TECHNICAL | PPC113 November 2023

The technical are back and this time we're talking about glue boards, bed bugs from France and much more!

SPEED VIEW

• It's not illegal to have possession of glue boards in Wales, just setting them
• CRRU will be clarifying the term 'in and around buildings' shortly
• There are laws you need to follow around the correct disposal of waste pesticides
• Getting around behavioural resistance issues can be a trial and error process
• The worry around bed bugs appears to be largely unfounded, but we should keep an eye on the situation.

Can I carry glue boards in my van if I cross the border from England to Wales?

In short, yes. We know there are quite a few of you operating between the two borders, so you’re understandably worried about potential consequences of being found with glue boards despite being allowed to use them in England.

In Wales, it is now illegal to set a rodent glue board but there is nothing saying you can’t carry them. Our recommendation is that you have a ‘quarantine’ box of glue boards, labelled “for use in England only”.

This just helps demonstrate that you are aware of the legislation and, in the event of being stopped by authorities, shows this awareness. And if you have any problems with a situation like this, we’ll be happy to help provide guidance.

What does ‘in and around buildings’ mean? Does it cover silage stacks, Dutch barns, hay and straw stacks, livestock sheds, etc?

We asked CRRU to clarify this: “Bromadiolone and difenacoum baits will be available for use in ‘open areas’ and at ‘waste dumps’ until the end of 2024.

The CRRU Best Practice Work Group will work with HSE to resolve all outstanding questions about definitions, in particular what is a ‘building’ within the ‘in and around buildings’ use scenario, so that clear advice can be given to users.

This will be done as soon as possible and certainly long before products are withdrawn from these two uses.”

We’ll keep you posted!

What should I do with left over pesticides if they're no longer legal to use?

You should ‘quarantine’ the product with your waste, to make sure it isn’t accidentally used, and then arrange for it to be disposed of via a licensed waste contractor.

If you're a BPCA member, get in touch and we can point you in the right direction regarding waste contractors and the law around correct disposal of pesticide waste.

What should I do if I think I have behavioural avoidance in a rodent population?

The first thing to remember is that the avoidance is usually due to something specific. It may be a type of box or a particular formulation that rodents do not like.

They have learned to avoid it, be it through a bad experience or learning from their fellow rodents. So it is important to discover what it is they are avoiding, specifically, and then change it.

Sometimes, just the colour of a bait box is the problem! It really is fascinating, but just a bit of out-of-the-box thinking (pun intended) can help.

You’ll need to take certain things away, change what you’re using and figure it out through trial and error.

Why are bed bugs all over the news? Are there really more bed bugs from Paris?

It was quite the month for bed bugs in October, wasn’t it? Our phones were ringing off the hook with media enquiries after news came out of Paris that authorities were concerned about the number of people claiming to have spotted bed bugs on public transport.

It kicked off a whole wave of “French bed bugs are invading” stories and, understandably, the UK public began to worry.

We can’t say for certain whether there’s been an increase or not. It stands to reason that cases have increased compared to the time during Covid-19 lockdowns, when travel was banned.

This could just be cases getting back to pre-2020 levels. Also, this news landed at the tail end of summer, when bed bugs are more active.

So far there have been no confirmed sightings of bed bugs on UK public transport; just the occasional blurry TikTok video.

And while members reported an increase in calls during October, this was mostly put down to worry and there didn’t appear to be a huge increase in actual bed bugs confirmed.

Of course, with increasing resistance to insecticides and the cost-of-living crisis pushing people to try DIY methods, it’s something that’s worth keeping an eye on.

Let us know your thoughts on it though, since you’re out there on the front line tackling them! And if you have a tricky bed bug case, don’t forget we’re here to help – just get in touch.

Are you a BPCA member with a technical question? Get in touch...

technical@bpca.org.uk
01332 294 288
twitter.com/britpestcontrol