Essential pest control tools for your trade business

Why you need the right tools for pest control

Finding the right pest control product is often a case of carrying out a full assessment. When a homeowner has discovered a pest (or pests) in their space, they probably want the problem fixed quickly.

The phrase ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’ is used more than you might think. Pest control is a trade that is almost exclusively based around emergency and responsive jobs. Without knowing what sort of work you’ll be doing, you always need access to the right tools.

With a career in pest control, you’ll need to get a good grasp of the right tools for the job. What you want is to remove the pests with limited effect on the customer’s home. And also to prevent them from coming back.

No matter how resilient you may feel, in pest control you always need to protect yourself. PPE such as respirators, veils, masks and gloves are available for a reason. It’s for your safety. You don’t want to catch anything nasty and be put out of action!

Why surveying is the most important tool of all

Rogue tradespeople are just as much of a problem as ever before. That means that there is often no risk assessment done – or paperwork left by others when the work is complete.

“I believe that surveying is the golden rule when it comes to the pest control industry,” says Martin Grainger from Zero Tolerance Pest Control. “People can too easily misdiagnose the situation or be guided by what the customer thinks. And that won’t always get the problem sorted first time.”

Three steps to follow are:

1. Survey the site
2. Identify why they’re there
3. Identify how they’ve got in

Resilience in pests is gradually being built up with the use of chemicals. That’s partly because trade businesses are relying too heavily on products they don’t need. For example, that could be an overreliance on anticoagulants for dealing with rodents.

Surveying properly means you can work out what the problem is. That helps you to eradicate pests first time around, leading to higher customer satisfaction rates.

What other support do you need in pest control?

Being accredited to a recognised trade association will provide you with a range of essential support. In this sector, that could be membership of the British Pest Control Association.

Another useful source of support is the BASIS PROMPT Pest Controllers register. It’s an independent verification and checking organisation that shows a pest controller has received proper training and is keeping their certification up to date. PROMPT also provides training courses.

Being part of a trade association means having access to the latest guidelines based on government legislation. The hard work is done for you by the association.

You can also get a good idea of how your business will be affected by any changes. For example, more recent guidelines have moved against the external use of pesticides – especially nothing that lasts longer than a month.

Checkatrade membership also provides comprehensive checking and verification of tradespeople. We help members with pest control insurance advice so their business is protected.

What are the essential pest control tools in any toolkit?

You might think that an essential for any good pest control business is chemicals? Maybe not.

While it is useful to have powders and sprays at your disposal, you should not need to rely on them too much.

Pest control is as much about prevention as it is about reaction. So, chemicals are really there as a last resort.

Pest control essentials include:

A survey

A survey allows you to assess the whole issue. This could include checking how the pests are getting in and why they’re getting in.

Ladders

You could be working high as well as low to tackle pest problems.

Protective clothing

Different types of clothing will be required for different jobs.

An inspection mirror

This can help you see into difficult places.

A torch

Essential for seeing into darker areas.

Infrared or night vision tools

These can help you carry out a survey efficiently.

A vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particle Arrester)

This is vital for an effective clean-up operation.

What are the pest control-specific supplies you might need?

There are a number of places where you can source pest control supplies that are of a professional standard. Eco-friendly pest control options are also available.

Remember, not everyone is happy using pesticides – especially in their gardens.

Professional bed bug control kit

These contain a mixture of insecticides to deal with bed bugs of all ages. Eggs only take a couple of weeks to hatch, and they become adults within a month.

Females can lay between five and 12 eggs every day. So you can see why infestations can very quickly get out of hand.

A professional bed bug control kit will provide everything you need to treat a home. You should be able to rid bed bugs at every stage of their life cycle.

One of the standard options is the NOPE! Bedbug Killer Spray. This can be used on soft furnishings, such as carpets, sofas and bed frames, but not on bedsheets themselves.

Professional rat bait stations

Homes and businesses can be severely impacted by rat infestations. Rats can cause untold physical damage to a business, including damage to business’s reputation.

Local councils are keen to prosecute offending businesses. They’re the ones who fail to guard against rats and the diseases they spread.

Live animal traps

Pests larger than a rat or mouse are fortunately limited in the UK.  However, live animal traps can be very useful in catching unwanted intruders. These could include stray cats or other roaming small animals that are causing a nuisance.

Professional flea exterminator

A variety of sprays are available to remove fleas. They need to contain an insect growth regulator.

This is a chemical that prevents the completion of the flea life cycle, from larvae to the adult stage. It won’t kill adult fleas, so should be used alongside a conventional insecticide.

Pest control tools for ongoing prevention

A range of control tools are available depending on the nature of the pest.

Chimney cowls

These are placed on the top of a chimney to keep things out. They should be effective at stopping birds and bats from entering chimney spaces.

Tree guards

These are used to protect the trunks of young trees from attack by larger pests, such as deer.

Line guards or pole guards

These physical deterrents are often put on overhead cables. They are used to prevent line damage from creatures like squirrels.

Line guards spin when something tries to crawl on them, making it harder to traverse along the line.

How a trade association can help your business

The British Pest Control Association supports more than 700 members across the UK. It sets high standards through its Code of Practice. Most of its members are small businesses.

Being a trade association member helps to protect the reputation of your business. It also ensures customers receive the most professional service dealing with the tricky problem of pest control.

Content disclaimer: This content has been created for general information purposes and should not be taken as formal advice. Read our full disclaimer here.