Stuart Henry (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to talk about millipedes—Portugese millipedes, an introduced species that has been encroaching on our borders since it was first spotted in WA in the 1980s, causing great distress to home and business owners who, at this time each year, are literally under siege. No-one knows for certain how they got here and until now there has been little chance of ridding them from our homes. Generally, they have been restricted to the Perth Hills areas, like Lesmurdie, Kalamunda and Roleystone, but now they can be found across the metropolitan area.

According to Mark Widmer from the Department of Agriculture in South Australia, ‘the only way you can eradicate them is broadscale spraying, and you’re going to take out every other native invertebrate as well.’ That was until Kalamunda resident Joe Italiano from my electorate of Hasluck and his friend Jason Watkins found a very simple solution. They have invented an environmentally friendly solution to eradicate Portugese millipedes. After noticing that millipedes are attracted to light and that there were a lot of millipedes in Joe’s pool, especially during a full moon, they discovered the solution. They set about inventing a light source which would attract and trap millipedes. They developed a solar-powered trap which attracts the millipedes and kills them in the water-filled dish below. These traps double as garden lights and are made from recycled plastic. I wish them well with this innovative yet simple solution which above all is environmentally friendly and will assist in eradicating these dreadful pests from homes and businesses in the hills. (Time expired)

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