It seems as if pets are always in the news. Whether its horror stories about bed bugs, or sensational articles about rats or flying ants, you can’t go a day without seeing something new. With that in mind, here’s the latest on pests in the news.
News of pests from the UK and around the world
One of the biggest stories to break lately isn’t about pests exactly. It’s about scams by cowboy pest controllers. In France, two men were arrested for running a pest control scam. These men allegedly swindled pensioners out of tens of thousands of pounds. They did this by ringing on doorbells and selling bogus bed bug sprays and creams. These went for eye-watering amounts of money (one person was ripped off for £1,800). The moral of the story is that you should never trust “pest technicians” who randomly come to your front door.
Bed bugs are also causing problems across Europe, including the UK. So much so, that pest controllers are now using bed bug detection sniffer dogs to find these pests. For one of these companies using man‘s best friend in the West Midlands, it looks like business is booming. A spokesman claims that, since June, they’ve seen a 25% increase in callouts. Most of these are coming from hotels who want to pinpoint the source of their infestations.
Pest control stories from elsewhere in the UK
There are also pests in the news in Scotland. Although London is the most notorious city for rodents, according to a local pest control company, Edinburgh is worse. This appears to be true, at least when it comes to house mice.
For example, one Scottish company saw a 54% increase in calls outs for mice this year. At the same time, calls outs for rats increased by 24%. One person who works for this company attributes the rise to COVID-19. Pest controllers were not able to work during that time, so rodent numbers increased. Rodents are also developing a greater resistance to poison and baits.
Here’s one final item on pests in the news. Most pest controllers are aware of the safety factors involved with pesticides and try to use them as safely as possible. This level of conscientious doesn’t extend to the UK government who, In shocking news, have just approved a deadly pesticide known as Cruiser SB. The problem with this poison is that it poses a major risk to bees, as well as aquatic life. This is why it’s actually banned in the EU.
