Last week, I told you about my journey from civil servant to director of a pest control company and, this week, I have a tale which touches on the private life of a pest controller.
Before you worry, this is not going to turn into something starring Robin Asquith. In fact, I think I should let my partner, Sandie, tell the tale:
A New Year means, of course, the inevitable New Year’s resolution. We all start the New Year with the best of intentions and then watch as they slowly slip away. By the end of the year, most of us have completely forgotten our resolutions, just in time for them to become next year’s resolution. This year, however, I have a New Year’s resolution suggestion for your business that you will thank me for this time next year.
Last weekend many parts of the UK woke up to find a blanket of white. When I looked out of my windows, I saw a grey day with icy cold sleet. It was exactly the sort of day when all you want to do is nestle into your armchair, open a packet of Bourbon biscuits and settle down to watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. It certainly isn’t the sort of day you want to be outside.
Rodents dislike the cold weather as much as humans and now is the time when rats and mice take refuge from the cooler weather in loft spaces and other warm areas of buildings, particularly places where there is a food supply.
The furry creatures will scratch, gnaw and rip items apart to make nesting materials but they will also chew through electrical cables. This can cause fires, as well as cause structural damage, not to mention the urine and droppings they spread over large areas.
On Wednesday 5 November Paul and Ian made the trip to the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham to visit the Pest-Tech exhibition run by the National Pest Technicians’ Association.
The venue was buzzing with all of the major suppliers vying for our attention. Along with the many different types of bait box on display, there were some new products such as a rodenticidal foam that can be applied into holes used as mouse and rat runs.
The manager of a leading pest control company is calling for a ban on the sale of DIY rat and mouse poison to the general public in a bid to halt the spread of ‘super rats.’
Rats that are resistant to poison have been found in East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent and even the Houses of Parliament and are becoming an increasing problem.
Paul Bates, Managing Director of Cleankill Pest Control, says that the main cause is the incorrect use of bait by householders and people like farmers.
