1

C

DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE Website: http://www.faopma.com

President: Mdm Huang Xiao Yun - (hxyun@cpca.cn)

Administrator: Catherine Yan - (info@faopma.com)

Editor: Doug Howick - (doug@tpaa.com.au)

___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

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."

* * * * * * * * *