Does quality count?
Julia Pittman, Director of Beaver Pest Control and Executive Board Member of the British Pest Control Association, explains why it’s worth investing in ‘good’ pest control.
It has been a while since I wrote on this topic and in the meantime the pest control industry has been changing, albeit slowly. I would argue that good pest control is always focused on prevention. It matters because prevention reduces chemical use, is more sustainable, and prevents problems with animal welfare.
How do you recognise good pest control?
Pest control is very subjective, and there are many methods to deal with the same situation. You could have five pest controllers looking at the same issue and they would very likely give five different ways of solving the problem.
The end game is a pest-free environment: however without good pest control, pest-free can be very difficult to deliver, especially in older buildings, food premises, and in urban areas. Here are my thoughts on the matter.
Prevention is key
This may seem obvious, but quite often the bait station is the first thing deployed. If technicians are thinking preventatively then the regular reports will identify risk areas and proofing defects. Is proofing part of the contract and is it carried out every visit? This is another clue to the mindset of the company and technicians.
Prevention is key to good pest control: after all, rodents and insects only become pests when they come into conflict with humans.
Intelligent use of resources
Technicians don’t need to check every area on every visit. It’s a far better use of resources to focus efforts on areas which are either high risk or have had a history of problems. Other areas should be checked but less frequently.
Is the company making use of all available technology? For example, e-mailed reports, remote monitoring, the latest products, tracking dust, proofing materials?
Internal bait stations (visible or not)
Quite often I visit sites and see bait stations in very visible places. Bait stations, when they are used, should be out of sight in the hard-to-reach places, riser cupboards, ceiling voids, underfloor: that’s where pest activity is more likely to be.
Bait stations attract pests and you don’t want to attract pests to visible areas. Protect and proof access routes, and reduce internal bait stations.
Chemicals
Are rodenticides and insecticides the go-to? What alternative methods are being used to prevent pest infestations such as proofing, traps and less toxic alternatives?
Industry standards Are they members of the British Pest Control Association?
42 | PEST CONTROL
Members of the BPCA have to meet certain standards which are audited annually.
Knowledgeable and helpful technicians
We hear about pest control technicians working 10-12 hour days on a regular basis to try and keep up with their routine calls, and service levels are very much dependent on the technician. Do your customers have a regular technician, do they know the premises and the problems that your customers have?
Do they belong to a CPD scheme, either the BPCA registered scheme or BASIS PROMPT? These schemes show that technicians are continually improving their knowledge and skills.
Great back office support
No matter how good the technicians are, you will need to speak to someone in the office. The technicians and back office should work seamlessly together with information between the frontline and the office easily available.
Pricing
Good pest control should be price efficient too: after all, you want to add value to your service offering. Can you add margins and remain competitive?
In summary, I believe good pest control does matter. It matters for the environment; it matters for animal welfare; and hopefully it matters to your customers.
Beaver Pest Control is based in South West London and cover London and the home counties. With 70 staff, we provide specialist pest control, bird control and wildlife management services.
www.pestcontrolservices.co.uk
(
https://bpca.org.uk/find-a-pest-controller/check-a-member) (
https://bpca.org.uk/Individual-Recognition)
twitter.com/TomoCleaning
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
