CHOICE Magazine has published an article titled Termites: Finding a good pest manager in its October 2005 issue. The magazine is published by the Australian Consumers' Association. CLICK HERE to read the full text of the CHOICE article.

BE CAREFUL there is no State Govt licensing in Australia of timber pest inspectors other than in Queensland. Anyone can set up business and operate as a Timber Pest Inspector in Australia (excepting Queensland). If you are buying a home be extra careful in your selection process.

"the average cost of a termite treatment estimated at around $1,500" ... Page 17

The average cost of reliable termite protection using safest, most effective products is around $2,000 to $4,000 - in some cases $1,500 may not even cover the chemical cost for a larger 3 bedroom home. BE CAREFUL not to pick the cheapest price as this may indicate you are looking at a pest control business that uses poorly trained staff and the cheaper old fashioned toxic solvent based (less effective) pesticides.

"the CHOICE Guide to Safer Pest Control ... is full of information on how to protect your home from common household pests" ... Page 18

INCORRECT The CHOICE article is about termites - the no. 1 destructive home pest - yet the Choice book lacks up-to-date information on how to protect a residential building against a termite infestation.

The CHOICE book advises "injecting concrete with insecticides seems to be much less effective with the newer chemicals ... (soil treatments) provide a less than satisfactory deterrent to termites."

In fact it is NOT concrete that is injected / treated but the soil thereunder. Recent experience, confirms that in vast majority of cases (1) a complete soil treatment to AS 3660 using the newer chemicals Termidor (fipronil) or Premise (imidacloprid) will provide the best possible protection available and (2) it is only for a complete soil treatment to AS 3660 that pest control companies will offer an immediate written Warranty of ongoing termite protection of a building.

HOWEVER the CHOICE book is generally well researched and at $28.50 (including postage) is a recommended reading for any pest controller and consumer interested in commonly used pesticides and related pest control matters.

"triflumuron dust ... very effective ... for termite colony elimination" ... Page 21

INCORRECT Our feedback from its use in the field since 2000, is that the IGR chemical triflumuron (brand name: Intrigue) is NOT very effective as a termite control chemical. In most cases, using Intrigue dust provides at best only a low level of confidence of termite colony elimination. More importantly, there are much more effective IGR chemicals available as used in the Exterra and Sentricon termite control baiting systems.

"around half of individual pest managers (about a third of pest management business) are AEPMA members" ... Page 19

UNTRUE This statement is just plainly false and misleading - AEPMA membership is for pest control businesses and pesticide manufacturers but NOT their individual employees.

Although AEPMA has more than 150 members, most are small backyard operators. Most of the larger, well established pest control businesses in Australia are not AEPMA members. Companies such as Flick, Rentokil, Campbell Bros (all national companies), Adelaide PC, Fumapest, Anteater PC, Adams PC and hundreds more have refused to join AEPMA.

AEPMA is Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association Ltd incorporated in 1988 as a competitor association to APCA incorporated in 1987. Most of the multi-national pesticide manufacturers in Australia are AEPMA members.

APCA the Australian Pest Controllers Association Inc does NOT have pestide manufacturers as members - we are strictly a pest controllers only association.

AEPMA does NOT require any tertiary qualifications for membership - if you have a State Govt issued license and pay their fees you can join AEPMA "no worries". Many of the State's Pest Controller Licensing schemes had a grandfather clause upon commencement of their licensing system. For example in NSW in 1988, the State Govt automatically gave pest controllers a full licence without having done the TAFE Pest Control Certificate or any other tertiary qualifications. To get a full license, the pest controller just sent in a letter stating they had 2 years work experience, then got a license, then easily join AEPMA "no worries".

APCA since 1987 has mandatory tertiary qualifications for Accredited Membership. APCA

Accredited Membership requires that the pest control business owners / directors (and at least half their field-staff) must possess an independent TAFE Pest Control Certificate and more than 2 years verifiable experience in a full range of urban pest control services. We figure such a depth of quality trained people signifies a professional business - and it's verifiable and easily policed.

"units 8 and 10 are taught by TAFE and other registered providers" ... Page 18

PLEASE NOTE the various State Govt Licensing systems is of "pesticide applicators". In the last few years, the policy of such Licensing systems allows pest control businesses to engage Private Assessors to assess unlicensed pest control field-staff and in effect award them a State Govt pesticide applicators licence, as they see fit. APCA is definitely against this policy. The independent TAFE Pest Control certificate plus at least 2 years practical experience should be mandatory for a full licence.

The Private Assessor system to obtain a full licence is a major problem and the source of consumer rip-offs in our industry, brought about as a result of inadequate training / licensing of pest controllers.

We do not know who all these such Private Assessors are - there is no public register - no set educational syllabus - no set standard across all Assessors - each Private Assessor can make up their own written test, if any. There is no compulsory written test, it can be solely oral, culminating in a full State Govt issued pest control licence. Unfortunately feedback abounds throughout the industry of (1) assessments occurring over the phone, and (2) from the general public of State Govt licensed pesticide applicators who obviously do not know what they are doing.

Private Assessors can gain this title with scant practical experience in urban pest control. It is common for them to charge more than $1,500 for each field-work pest control technician, partly subject to Government subsidy. So there is a big $$ incentive for an "easy" assessment which is not audited and largely unaccountable.

In addition, under each State Govt Pest Control Licensing System, a pest control business can employ ONE licensed pest controller (assessed over the phone?) but also then employ many (no limit) trainees that are let loose spraying all manner of pesticides inside people's homes without the requirement for any direct supervision.

CLICK HERE to read an article written by APCA Secretary and published in "Pest Manager" magazine about AEPMA and its proposed introduction of PestCert by threats of "stop supply" against all Australian pest controllers.

CHOICE comments re APCA ... just an internet portal ?

For the record on pages 16, 18 and 19 the CHOICE article warns - Beware of apparent associations - that look like a front for a group of companies - these could be entry (internet) portals rather than associations as we know them - For example the Sydney based Australian Pest Controllers Association (APCA) - our search of the APCA website linked to a FUMAPEST website thereby limiting your options to FUMAPEST.

APCA policy of providing a link on our website to FUMAPEST or any other APCA member is appropriate provided the name of the Member is fully disclosed to the visitor, as has always been the case with the APCA link to the FUMAPEST and any other members' websites.

What is particularly disappointing is that the CHOICE journalist has apparently used the FUMAPEST and APCA website to get information for the article without giving APCA or FUMAPEST credit as a primary source. For example, in the CHOICE article their consumer advice on selecting a pest controller is very similar to the APCA webpage entitled Consumer Advice on Selecting a Pest Controller.

APCA is not unlike many other small trade-like associations in Australia. True, APCA is different to Australian Consumers Association Ltd which is a multi-million dollar organisation selling books, CHOICE magazine and other magazines and the like - APCA is not a quasi-media type organisation.

APCA was incorporated in 1987 pursuant to the NSW Govt Associations Incorporation Act and through a pro-active media campaign, lobbying State MPs etc was successful in obtaining the introduction in 1988 of the NSW Govt WorkCover Pest Control Licensing Regulations.

APCA is not just an internet portal - the APCA website started in 1998 more than 10 years after its formal incorporation as a registered Association in 1987. APCA representatives were appointed in 1988 to the NSW Govt Pest Control Licensing Board and, thereafter to the Standards Australia termite control standards committee. APCA is regularly called upon to provide speakers for various industry seminars, radio and TV interviews and provides an effective voice for the benefit of consumers as well as the interests of professional and ethical pest controllers. In addition, many of the APCA Members contribute countless unpaid hours in providing FREE advice to consumers and government departments and Associations like CHOICE magazine.