Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110

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New document offers insights into benefits of integrated pest management strategy

A new document, 'Can you afford to lose 200% of your budget for every pest outbreak?' offers insights into the importance of a pest management strategy for business continuity as well as the impact on an organisation if it suffers an outbreak.

Published by Emprise, the well-known support services provider, the document shows how not having an effective strategy in place can be costly in terms time, money and reputation. It demonstrates how organisations can add value by taking a strategic approach rather than a reactive one. It also provides top tips for helping companies improve their pest management operations.

With the number of pests on the increase, any organisation that fails to have a robust pest management strategy in place is in danger of losing productivity and having to close its premises down while an outbreak is treated. Research by the World Health Organisation shows that living in a pest infested environment can also result in poor health.

According to Ibis World, the UK pest control market alone is worth £389m with annual growth of 4.4% forecast from 2010-15. Apex Insight's UK Pest Control 2013 Report says hospitality and residential market sectors each represent 19% of the market by value, with industrial and transport worth 15%, commercial offices 14% and the food retail sector 12%.

Some of the key drivers for this growth are a natural increase in pest populations in areas such as food retailing and production; as well as less effective methods of treatment as pests become more resistant to the chemicals and pesticides used. Government austerity measures have also impacted on pest control as local authorities sought to find ways to reduce their spending and cut services.

A survey conducted by the National Pest Management Association, showed that nearly all pest professionals (99.6% of respondents) have treated bed bugs in the past year. In the NPMA's 2015 Bugs Without Borders survey, 75% of industry professionals said they had treated bed bugs in hotels, 45% in office buildings and 20% per cent in retail stores.

The rat population in the UK is estimated to be up to 80 million with an increase in sightings of 'super' rats being reported. Some reports state that this number could double in the next year. According to the BPCA, the insurance sector has estimated that rodent damage to wiring is responsible for 25% of all electrical fires in buildings. Insects, cockroaches and birds also cause problems.

The document looks at why reactive strategies, which focus on treating the symptoms rather than the cause, tend not to work particularly well and how, by carrying out a pest audit, any potential problem areas and how they will impact on business performance can be identified. Two case studies show how different organisations were able to treat pest problems by having a proactive pest management strategy.

The paper also looks at the benefits of taking a more holistic approach to pest control, which as well as lessening the impact on the environment, is proving to be more successful at treating bugs and vermin that have become resistant to traditional chemicals.

T: 0207 549 0800
E: [email protected]
W: www.emprise.co.uk

10th September 2015