Well that was a wet winter wasn’t it? It was great to see some much needed rain hit vital parts of the country. Hopefully our farmers are looking out their windows onto lush green filled crops (maybe some yellow ones too!) And….the juggernaut of COVID continues to wreak havoc across the country with lockdowns again in NSW and Victoria.
On the positive side, more and more vaccines are being administered every day so we can at least take some confidence that we are (slowly) getting there. Hopefully once we get to that magical percentage of the country being vaccinated we can get on with things and re-open our country again.
Okay rodent talk…..over winter we did see a slowing of the rodent populations across both VIC and NSW. NSW did see a slow in plague affected areas, but some say it is too little, too late. The Government has rolled out a number of strategies to try and slow the spread with the introduction of zinc phosphate (a non-anticoagulant), free grain treatment for broadacre use and a rebate scheme for affected areas to help fund rodent control.
But….it still isn’t over yet, many farmers were unable to get a winter crop down and those that did, face a very small spring harvest.
Experts have also predicted that it may take up to 2 years for the current plague to end – meaning we may be facing increased numbers for another 12 month period.
Okay so spring is finally upon us, we are all looking for a warmer patch of weather and some sunshine.
As the weather starts to warm over spring, this is when insects such as spiders come out of hibernation and start to move around again.
Now is a great time to have a walk around your property and assess your insects level. Knock down any webs that are present or even give it a pressure wash.
Last month we had our annual conference. Due to COVID we were unable to host it at a venue again, but like last year we all jumped on zoom for the day. We had an action packed day, with industry experts and lots of company updates to roll out.
Spring sees us ramping up our domestic pest control again, please do give us a call if you require a booking or for those that have nominated a preferred month then we will be in touch soon.
We can’t wait to see you all again.
We are constantly reviewing and updating our service and procedures to match the requirements around COVID-19.
MOSQUITO PREPARATION
Over winter we have seen many regions record heavy rainfall. Obviously rainfall will create puddles and stagnant water will be everywhere.
Now stagnant water is what we need to eliminate, unless we want a mosquito invasion.
Simply go around your house and empty buckets, wheelbarrows and any old tyres that are full of old smelly water. Now of course some water supplies can’t be resolved so we need to think of different options.
One option that we encourage is the use of an oil in the effected water. The oil, such as olive or baby oil will create a surface barrier that will prevent mosquito larvae from poking their heads above the surface to get air. Therefore they are unable to survive and you have just saved a small mosquito plague from invading your space, not to mention many itchy bites to your legs!
NEW FACES
We welcome both Kevin and Josh to the team. Kevin has been a Swan Hill resident for the last 16 years and will be taking over Geoff’s workload as he slides into retirement. Josh on the other hand – is from Temora (Josh’s dad is Tony)! It is so great to now have a father-son combo out in the field!