Kyle native Daniel Walker, a petty officer 2nd class, and Lt. Noel Cote, an entomologist with the Marines, use insecticide to saturate a nest of Oriental hornets at Forward Operating Base Zeebruggee, Afghanistan, on Sept. 24. (Courtesy photo)
STAFF REPORT
A sailor from Kyle is on a mission in Afghanistan to exterminate the “threat festering within” – termites and other pests.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Walker, a preventative medicine technician, touched down a few weeks ago at Base Zeebrugge, Afghanistan, where Marines and their allies occupy a hilltop overlooking the valleys surrounding Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan.
The buildings making up the base are more than half a century old, and Oriental hornets and a breed of subterranean termites had taken hold there. Ceilings made of wooden beams were an enticing meal for the termites, according to a news release from the Marines, and troops would often wake up to the pests falling on their heads.
Walker spent several hours spraying infested areas with insecticide while Lt. Noel Cote, an entomologist, poured termicide around the perimeter of each building.
The spray will help eliminate other insects such as ants and spiders. It is also effective against the hornets, which had created colonies for themselves in the aging concrete throughout the compound. Though only time will tell, both sailors said the initial treatment may be all it takes to eliminate the issues.
“We are constantly touring the different bases to complete base camp assessments and taking care of these guys is our job,” Walker said. “This is what we are here for, to support them.”
