Lords and flatworms
During one of those lulls in the excitement which regularly emerges from the House of Lords these days, their Lordships turned their attention to killing flatworms
(Artioposthia triangulata).
According to an Internet source, one perky member inquired: ‘Are you sure it’s effective to stamp on a worm that’s already flat?’ The question addressed official advice from Baroness Hayman, the junior agriculture Minister: she said the only way to deal with flatworms (a pest introduced to the UK from New Zealand and killing our native species) was to tread on them or pour on hot or salty liquids.
Warning from the HSE
An article in the Sheep Farmer magazine is warning farmers to check that any chemicals in store – particularly animal medicines such as sheep dip – have not passed their sell-by date.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation into a reported case of ill health apparently found that an out-of-date OP sheep dip had been used. Allan Spence, from the HSE, said that while farmers may think that old chemicals lose strength, the opposite is sometimes true.
HSE maintains that farmers should keep good stock records so that veterinary medicines and pesticides are used within their effective lifetime. Some labels carry an expiry date after which products should not be used. More information is available from the HSE’s Infoline on 0541 545500.
Court case
The Health and Safety Executive is bringing 140 charges against 14 defendants after a national investigation into illegal sales of unapproved pesticides. The HSE alleges that R.E. Searby Ltd, of Mayfields Croft, Skegness, Lincolnshire stored and sold imported pesticides which had not been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture.
R.E. Searby Ltd and one of its directors face 37 charges. The rest relate to allegations against a second director of the company; an alleged secondary supplier; and farmers who allegedly bought and used the chemicals. HSE also alleges that none of R.E. Searby Ltd’s employees had the qualifications required by law to sell and supply pesticides to farms.
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 47, March 2000, page 22]