RANGE REVIEW: PEST CONTROL
EXTERMINATION THE LATEST
INNOVATION IN
still chillier than we would like, with snow warnings and temperatures hitting the minus figures. This is causing a number of pests to look for shelter, and in turn has spiked sales in the pest control sector.
W Acana key account manager
Will Hatton says: “Colder weather drives more pests indoors, where it’s warmer, as this provides better conditions for breeding. Typically, you’ll see a sharp and visible incline in spiders and other crawling insects into homes, as the weather grows colder. Conversely, an increasingly warmer and wetter climate overall has meant that moths are surviving longer outdoors as well (fun fact 1: moths love warm, dark and damp conditions to breed in) and are then finding their way indoors to feed on carpets and fabrics.” Will says he has noticed an upward trend in the pest control
22 DIY WEEK 08 FEBRUARY 2019
armer weather may be on the horizon, as we look toward spring. However, the current climate is
In a growing market where consumers are looking for deterrents rather than poison for pests, Kiran Grewal finds out whether this method is as effective as traditional measures, and how the pest control market is faring.
market over the past few years: “The market for pest control has been going from strength to strength over the past three years, in particular. In our specialised area of moth control, we’ve seen around a 20% increase in demand year-on-year for at least the last five years.
Innovation in the sector has seen consumers looking for
electronic
deterrents that avoid the conscious aspect of killing the creatures. Will says that, while this seems a good idea on paper, putting it into practice in the household might not work as well. “Whilst the formats of pest control products have remained familiar (sachets, traps, cassettes, sprays, etc) there is certainly a growing demand for innovation of these formats to tackle the changes in infestation of different breeds of pest. We’re now seeing, for example, a marked increase in case-bearing
carpet moths, in particular. There is definitely a slight shift towards poison-free and electronic methods of repellents as opposed to killers. The problem here is that pests are no stranger to travel. This is to say; although they may not be in your bedroom now, they could well have moved to the room next door! “Recent innovation in pesticides means that they have never been safer and quicker to use, especially with the UK now being one of the most carpeted nations in the world.” When looking at the best marketing approach to make customers aware of innovation, Will says a mixed approach of print and online is a great way to get in touch with a larger audience: “At Acana, we provide a lot of accompanying information for the application of our products using many different mediums. For our
complete protection ‘System of Care’ moth range, for example, we often include a leaflet, and any new innovations will be included on that. The increasing shift towards online shopping is not lost on us either, and customers can find developing information on our website. “Cross-market
collaboration
initiatives are a great way to communicate with new customers too and we regularly participate in this.”
When it comes to merchandising
Will say Acana lets the creativity of the retailer’s loose and doesn’t bind them to any specific constraints: “There are no hard-and-fast rules to merchandising and, at Acana, we’re increasingly impressed by the new ways that our retailers communicate with and present on-shelf to customers. The key,
I think, for pest control in particular, is to think
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