Blog

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Cockchafer

May was certainly a strange month. Last year, as we all went into Lockdown 1.0, the weather was glorious and everyone turned to the barbecue. This year the story was very different, with Spring 2021 being one…

Restaurants: Don’t Close Before You Reopen

In recent weeks, we’ve published several articles, blogs and social media posts reminding businesses about the importance of remembering preventive pest control when getting ready to reopen. This week, one…

Never Stop Training

I’m pleased to report we recently retained our Gold Investors in People Award following an exhaustive audit. We were the first English pest control company to receive gold certification, in 2018. It’s…

Surviving as a Rat

“Now, I’m a simple creature. I don’t want much from life, just somewhere safe to sleep, a little bit of warmth and, of course, access to water and food. Even when it comes to food, I’m not that fussy. Whatever…

What do you know about wasps?

We’ve just posted two stories about wasps on our social media sites and what is interesting is that, while one conforms to our stereotypical image of the wasp, the second article completely goes against our…

What 2020 Taught Me

New Year is a good time to reflect on the old and consider the new. Certainly, when I look back on 2020 it is with mixed feelings because it has been impossible to escape (literally) the impact of COVID-19. I…

No Time for Chicken Licken

At the end of September, Bank of England economist Andy Haldane said: “Now is not the time for the economics of Chicken Licken. My concern at present is that good news on the economy is being crowded out by…

Why I like bats

I’ve just renewed Cleankill Pest Control’s Corporate Membership of the Bat Conservation Trust and it got me thinking about our flying, mammalian friends. In recent months, because of COVID-19, bats have…

Wasp problems

I was recently doing some number crunching to see how things had developed during lockdown and I came across an astonishing fact – our business has seen a 23% increase in callouts relating to wasps! Between 1…

Eleven years of pigeon guano

There is an old Yorkshire saying, “where there's muck there's brass!” After the job we have just finished, I can certainly confirm that muck means work…hard work. I’ll pass you over to our sales manager Mike…

“Oh, rats!” – Why are there more callouts for rats during lockdown?

Last week we were approached by ITV’s This Morning to talk about lockdown, rats and mice. This comes off the back of several newspaper articles about increases in rodent problems, which is something about…

Pest control and COVID-19 – a managing director’s story…

Our financial year ended on the 31 January 2020 with over 30% turnover growth over the previous year…profits had also grown accordingly…a company that we had bought in Bristol the previous year was ready to…

Being ready for the end of lockdown

On the 20th April 2020, the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) published the results of a survey which revealed a ‘surge’ in pest activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey revealed 51% of pest…

Pest controllers as beekeepers?

In many respects, the concept of beekeeping as a hobby might appear to conflict with the role of a pest controller. But this is not necessarily the case. Oddly, many people involved in pest control are…

Returning from holiday – dealing with COVID-19

It has been a difficult few weeks for everyone. Three weeks ago, I was on a holiday – beaches, sand, sun, the occasional beer, and plenty of relaxation. While I wasn’t hidden from the gathering storm, it did…

How winning local awards can help you online

I’ve written several times about the importance of business awards and why you should enter them. Something I haven’t really covered though, is how winning awards can help you online. Over the years we have…

2020 - The Year of the Rat

I always thought the greeting for Chinese New Year was “gong hei fat choy”; it turns out I’ve been wrong all this time. That greeting doesn’t mean “Happy New Year”, in fact it is commonly used throughout the…

Keeping mice out of your office

Christmas is coming and the goose… Well, we all know the rest of that song. As winter really comes upon us, though, this is also a time when mice are getting fat in our offices. Perhaps it’s time for a new…

The World Turns Black

Today is ‘Black Friday’ – a retailer’s dream. All across the country there are queues of eager shoppers looking to buy discounted televisions, computers, clothing, and other consumer products. While such as…

How to stop rodents entering your home

Last week I attended my first Business Showcase South West Expo at the Ashton Gate Stadium, home of Bristol City Football Club and the Bristol Bears Rugby Union Team. What an amazing venue! I like to think I…