Environmentally and Ethically Aware Pest Control
Technician ensuring monitoring points are safe
The pace of change never really slows in the pest control world. Legislation changes, new products are developed and new protocols evolve as understanding is gained. In the past target species were controlled with little regard to the wider implications to our environment. Today the industry is a lot more responsible thanks to a number of initiatives and innovations. We as an industry are now far better equipped to deliver a high level of success with minimal impact on our surroundings.
IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is a process that not only looks at the problem pest but the environment and conditions that encouraged the pest, and then develops a multi-point strategy in partnership with the client to control and then prevent re-infestation. In some instances this can be as simple as shutting a window or door, but in others it requires an in-depth knowledge of the target pest and an understanding of what makes it tick.
With an in-depth understanding of pests in this country a good pest control technician will be able to foresee many problems before they develop. As we know from other things in life “prevention is better than cure.” If you run a business you will be familiar with HACCP (Hazard and Critical Control Point) systems that require you to look at all your processes and take measures to safeguard them from contamination. One of the best ways to do this is to call on an expert to do a site and process risk assessment for you.
At NBC Bird & Pest Solutions our pest control technicians are a far cry from the local “one man band.” Our area managers and technicians are highly trained and extremely competent pest control professionals who are up to date with all the latest techniques, policies and products. The easiest way to see if the pest controller you are talking to is a “serious” pest controller is to check their qualifications and memberships to professional organisations, such as the BPCA (British Pest Control Association). The BPCA backs the BASIS PROMPT scheme which ensures that the pest controller cares about their trade and your business by keeping up to date with their expertise. Membership to BASIS PROMPT is only available to those pest controllers that have undertaken enough relevant training throughout the year. You might also want to know that they have signed up to the Think Wildlife scheme as this demonstrates that they will care for the environment by making sure only the problem pest is treated and not other animals in the area. NBC Bird & Pest Solutions supports the Think Wildlife Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) and all of our technicians are BPCA qualified and trained to the highest standards.
Pest species need a few simple requirements to exist; shelter, food and time. Take away any one of these and you reduce pest development dramatically. Shelter and food are great but without time to reproduce, the impact is minor. Take away the shelter and they simply move on and they certainly aren’t going to hang around if there is no food. A good pest control technician will understand this and ask themselves these questions:
- Where did / could they come from?
- Why are they there? / What could they be there for?
- Where are they now / going?
Once the technician has answered these questions they have the foundation on which to build a comprehensive control and prevention plan.
Starting on the outside of the building we need to establish if there are any attractants that are drawing pests to the area. If this proves clear, we then start to look at the building itself. The easiest way to prevent a problem evolving internally is to block off any access points. A thorough inspection of the premises is called for so as to highlight possible points of entry and close them. The next step is to restrict the environment within the building; this can take many forms from good housekeeping and stock rotation to physical barriers. As mentioned before, pests need time to develop into a problem, so good pest control monitoring via a regular contract is always the best solution.
By following this course of investigation, minimal use of pesticides can be implemented, which in turn reduces risks all around.
For further information and “Best Practice” advice, call one of our experts at NBC Bird & Pest Solutions on or locate your nearest branch.
