Category: Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE
The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is holding its fourth Asian Hornet Week 5-11 September and is asking the public to download a new version of the free Asian Hornet Watch app on their phones.

Autumn is typically when the nests of the Asian Hornet are revealed by leaf fall from trees or bushes.
A BBKA spokesperson said: “Since our last awareness week two nests were found in October 2021 in Hampshire and Berkshire, and destroyed. This year in April a single hornet was captured at Felixstowe.
“Gene testing showed that both nests and the individual captured in Felixstowe had come from Europe.”
They added, “The two late season nests illustrate how “under the radar” these hornets can be, as neither nest was known about until the capture of an individual hornet followed by flight tracking back to the nest by National Bee Unit inspectors.”

Asian Hornets have big nests and are voracious consumers of honeybees and manyother insects too. They hang around in front of hives ( called ‘Hawking’) and pick off the honeybees as they emerge.
They make life so difficult for the honeybees that they stop collecting enough food or simply get eaten as they return, and the ecosystem of the hive breaks down.
That’s why BBKA are pleading with the public to download the free app; in case that big insect you spot on your favourite bush, that you do not recognise, is an Asian hornet.
Take a picture of it on your phone (but don’t get too close or you might spook them) and then go to the app to check whether you should upload it to make a report.

You can more information on the BBKA website:
bbka.org.uk/asian-hornet-resources
See It! Snap It! Send It!
If you find a nest do not approach it, stay at least 20 metres away and take a picture.
It is crucial you report any possible sightings, so experts can take quick and effective action to eradicate Asian hornets. If you haven’t downloaded the app, then send your photos and videos to the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS).
alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk

PESTAWARE
Reports of thieves posing as pest controllers have sparked a warning from a national trade body.

British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is urging householders to check who they are letting into their home after reports fake pest controllers were allowed into a property in Hertfordshire then stole items from several rooms.
BPCA is urging householders to do a quick check before allowing a pest controller or any other trader into their home.

Natalie Bungay, Technical and Compliance Manager at BPCA said: “You should always exercise caution when someone knocks on your door offering to do work.
“The safest thing to do is turn down the offer on the doorstep and then take advice by speaking to trusted sources.
“Check Google reviews, or use companies recommended by friends and family.
“One of the quickest ways to check the credentials of a pest controller is to ask if they are a member of a trade body such as British Pest Control Association.
“It’s like using the pest control equivalent of Trusted Traders. Members are trained, insured, regularly assessed, and commit to our Codes of Best Practice. You can also check that a company is a BPCA member by using our online find a pest controller tool.
“A pest technician who is called out to your home should have a BPCA Registered card that you can ask to see as well.
“A genuine pest professional will always be happy to show their credentials and put your mind at ease.”
As well as the danger of allowing potential criminals into your home under the guise of being a pest controller or other trader, pest controllers that are untrained and uninsured can also pose a risk to your family, property, pets and wildlife.

Natalie added: “BPCA members have the technical knowledge and experience to apply products in an efficient manner while minimising risk to the environment and non-target species.
“They understand how to operate safely and legally and have access to products not available to the general public.
“Untrained use of pest control products can have devastating consequences, so it is vital that residents not only ensure that any pest controller is a genuine operative, but also that they are trained and insured.”

BPCA members:
Carry the correct insurances
Are trained and qualified technicians
Are assessed to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636
Follow BPCA’s Codes of Best Practice.

To find a BPCA member visit: bpca.org.uk/find.

BIRD CONTROL
Daera/Northern Ireland Environment Agency is currently considering the wild bird general licences for 2022/2023 and beyond.

Similar consultations have already occurred in England, Scotland and Wales following legal challenges from wildlife campaigners.
BPCA encourages all bird management professionals operating in Northern Ireland to present their views as part of the consultation.

The consultation closes on 21 July 2022.
BPCA will also complete the consultation on behalf of members. However, members are encouraged to make their own submissions too.
Daera said:
“The general licences have been in use for many years, and in response to matters raised by stakeholders, it is recognised that review is appropriate.
“This consultation will give you the opportunity to give your views and any additional evidence you have around the following aspects of the 3 general licences: Species included, alternative methods of control, Their use on protected sites and licence conditions.
“The responses and evidence provided from this consultation will be considered alongside population statistics and conservation status of the listed species and all other relevant issues in order to shape the general licences going forward”.

LEARN MORE
You can read more about the consultation and make your submission on the Daera website
daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/daera-northern-ireland-environment-agency-wild-bird-license-consultation

PRESS RELEASE
All three user groups of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) covered by the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime – pest controllers, gamekeepers and farmers – have two years to prepare for a significant change in access to such products.

Despite resistance from several farming organisations, the directors of the stewardship regime operator, the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK (CRRU), decided that change was essential for the regime to achieve its purpose [CRRU member companies here: thinkwildlife.org/about-crru-uk/stakeholders].
So from January 2026 onwards, all buyers and users of professional SGAR products must hold either a stewardship-specific training certificate less than five years old, or an older one with proof of membership of a stewardship-specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme.
As five-year certificate expiry dates approach, holders can either repeat the training and requalify, or join a CPD scheme.
At its 2016 inception, the regime’s HSE-led Government Oversight Group (GOG) set the objective to reduce exposure of wildlife to rodenticides [Ref 1].
The sentinel measure of this is the incidence of SGAR residues in annual surveys of dead barn owls sent to the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (pbms.ceh.ac.uk) by members of the public.
Every year, the main causes of death have been vehicle impact or starvation.
CRRU chairman Dr Alan Buckle points out that despite all three user groups making widespread advances, including improved competence and best practice, greater understanding of the potential adverse impacts of rodenticides on wildlife, and ways to mitigate them, this target has not yet been met [Ref 2].

The most recent headline is that a stubbornly static 80% of barn owls carry residues of one or more SGARs. These changes are designed to strengthen stewardship and protect essential uses of rodenticides for all professional user sectors, especially farmers, by meeting GOG environmental targets.

Dr Alan Buckle, CRRU chairman

“Another important strengthening measure, announced in May 2023, was that from July 2024, none of the five SGARs available in the UK can be purchased for use in ‘open areas’ away from buildings. Clearly, this change makes it more important than ever to read rodenticide product labels carefully and make sure they can be applied legally in the intended locations.”
Since January 2023, all stewardship-specific training and certification approved by CRRU has been regulated independently by Ofqual. All qualifying CPD schemes will also be CRRU-approved.
Two are available already from BPCA Registered and Basis Prompt, and more are expected to follow during 2024.

GOT QUESTIONS FOR CRRU?
If you’ve got questions, we’ll find the answers. Send your queries to hello@bpca.org.uk, and we’ll be sure to get them answered for you.