links below to get a recap of WIPM at the PMANZ Conference. 

https://www.facebook.com/womeninpestmanagement/ 

WIPM Committee

Alan Andersen has been collecting and recording specimens of Australian ant species for 40 years with about 8,000 of them glued to cardboard triangles in a government laboratory in Darwin in the country’s far north.

Each year hundreds of specimens are added to the collection, most of them likely new species that don’t even have formal scientific names.

When insect scientists talk about the world’s hotspot for ant diversity – the place with the highest number of species – they often point to the savannahs of Brazil and the Amazon rainforest.

But Andersen, a professor, ant expert and ecologist at Charles Darwin University, says the true global centre for ants is Australia’s monsoonal north, which stretches from the Kimberley in Western Australiato the Northern Territory’s top end and north Queensland in the east.

“Ants are a major part of Australia’s natural heritage,” Andersen says. “We realise what a special place this is for marsupials, and for lizards. And ants. We are the kingdom of the ant.”

Read more here

Credit – Guardian.com 

Staff at the Australian Reptile Park shared photos of the animal, dubbed "Titan" today, explaining he just passed a health check with flying colours.

Titan is a king brown snake, also known as a mulga snake, which is considered the longest species of venomous snake in Australia.

The species typically reaches lengths of 2.5 metres and weigh six kilograms – making Titan one very healthy boy.

Read more here

Credit – 9 news 

Agserv Pestech 2022

• Adelaide - Tuesday 6/09 - The Junction - Stables Ballroom 1 & 2470 Anzac Highway, Camden Park, SA
• Melbourne - Wednesday 7/09Malvern Valley Public Golf Course - No.1 Events1 Golfers Drive, Malvern East, VIC
• Perth - Thursday 8/09The Camfield - The Hall1 Roger MacKay Drive, Burswood, WA
• Sydney - Monday 19/09 Bankstown Sports - Level 1, 8 Greenfield Parade, Bankstown, NSW
• Newcastle - Tuesday 20/09 Club Macquarie - Grand Auditorium 458 Lake Road, Argenton, NSW
• Gold Coast/Tweed - Wednesday 21/09 Twin Towns Conference & Function Centre, Horizons Room, 2 Wharf Street,Tweed Heads, NSW
• Brisbane - Thursday 22/09, Calamvale Hotel - Skyline Room Cnr. Compton & Beaudesert Roads,Calamvale, QLD
• FAOPMA Pest Summit : 6th – 8th November 2022
• Pesticon 2023 : 16th – 18 Aug 2023
• Pesticon 2024 – 14th – 16th August 2024

AEPMA welcomes any contributions or suggestions for articles that you feel are relevant to the industry. Simply forward to info@aepma.com.au.

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