EPISODE 98, Dale Armel, DAP Pest Control & TikTok Viral Video Poster, Melbourne, Australia

A ‘viral video’ may be described as a video that rapidly gains popularity through a process of sharing on the internet, through a variety of platforms such as social media, emails and websites like YouTube. But how does a video qualify as viral? The most basic measure is the total number of views, but the goalposts have changed over the years. In the early 2000s, a video could have been considered viral if it hit a million views, but by 2011 YouTube personality Kevin Nalty considered the benchmark to be ‘more than five million views in a three to seven day period’. Some viral videos can also earn their owners some serious pocket money; one such video entitled ‘David after Dentist’ (depicting the humorous effects of anaesthetic) earned more than $100,000. And so we come to the subject of the Bees with Ben podcast episode 98; joining Ben in the studio is owner of DAP Pest Control and TikTok celebrity Dale Arnel. Dale has been in pest control for about 11 years and specialises in the installation of termite barriers. However, his favourite pest is the European wasp - he is also a budding beekeeper. Dale describes in some detail the difficulties of working in tight crawl spaces, and explains that the termites found around Melbourne are subterranean in nature and come up from the ground, building little mud ‘leads’ (or tubes) so that they can gain access to floors and walls. Ben reckons that beekeepers are not designed to crawl around under houses and says that although he is also a licensed pest controller, he has a couple of major issues in that he is claustrophobic and scared of heights! Back to our viral video. About three months back, Dale had a call from a client who had a wasp problem in Healesville on Melbourne’s eastern fringe. She sent through a photo, which depicted a nest that looked about the size of three basketballs, and Dale thought this may be a good subject for a video. Upon arriving at the abandoned house - which Dale says looked like it could have been haunted - large numbers of wasps were observed flying in and out of windows and the roof, so Dale got suited up and went inside to investigate. The resultant video records Dale’s initial reaction when he opens the bathroom door. The photo was ‘nothing like real life’ as the nest took up a whole corner of the room, measuring approximately 1.7 metres across and protruding out of the wall ‘like a verandah’! Dale says it looked like it some sort of pulsating alien and felt like it was somehow telling him to stay away. He explains that European wasp nests are normally subterranean and above ground nests usually attract attention and are dealt with before they reach these mammoth proportions. Hidden away inside this vacant dwelling and protected from the elements, Dale says this nest contained tens of thousands of wasps and, “Was going to survive the winter and keep going!” https://www.tiktok.com/@dappestcontrol/video/7076821304434822401?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 https://www.dappestcontrol.com.au/