Rodent Control Marker Update

Talon Registrations Unchanged

Some confusion had arisen after a number of state pesticide publications implied that several Talon rodenticide registrations had been cancelled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In actuality, Zeneca cancelled 15 outdated Talon labels that were produced before the company began formulating Talon with Bitrex® (a human taste deterrent) in 1992.

Zeneca says it cancelled the older Talon registrations in order to comply with the August 1998 Rodenticide Cluster Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) requiring rodenticide manufacturers to tell EPA which product registrations they wished to maintain (see page 30). Zeneca had been maintaining a number of inactive brodifacoum end-use product registrations that did not contain Bitrex, a popular bittering agent. Because Zeneca believes it strengthened Talon with the addition of Bitrex, and because the company believes that future EPA decisions may require that a taste deterrent be added to all rodenticide formulations that are labeled for residential use, the company notified the EPA and voluntarily cancelled the old registrations.

Kness Celebrates 75th Anniversary

ALBIA, Iowa — Kness Mfg. Co. recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Ketch-All multiple-catch mousetrap. Ketch-Alls, which are used around the world, have sold in the millions since their 1924 introduction.

In 1924, A.E. "Brick" Kness was trying to find a better way to catch mice at the high school where he worked as a janitor. Mice were getting into students’ lunches, so Brick designed a box trap made of an oil can, a tobacco can, a spring from a curtain rod and the wood base of a crate. The first night he put the trap out, he caught five mice.

"For Ketch-All, we still use the same basic principles and design concept originated by my grandfather 75 years ago," says Kathy Kness Wauson, president of Kness. "Even 75 years later, Ketch-All is still state-of-the-art in multiple catch traps. We use Brick’s same approach to practical inventiveness in every product that we put on the market."

LiphaTech Supports National Pest Control Month

MILWAUKEE — In support of National Pest Control Month in June, LiphaTech donated time and products to two projects on the East Coast — one at Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the other at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia.

As part of National Pest Control Month, Dave Kane, president of Pelican Pest Control and a member of the Pest Control Association of New York state, coordinated an inspection of Canarsie Pier. John Murphy, district sales manager for LiphaTech, and Steve Walsh, York Distributors, accompanied Kane. The inspection assessed the need for a pest management program at the pier.

The pier had several rodent control issues that needed to be addressed. Adjacent to the entrance to the pier there were several dumpsters used by a nearby restaurant. Rat droppings and dead rats were found on the inspection.

A children’s play area is also located on the pier and a rat burrow was found immediately below the edge of the playground equipment. "This is what I’m concerned about," Fox said. "The kids are playing in this area."

"It’s a common sanitation problem," said Murphy. "The pier provides a great environment for rats. It’s right on the water. And people provide a steady supply of food with their trash. Rats find prime eating and a great view of the water from the pier."

Using rodenticides wasn’t the clear choice here, the experts said. Unless the issue of sanitation is addressed, more rats will move in and establish a new population. "Deciding on the best method for controlling the rat population requires a full integrated approach," Murphy said.

"Rats can swim up to a mile," Walsh said. "You get rid of this population and more rats are likely to swim to the pier, climb the wall and make this home." Unless the food source is addressed, rats will continue to move into the area.

"Ideally, a site like the pier would be baited then cleaned up," Murphy said. "The dumpster area would be dug up, ballast rock would replace the soil and a slab and wall would be built for the dumpsters."

LiphaTech also donated its efforts to another community project this summer.

In an effort to provide community service, more than 15 members of the Pennsylvania Pest Control Association (PPCA) Eastern Division gathered to inspect and bait the interior and exterior of the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia. Members of the PPCA have donated their services and products to this and other projects for several years.

"There’s the new addition and the mansion, which is more than 100 years old. It’s a preventative measure," said Barry Owen, property manager of the Ronald McDonald House. "They [PPCA] have always been very responsive whenever we think we may have a problem. They’re one of the many partners we rely on."

Companies represented at the inspection included: Consolidated National Insurers, Ish Pest Control Inc., LiphaTech, Pennsylvania State University Extension, Residex, S&G Pest Control, Terminix, TKO Pest Control, Township Line Pest Control, Triumph Pest Control, Van Waters & Rogers, Weisburger Insurance and Western Pest Services.

Philadelphia’s Ronald McDonald House opened in 1974. "The purpose of the Ronald McDonald House is to provide a ‘home-away-from-home’ for the parents and siblings of seriously ill children staying at area hospitals," explained Owen.