Talking Pest Management

In der heutigen Ausgabe von Talking Pest Management haben wir wieder Gäste persönlich vor die Kamera bekommen. Lukas Bartels und Ben Meyer von der Firma RATTEX sind zu Besuch und wir unterhalten uns ein wenig darüber, wie sie ihr Unternehmen digitalisiert haben.  Besonders bei einem Familienunternehmen wurden die meisten Prozesse schon perfektioniert und jeder Mitarbeiter darauf eingestellt. Da ist es ein starker Umschwung, wenn man diese Strukturen umstellen möchte und ist auch sicher nicht an einem Tag erledigt.  Den Werdegang von Rattex haben wir schon länger beobachten können und man konnte immer feststellen, dass man sich immer schon viel mit den neuen Methoden und Mitteln auf dem Markt auseinander gesetzt hat. Das ist vermutlich auch einer der wichtigsten Bausteine, weshalb die Umstellung der bestehenden Unternehmensstrukturen so gut von Hand ging. Für eine solche Umstellung gibt es nämlich viele Faktoren und Aspekte, wo man ansetzen muss. Das geht natürlich erheblich einfacher, wenn jeder im Unternehmen da mitwirkt, aber da das Unternehmen ja trotzdem weiter läuft und funktionieren muss, braucht es eine zusätzliche Stelle, die sich nur um die Aufgaben der Digitalisierung kümmert. Diese Person kann sich dann voll und ganz darauf konzentrieren und jedem für Nachfragen zur Verfügung stehen.  Wir bedanken uns nochmal für das Tolle Gespräch, es war wirklich sehr informativ und wir hoffen, dass es auch für euch Zuschauer genau so spannend ist. Also viel Spaß bei dieser Ausgabe von Talking Pest Management!

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As you might now, Talking Pest Management is all about covering as many different perspectives of our industry as possible. We already talked to many international guests on our show. There where pest controllers, their customers, but also scientists and product developers.  As we all know, every pest controller comes to the point, where they must take a look at the major standards of the food industry, just like the AIB. This institution focusses on the analytical evaluation of the companys and rate them in a scoring system after how their quality standards stand up against the guidelines.  Wie auch schon letzte Woche, sprechen wir mit Thomas Auer, einem AIB Auditor, und besprechen sowohl allgemeine Themen zu dem Berufsfeld, aber auch seine Einschätzungen zu zukünftigen Entwicklungen. Im letzten Teil haben wir uns damit auseinander gesetzt, wie denn überhaupt die Ausbildung zu einem Auditor abläuft, welche Aspekte wichtig sind und worauf er in den zu auditierenden Unternehmen besonders achtet.  In terms of the topics this interview already took place in german but for our english viewers we decided to repeat it in english. But again we talk about what Thomas Auer focusses on in his work as AIB auditor and what future developments he sees coming towards us in the near future.   We hope you enjoy us talking and find it as interesting as we did.

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Bei Talking Pest Management geht es ja darum, viele Perspektiven aus der ganzen Branche einzufangen. Wir hatten schon einige internationale Gäste in unserer Show, Schädlingsbekämpfer, Kunden von Schädlingsbekämpfer, aber auch Forscher und Entwickler von Schädlingsbekämpfungs-Produkten.  Ein Teil der Kette, mit der sich jeder Schädlingsbekämpfer irgendwann befassen muss, sind die größeren Lebensmittelstandards, wie z.B. der AIB. Diese Institutionen befassen sich mit einer analytischen Auswertung der Unternehmen und vergeben Punkte, die den Qualitätsstandard in dem jeweiligen Unternehmen widerspiegeln.  Wie auch schon letzte Woche, sprechen wir mit Thomas Auer, einem AIB Auditor, und besprechen sowohl allgemeine Themen zu dem Berufsfeld, aber auch seine Einschätzungen zu zukünftigen Entwicklungen. Im letzten Teil haben wir uns damit auseinander gesetzt, wie denn überhaupt die Ausbildung zu einem Auditor abläuft, welche Aspekte wichtig sind und worauf er in den zu auditierenden Unternehmen besonders achtet.  Heute setzen wir diese Konversation fort und gehen auch darauf ein, wie er die Branche einschätzt und welche Entwicklungen uns wahrscheinlich bevorstehen werden.

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Bei Talking Pest Management geht es ja darum, viele Perspektiven aus der ganzen Branche einzufangen. Wir hatten schon einige internationale Gäste in unserer Show, Schädlingsbekämpfer, Kunden von Schädlingsbekämpfer, aber auch Forscher und Entwickler von Schädlingsbekämpfungs-Produkten.  Ein Teil der Kette, mit der sich jeder Schädlingsbekämpfer irgendwann befassen muss, sind die größeren Lebensmittelstandards, wie z.B. der AIB. Diese Institutionen befassen sich mit einer analytischen Auswertung der Unternehmen und vergeben Punkte, die einen Objektiven Qualitätsstandard darstellen.   Heute sprechen wir mit Thomas Auer, einem AIB Auditor, und besprechen sowohl allgemeine Themen zu dem Berufsfeld, aber auch seine Einschätzungen zu zukünftigen Entwicklungen. In diesem Teil fokussieren wir, wie denn überhaupt die Ausbildung zu einem Auditor abläuft, welche Aspekte wichtig sind und worauf er in den zu auditierenden Unternehmen besonders achtet.  Nächste Woche setzen wir diese Konversation fort und gehen auch darauf ein, wie er die Branche einschätzt und welche Entwicklungen uns wahrscheinlich bevorstehen werden. Schaut auch dann wieder vorbei.

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Dr. Robert Corrigan is a guest, that already visited ous show about a year ago. This time we go more in depth with our questions and talk about long term consequences from this ongoing pandemic.

Consequences probably sounds more negativ than it is, because one major change is how people think of viruses, especially ones that are brought in from wild animals. Therefore there will be an increased awareness for the need for pest control.

Now with digital remote monitoring we are able to scale up our monitoring services to cover the increasing needs. Therefore the phase after the pandemic might be the age of digital monitoring.

And this is just one of the many interesting topics we talked about in our Interview with Bobby Corrigan. So have a great time and enjoy our talk.

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Dr. Robert Corrigan is a guest, that already visited ous show about a year ago. This time we go more in depth with our questions and talk about long term consequences from this ongoing pandemic.  Consequences probably sounds more negativ than it is, because one major change is how people think of viruses, especially ones that are brought in from wild animals. Therefore there will be an increased awareness for the need for pest control.  Now with digital remote monitoring we are able to scale up our monitoring services to cover the increasing needs. Therefore the phase after the pandemic might be the age of digital monitoring.  And this is just one of the many interesting topics we talked about in our Interview with Bobby Corrigan. So have a great time and enjoy our talk.

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On this episode of Talking Pest Management we are honored to talk to Henry Mott, the president of CEPA, but since we already had him on the show we are doing things a bit differently.   This week Daniel collected questions from the community and from people, who work in the pest control industry and interviewed Henry with those questions. As there where quite a lot of interesting questions with equally interesting and long answers, we decided on splitting up this episode. This is part two of this show.

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On this episode of Talking Pest Management we are honored to talk to Henry Mott, the president of CEPA, but since we already had him on the show we are doing things a bit differently.   This week Daniel collected questions from the community and from people, who work in the pest control industry and interviewed Henry with those questions. As there where quite a lot of interesting questions with equally interesting and long answers, we decided on splitting up this episode. So stay tuned for next week, when you will see the rest of the interview.

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Different Priorities for the Vaccine  Ian Andrew is chief executive of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) and is also on the board of the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA). Ian is therefore one of the key leaders in our industry’s associations and is currently occupied organising the upcoming PestExtra virtual event.  With the way forward out of the lockdown announced in the UK – the ‘road map’ – BPCA is campaigning to get pest controllers, and for that matter all key workers, brought up the vaccination priority list. Key workers have kept the economy running, so is it not right that their contribution is recognised?   Likewise, BPCA is pushing for technicians to get easier and more cost effective access to Covid-19 lateral flow tests – a requirement demanded prior to technicians accessing several customers – and having to be paid for by the companies themselves.  Our TPM host, Daniel Schröer, compliments BPCA on all the excellent coronavirus guidance material it has produced.  Keep CALM  The topic of the mental health of those working within the industry is revisited – an update on the previous TPM interview Link to https://www.futura-germany.com/our-industry/tpm/liste-tpm/tpm-8.php in early May 2020. This followed a survey undertaken by BPCA which revealed that 44% of respondents claimed they were, or had, suffered from mental health issues. Often regarded as a taboo subject, feedback from BPCA’s activities has been very mixed, but as Ian says: “We all need to look after our mental health and do need somewhere to vent our feelings if faced with a problem.”   Ian congratulates Bayer for their support of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) Link to https://www.thecalmzone.net/ who is working both with BPCA and also in the golf sector, with the British and International Golf Greenkeeping Association (BIGGA) to assess how they can best support these industries. CALM has two sessions presenting their activities at the forthcoming PestExtra event.  Visit PestExtra on 16-18 March   Within a matter of days, take the opportunity to join BPCA at PestExtra running on 16, 17 and 18 March. Ian explains how disappointed the team was to have to cancel PestEx 2021, which will return next year, but instead there is a virtual event – PestExtra.  Much effort has gone into its preparation and it combines not only five concurrently run seminar theatres, but also a coffee lounge where delegates can ‘meet and chat’, roundtable discussions and a scavenger hunt with prizes. Add this to over 40 exhibitors and you certainly have a busy three days.   Aware that such virtual events may be new to many delegates, Ian details how a series of videos (click here to view Link to http://pestex.org/help) has been produced to help delegates become familiar on what is available and how it all works.   So, don’t delay, full details here Link to https://bpca.org.uk/Upcoming-Events/pestextra-2021-the-digital-pest-management-show/10684?OccId=15378

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Technology led growth  In this interview, the continued growth in the value of pest management is debated. Growth in both the appreciation of its value to society, but also in the financial value to those businesses operating in this sector. Although the technician on the ground remains king, the use of digital technology continues to expand.  Brian Monaghan is CEO and co-founder of Pest Pulse (https://www.pestpulse.com/), a technology-led pest services company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland but also offering services to commercial customers in the UK. Asked what makes Pest Pulse different, Brian explains the company always leads with remote monitoring as part of the package at a price equal to any regular contract.  Pest Pulse was formed three years ago when Brian linked up with his old friend, Tim O’Toole, formerly of Pest Guard. Although Tim has pest management experience, Brian did not, having previous worked for online companies such as Paddy Power, an international currency operation and a food delivery firm.   However, the two of them could see opportunities to ‘offer something different’ in pest management due to a mix of regulatory changes, particularly rodenticides, coupled with increasing demands from customers for technology-led service offerings. Looking for cash to develop the business, interest was shown from two venture capital firms, but the business was bought in 2019 by US-based Terminix (then ServiceMaster). As Brian explains: “This link gives us access to Terminix’s infrastructure and to resources that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to get.”  Pest companies trading at high multiples An interesting discussion emerges between our TPM host, Daniel Schröer and Brian regarding venture capitalists, technology stocks and the increasing overlap into the pest management business. Pest control, as a value stock, has always traded at a high multiple – the industry is pretty recession proof, grows annually with a good revenue to cash flow generation and now trades more like technology stock at a high multiple ratio.  As technology becomes increasingly available to this industry this will further improve multiples, growth and servicing – so raising the desirability of venture capitalists to invest. “Pest control is an in vogue industry, maybe for the first time, but we still need to capitalise on these opportunities,” Brian explains.  Future market consolidation  As to the future, Brian predicts further consolidation in the market with more acquisitions of medium to large servicing companies by the big four – notably Rentokil, Rollins (Orkin), Anticimex and Terminix. 

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Having been in the position of Deputy director at the Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Sanidad Ambiental (ANECPLA), the Spanish pest control trade association, for just over a year, Jorge Galván is passionate about training. In particular, the opportunities those within the industry have to raise not only their own profile, but also that of professionalism for the industry.  Based in the Spanish capital, Madrid, Jorge has a PhD in architecture plus experience of working in the field of wood protection, in particular promoting wood as a construction material. For ten years, before joining ANECPLA he worked as a teacher at the Centre for Environmental Health Studies (CEDESAM) in collaboration with ANECPLA. So his passion for training can easily be understood.  Asked for his view of the industry at the moment, Jorge explains how we now live in a changing world. The industry needs to prepare for reductions in the number of available biocides, to look for alternative methods of control, plus climate change and travel has caused the arrival of new invasive pest species.  But, now in particular, we all faced change with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic. But this can offer opportunities with the addition of disinfection services. The industry may well come out of this crisis in a stronger position.  Training supports change  To prepare for change, Jorge stresses the need for training – at all levels – not just technicians, but right through the industry, from those who answer the phone right up to the managers. For pest control companies, the majority whom are small & mid-sized enterprises (SME), management training must not be forgotten. As an industry, it is good at training on technical matters, but less so for business orientated ones.  For the future, he once again stresses the need for training and its harmonisation across Europe, an objective CEPA contributes to. Pest management is an important role that often gets overlooked by public health as a whole – that is until something goes wrong. Technicians need to view themselves as consultants and to value their service. However, the first person anyone must value is themselves. Recognise the important role you play.

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In this interview we hear about pest control activities in Finland from Lars Schauman, the managing director of S-Tuholaispalvelut Oy.   Based in Espoo, the second largest city in Finland, Lars is an early adopter of new ideas and is well known internationally for his search of new innovations.  For rodent control, the devices provide the control, so does a technician need to be there?  The task becomes one of measuring and recording it, so the use of remote digital monitoring and recording devices provides the solution. For the future, he is now considering switching all his remaining analogue clients to digital systems – not just for rodent control, but for all types of pest control.

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Kicking-off 2021, your Talking Pest Management host, Daniel Schröer, welcomes all listeners and wishes each and every one a happy new year.  There is something of a change, as Daniel has no industry guest to interview....only a personal and heartfelt message. “The industry is my hobby and my passion. It means a lot to me that you let me be your host and that you like what I do. Thank you for all the support and positive comments you have sent me over the past year.”  Daniel congratulates the industry as a whole for the way it has responded to the events of 2020 – a roller coaster year when business was turned upside down. The industry has proved itself to be a critical service and should rightly be proud of all its activities. He says: “When I retire I want to say I have done something good for our industry.”  Reflecting on the activities of Talking Pest Management (TPM), Daniel explains how it began – to help fill that gap created when personal conversations and interactions were lost with the cancellation of all events and conferences. Over the months there have been thousands of TPM viewers, listeners or readers, ranging from technicians wanting to learn more about their industry, to research staff hearing about new developments, to company owners and CEOs keeping in touch with commercial activities. Thank you for your commitment and feedback.  For the future, TPM interviews will be released every two, three or even every four weeks. It is quality rather than quantity that is important. The aim is to encourage people to ‘think outside the box’. What will our industry be like in 10 or 20 years time?   Suggestions of topics and interviewees are always welcomed. Send these to Daniel. As Daniel says: “At the end of the day, we do this for you.”

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The logistical and legislative problems caused by invasive pest species are discussed in this interview with Hakan Kjellberg, technical director of Anticimex. Pests don’t need passports nor do they read labels!

Based in Stockholm, Sweden Hakan Kjellberg is the technical director of international pest control servicing company, Anticimex – a global leader in preventative pest control.

Taking the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) as the example, this insect is now an established pest in orchards in Northern Italy where it causes problems attacking trees and rendering the fruit unsalable. However, Hakan reports that just a few weeks ago a colony was found and identified within containers in a logistics warehouse in Sweden. The risk is, just as it is with other invasive species – will this pest become established and cause a problem in Sweden?

Hakan stresses that across Europe a common approach, throughout the EU, should be adopted for these types of invasive species.
As for control of this pest in this specific indoor Swedish location, Hakan points out that there are no pesticides registered for this use – only for outdoor agricultural usage. He explains how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the approach and in this situation physical removal is the key, for example by vacuuming. Just one of the many ‘tools in the pest controllers’ IPM tool box.’

With climate change there are a likely to be more and more invasive species arriving, which run the risk of becoming endemic. Hakan stresses what a significant role professional pest controllers can play in providing an early warning system of invasive arrivals.

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The actual control of pests for clients needs to become the target for the industry, rather than technicians simply acting as pesticide applicators is the key take home message from this interview with Dr Dini Miller.

For the last 21 years Dr Dini Miller has been involved with urban pest management based within the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. She specialises in structural pests and insects within the house – in particular bed bugs, cockroaches, ants and termites. She has worked extensively in low income housing with the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) winning their inaugural Healthy Homes Hero award in 2018. She is also a co-editor of Advances in the Biology and Management of Modern Bed Bugs.

To begin, Dr Miller talks about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and how this phrase, so frequently used within urban pest management, initially came about. IPM owes its origins to agriculture back in the 1970s following the wide scale use of DDT on a very broad range of pests after World War II and the subsequent build up of genetic resistance – as captured by Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring.

Basically, farmers inspected their crops for pests and assessed the economic value of them applying a pesticide to reduce pests to a manageable level. The term has been taken up by those in urban pest management where it is less appropriate – what is the manageable level of a pest such as a bed bug? Nil. People don’t want a single insect.

Dini proposes the term should be changed to Assessment Pest Management – clients then know their problem is going to be assessed. Numbers of pests would be collected both before and after treatment. Customers will then be able to understand what the results are.
Dini describes her work within the HUD low income housing. Here cockroach problems can be so severe that she can catch 16,000 on three sticky board traps over one single night. Contract pricing comes under discussion – with the lowest taken and the maths applied as to how much time can be spent in each apartment (two to three minutes), this means that technicians literally have time only to dash in and spray. This is pesticide application NOT pest control. Time and persistence is required to eliminate pests.

A debate follows between Dini and our Talking Pest Management host, Daniel Schröer, regarding the use of the IPM term, particularly its value in differing environments, the food industry being one in particular, where it is more appropriate, than say in an apartment.
The interview finishes with a heartfelt plea by Dr Miller that the industry must change its perception with the public. A perception which basically hasn’t changed for 50 years. New young people have come into the industry, new methods and technologies are employed yet the image is still one of simply spraying insecticide. Technicians are professionals, they are trained, thinking human beings making decisions – they must be presented and perceived differently.

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The secrets and successes of how digital marketing can be maximised in pest control is revealed in this week’s interview with Kevin Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for Rollins Inc.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA Kevin seems to even surprise himself by revealing he has been with Rollins for 18 years. These 18 years, he explains, have been exciting years as it has been a period of constant change – from the previous era of marketing using Yellow Pages, the radio and TV to the new digital era which needs to appeal to Generation Z (those born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s). A period where there has been something new to learn regarding communication all the time.
Maybe at first a reluctant scholar, his curiosity as to why people did what they did as new platforms came around made for a series of fascinating experiments as to what appeals to customers. This transformation started with the early days in the late 1980s of dialling up on the internet to now accessing on your phone – today Kevin estimates 70% of the company’s inbound residential traffic comes via the phone.
TV consisted of three channels only to advertise on. Interestingly Daniel, our host, checks with Kevin that there is a history of broadcasting within the Rollins family. Correct – there was a broadcast business prior to buying Orkin in 1964. Today Rollins has a studio in Atlanta used for training its teams to levels of excellence which are viewed as critical for success.
Kevin identifies the technician as the key to selling the concept – the absence of pests - to their customers. “Marketing accesses demand. However, the service technicians communicates with the customer. They are solving their problem. We are only as good as the experience that consumer has with the technician.”
Kevin continues by explaining he feels there are three types of marketers – surfers, snorkelers and scuba divers. Tune in to see which you might be!
As to the future, the world is moving from traditional terrestrial TV to digital. So to locate your customers, who are increasingly the millennials, is a challenge. How do we get in front of them? Kevin explains how data is used to assess the success of different channels – how  to find a customer, what’s the cost of their acquisition and then how long do you keep them as customers – using the jargon the CLV – the customer lifetime value.
Google is identified as the provider of most customers, but Kevin stresses how important it is to optimise your value with Google – the question is ‘How do I make my brand more valuable in Google’s eyes’ Building content and relevancy is critical.
Getting customers off the search type platforms onto your own content is maybe the challenge of this decade. How to optimise search engine optimisation. Kevin uses the example of creating a series of videos, often amusing ones, which end in the result that this problem looks a little harder than a customer thinks, so maybe it’s time to call a professional.

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Clive Boase from the UK is the invited guest in this week’s Talking Pest Management interview.

A scientist and independent consultant but Clive is also a key player, and a joint co-founder, of the International Conference on Urban Pests, or as it is more commonly referred to, simply ICUP.Clive relates how what started out as a bright idea in the early 1990s by a handful of people to hold an international urban pest conference, has developed into the event we know today. With no commercial funding, it was decided to hold the inaugural event in 1993 Cambridge, a location near to where Clive lives. The event was a resounding success and since then a purely scientific conference has been held every three years.  Of the six people originally involved in its creation, only he and Bill Robinson from the US remain on the executive committee.These ICUP events move around the world and consist of scientific presentations, poster papers, workshops but perhaps most importantly, and certainly very popular, are the networking and social events where ideas are freely exchanged. Every paper and poster presented is published in printed proceedings, but these are now all available in a searchable database on the ICUP website. A unique resource our TPM host describes as the ‘Google of urban pest control’.The 10th event was scheduled to be held in Barcelona in July 2020, but was postponed until September 2021 by the corona-virus pandemic. Clive explains that this is now again postponed due to the uncertainties caused by the pandemic, although Dr Rubén Bueno’s organising committee will be ready to re-start the conference as soon as the future becomes clearer. Clive is keen to stress though, that in the meanwhile other ways of bringing the ICUP ‘family’ together, are being considered. Watch this space!Looking to the future....Asked what challenges Clive thinks the industry generally will face in the next 10 years he sees climate change playing a significant role – new pests coming into play in new territories. Also the challenges faced by increased pesticide resistance, a reduced stable of available pesticides and less new chemicals developed than was the case in the past. Basically the challenge is to use what we have in smarter ways.This can be described as Integrated Pest Management, but Clive feels it must be underpinned by robust science.

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Indianapolis, right in the centre of the USA is the location for this week’s interview with Tom Mueller, Vice President of Insects Limited Inc. The company, started by Tom’s father Dave in 1982, has made a name for itself internationally with its pioneering work with insect pheromones. Tom’s brother, Pete, manages the servicing arm of the business, Fumigation Services & Supply (FSS) Inc. As Tom explains, “Insects Limited is more the technical wing and looks for non-toxic alternatives to solving pest problems. Pheromones are a big part of this as they are indicative of the presence of an insect infestation.” Whilst digital monitoring traps are now well known for use with rodents and wildlife, Insects Limited has developed a unique digital, WiFi-powered, monitoring trap for moths with in-built camera. This serves the need of companies who not only want insect information, but also how to solve that problem with the collection of real-time data. This development fulfils the company’s values of innovation and science so as to be educational. Big food manufacturers themselves, rather than the pest control servicing companies, are driving their use and can now see the benefits and the transparency of the information offered. Despite an initial slow start and some reluctance, growth is exponential, as it is now for all digital products. Auditors are supportive and have written them into their procedures. As for the future, Tom predicts digital products are gradually changing the world of pest control – away from simple routeing and trap checking to charging for the quality of the service.

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Take a deep breath and prepare to feel exhausted by this week’s guest – Heiko Kaiser – or as he is often called ‘Hyper Heiko’!  Based in Rotorua, located on the North Island of New Zealand, Heiko is the founder and owner of pest control company ALPECO (Alternative Pest Control), as well as involved with product sales, BRC insect lights and Designed-2-Kill (D2K), a company specialising in non-toxic pest control products.  However Heiko is probably best known for his work with bed bugs.   For over 25 years Heiko worked in Germany and New Zealand within the food and hospitality industries before immigrating to New Zealand some 20 years ago. So, becoming involved with bed bugs within the hotel industry was something of a natural progression. His emphasis is very much on non-toxic treatments and he has become well known for his work with heat creating the Thermo-bug system. This is with high temperatures, over 55°C, but sometimes also uses using freezing. Chemicals are only used as and when totally necessary.  Heiko now builds his own specialised heaters and treatment equipment and has recently diversified treating borer (common furniture beetle) in containers and is proud to announce he has recently been certified to legally undertake these treatments in France.  Responding to the coronavirus crisis Heiko and BRC have developed a product, shortly to be released, to kill coronavirus. Pests and viruses offer comparable strategies.  Another project he is working on, in conjunction with Vodafone, is combining remote monitoring technology with traps in wildlife sanctuaries to save native species. This high tech approach appeals to a younger generation of volunteers. Sensors, drones and automated traps are the future.

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In this Talking Pest Management interview we hear about pest control activities in Finland from Lars Schauman, the managing director of S-Tuholaispalvelut Oy.   Based in Espoo, the second largest city in Finland, Lars is an early adopter of new ideas and is well known internationally for his search of new innovations.  Lars explains how the coronavirus situation has caused him to change his whole way of thinking regarding customer servicing. Namely, how to maintain a good level of service when access is not possible?   For rodent control, the devices provide the control, so does a technician need to be there?  The task becomes one of measuring and recording it, so the use of remote digital monitoring and recording devices provides the solution. For the future, he is now considering switching all his remaining analogue clients to digital systems – not just for rodent control, but for all types of pest control.  Non-toxic pest control is increasing, but an interesting method allowed in Finland is shooting. This being particularly effective where rodents have adequate cover and supplies of food, so are not attracted into baited boxes. When shooting, safety is a key requirement. This is undertaken at night when the rodents are active, but can lead to some interesting encounters with the Police, despite advising the authorities in advance!

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Pest control in Slovenia, one of the smallest countries in Europe, is featured this week. Positioned at the crossroads between Western & Eastern Europe and with a population of just over two million, Talking Pest Management is delighted to welcome Zlatko Dakiċ.
Zlatko Dakiċ is the owner and CEO of the pest control company, DDD d.o.o. The company is based in Koper, a port city in Slovenia, on the country's Adriatic coastline.
Formed in 1990, DDD originally specialised in fumigation within the port and its containers. However, when the port was blockaded for six months in 2016, to survive the company added more general pest control services which were extended throughout Slovenia. With a compliment of eight technicians, Zlatko estimates his company holds a 70% share of the home market.
Zlatko is also much involved with CEPA and since 2018 he has acted as the CEPA Certified Scheme Leader. CEPA Certified recognises ability and professionalism – our interview host, Daniel Schröer – thanked Zlatko for all his endeavours, and encouraged the industry to support Zlatko to help build a better world of pest management.
Asked about his experiences of the recent coronavirus pandemic, like most of us, Zlatko said this took the company by surprise. With the country’s borders closed, there was a period of readjustment. However, work in the port continued uninterrupted and, amazingly, production in the flour mills increased some 300%. Ideal for home baking!
Pest control was not deemed a key service in Slovenia and, interestingly, disinfection services remained within the professional remit of the cleaning industry.

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The focus in this week’s interview switches to the subject of mosquitoes and the spread of malaria and other mosquito-transmitted tropical diseases. Something of a change from the more traditional pest management topics discussed in previews interviews, yet still a subject of relevance and opportunity for professionals.  No doubt already well known to listeners for his involvement over very many years in the global professional pest market, Rob Fryatt of UK-based Xenex, has for the last 15 years also been heavily involved in mosquito abatement worldwide.  Just after the turn of the millennium, Rob was involved with a wider group of people working with the Boston Consulting Group compiling a report for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The brief was to establish how best to invest the Foundation’s financial resources for greatest reward in the area of malaria control. Rob contributed a pest management perspective – basically how to get appropriate technologies into the hands of people in developing markets, in particular SE Asia and Africa.  The Foundation quickly picked-up on the use of insecticide treated bed nets – an action Rob views as the biggest intervention in the last 20 years.  However, with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, Rob is concerned regarding the future for malaria control with the already thinly stretched resources – it would be all too easy to forego the progress made. Malaria remains the single largest killer of children on the planet, after malnutrition and gastro-enteritis.  Emergence of neglected tropical diseases  Rob reminds listeners not to overlook the other mosquito-borne diseases – in particular dengue, zika, chikungunya and West Nile (WNF) fever – often referred to as neglected tropical diseases (NTD). In the US over the last 15 years, WNF has grown to such an extent that around 200 deaths are recorded annually, which has expanded the market such that now some 30% of National Pest Management Association (NPMA) members undertake mosquito work leading to a market worth in the order of $500 million.  With changes in weather patterns and climate, Rob predicts an upsurge in WNV in Europe – a threat the industry in not prepared for as it has, so far, been ignored.

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Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in the Pest Control Industry  This week’s interview is essential listening for all those interested in what’s happening in the global pest control company mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market, especially if you yourself are contemplating the sale of your own business. So, settle down and listen to what Paul Giannamore, the managing director of the Potomac Company (www.PotomacPest.com), has to say. With offices in Geneva, Switzerland and Philadelphia, USA, the Potomac Company specialises in global mergers and acquisitions, with special expertise in the pest control sector.  Paul first explains that the reasons why an owner wants to sell their business varies greatly, and interestingly, has changed over time. Traditionally the sale of what are mainly family businesses often came about as a result of a family death or divorce, with the average age of the seller being 70-80 years old. Now sellers are around the 40-50 year mark and are aiming to cash-in on their investment, often then going on to start a second career.  Over the last few years, pest control businesses have experienced asset price inflation – from traditionally five to eight times cash flow, to now 15 to 20 times. Amazingly, these businesses have increased in value by 300% in the last five years.  2019 was in fact the highest year on record for spend on servicing company acquisitions – an estimated $1.5 billion (1.3 billion Euros) – double that of 2018. However, with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, the market this year is only 10% of 2019. But... Paul anticipates the market to return with force in Q4 and into 2021, with valuations remaining high.  So, no better time to sell. But how to do it? For those contemplating selling-up, Paul recommends taking on the services of an advisor. He notes how those companies making acquisitions are getting a much better deal in Europe than in the US. Staggeringly, transaction multiples in Europe are only two-thirds of what they are in the USA.   As to what a company is worth, factors such as client base, geographic coverage, proportion of recurring contracts e.g. commercial accounts, resilience demonstrated during the Covid-19 crisis are significant factors, in addition to profitability. But listen to what else he says....  Paul stresses that if listeners take home one single message it would be, not to simply have casual conversations with a few potential purchasers – put together your sales materials, contact at least three or four potential acquirers and run a formal competitive process. Make them work for the acquisition.  As for the future, Paul views the largest business opportunity is making the industry more technologically focussed. Whilst people still remain key, there is increasing scope for enhanced data management and the use of remote technology, especially as the regulatory agencies continue to search for reduced biocide use.  Paul Giannamore can be contacted at paul@potomaccompany.com

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Today Daniel is talking to Steve Broadbent. We have August 2020 right now and the pandemic is still not over yet unfortunaly. That's why Steve gives us an update on how COVID has affected Australia and Asia. Daniel and Steve also talk about new ways of work in our industry and how important pest control is for global health.

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This week a very well known and much respected member of the international pest control industry finds himself in the Talking Pest Management hot seat – Serge Simon.  Serge is managing director of Edialux in France and has been an active member in the pest control industry for over 30 years. His company is not only a member of the French and also the Swiss trade associations, but Serge has also played an active role within CEPA (Confederation of European Pest Management Associations) and is on the CEPA board of directors.  He relates how he has always considered training to be fundamental, in fact Edialux was the first company to set up courses in France. He stresses that his purpose in life has never been to talk about himself, but talk about what you are useful for. The same applies to a pest control company – stress the importance and relevance of what you do protecting public health – how many lives you have saved.  Likewise for CEPA – validate its worth and contribution within public hygiene. Dispel the idea that the industry is just users of biocides. Biocides are simply one part of the job – one tool in the tool box. The first key thing is always to establish the cause of any pest problem. This sentiment leads seamlessly into a discussion regarding the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the significance of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Serge describes IPM as simply using the right tool, be it a biocide, physical proofing activities, cleaning, even training, at the right time.   For the MoU, Serge neatly sums up its objective as creating an agreement – an agreement on one side between the person using pest management services, and on the other, the person doing the pest management.  Demonstrating his long term commitment to the industry, Serge says: “Not only is this a business, its role is to protect and take care of people.”

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This week’s interview with Alain van Lidth de Jeude majors on the importance of Integrated Pest Management and its significance to the professional pest control industry.
Alain van Lidth de Jeude is regional director for Rentokil Pest Control with responsibility for Latin America and Europe. Since 2006 Alain has been involved with CEPA (Confederation of European Pest Management Associations) not only as a member of the board of directors, but also in the position of treasurer.
Alain details how important CEPA is, especially in its role striving for a better world within the professional pest management industry. Our Talking Pest Management host, Daniel Schröer, raises the subject of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the significance within this of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). What is so important about IPM?
To the uneducated, pest control simply involves catching pests, but Alain explains how inaccurate this description is. Professional control is all about preventative programmes to make sure there are no pests in your environment. IPM is all about advising, consulting and guiding so as to avoid any pest infestation – without pests you don’t need any chemicals.
Quizzed as to the value of the MoU to stakeholders and why stakeholders should sign-up, Alain uses an analogy from the medical world to explain its worth. Everyone understands the value when they are ill of being treated by a certified professional – a doctor. A doctor is a skilled and trained professional, a doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. The same is true of a pest professional. They are trained, updated, informed of new techniques and only use chemicals as a last resort.
Alain stresses that it is the moral commitment of all stakeholders to only collaborate and use the services of those companies with trained professionals who comply with the principles of IPM.

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This week’s interview is short and to the point and has a more commercial feel to it, as Talking Pest Management welcomes Steve Leavitt, Group President at Rollins Inc. based in Atlanta, USA.As the parent company, Rollins is better known within pest control in the US under its Orkin banner but also has a strong presence in Australia, Singapore, Canada and the UK with franchises elsewhere across the world. Rollins recently made the headlines when it announced the acquisition of Melbourne-based Adams Pest Control in Australia who Steve describes as “a great member to the team.”Quizzed on the Rollins strategy regarding mergers and acquisitions, Steve explains that “it is not so much where we want to be, but who we want to be with.” Quality is the main metric the organisation seeks, a company regarded as kindred spirits whose culture is allied with their own.The value of local knowledge, or as Steve describes it “boots on the street”, is stressed. Which companies are good and which are not. A bad player in the industry hurts everyone. Regarding Covid-19 Steve explains that the commercial side of their business, which makes up the main part outside of the US, was hardest hit. Travel ceased and technology, particularly for communication, had become increasing relied upon. From a personal point of view Steve admits that without personal contact when in discussion with his staff he has had to learn to become a better listener. Finally, something most of those working within the industry realise, pest control certainly might neither be the sexiest nor the most dynamic industry, but it is a stable and reliable one. “When the economy is hurting we get significantly more applicants to join.”

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Pest control in Italy during Covid-19 features in this week’s Talking Pest Management interview with Monica Biglietto. Based in Naples, Italy, Monica is a trained chemist, chief executive and technical director of pest control company, Fumigat Srl. She is the ANID (the Italian pest control trade association) representative to CEPA (Confederation of European Pest Management Associations) and is also on the CEPA board of directors.
Asked about Italy’s initial reaction to the Covid-19 crisis, Monica admits at first it was one of confusion. But she neatly sums up the current challenge saying: “We had to change from dealing with macro pests to micro invisible pests. Disinfection became our main activity with safety of our own personnel a key consideration.”
With protective clothing hard to find, staff teams and their travel reorganised and all administrative staff working from home, operations became very different. However, the crisis has brought the value and level of professionalism in the industry to greater public recognition. With ANID’s leadership dealing at Ministerial level and with the production of guides and protocols, the industry has worked together co-operatively, rather than in competition.
Fumigation has always been a significant sector in Italy and asked why this is so, Monica explains how there has always been a culture of fumigation, as a recognised treatment for bacterial activity, probably mainly brought on by the high temperatures, often over 40°C, for long periods in the country.
Looking to the future, Monica identifies the increasingly important role played by women in the industry along with the significance of the CEPA MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) activities which promote professionalism and she encourages everyone to embrace this.
For the longer 10-20 year future, Monica sees a great challenge, out of respect for the environment, of switching to pest control with only vital, or no, use of biocides. Heat – both hot and cold – along with the use of physical traps are seen as ideal alternatives.

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Continuing the trend, this week’s Talking Pest Management interview is with Patrick Vernié, another member of the board of CEPA, the European pest management services trade association.
In addition to his CEPA role, Patrick Vernié’s ‘day job’ is as a senior stakeholder for Bayer Environmental Science based in Lyon, France. This role involves him in the co-ordination of Bayer’s activities across Europe, extending to Africa and also Asia. Patrick has been involved within the professional pest control industry for approaching 25 years and has played an active role within CEPA for the last 15.
Patrick begins by explaining how overall the Bayer business is totally based on science and innovation searching for solutions for society at large – in short ‘Health for All: Hunger for None’. Asked how the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected its business, Patrick unsurprisingly says that no-one could have predicted this scenario but industry has had to adapt as best it can. Bayer’s top priority was to ensure the safety of all its employees – to this effect Patrick has been working from home since mid-March. The next priority was to ensure continuity of supply of products for customers. With boarders often closed this proved a challenge getting products to customers, but it also brought home the complexities involved in the supply chain, with components coming from many different places.
With Europe under lockdown, the significance and contribution towards public health of pest control has come to the fore. There is no better time for stake holders to come together and recognise the CEPA introduced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). And by stake holders Patrick emphasises this is not just pest controllers on their own, but also to join forces with customers, regulators and politicians – to recognise the importance of the industry.
As to the future, Patrick predicts the COVID-19 crisis will accelerate and stimulate the changes which were already entering the industry – notably the increased use of artificial intelligence, such as remote working not just for technicians but for managers alike. However, people still remain key.
“These are very exciting times for the industry. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate to society, and the world at large, how essential it is. We need the right tools to do our job efficiently. We need to raise the bar on training standards to ensure a high and universal level across the whole of Europe,” he concludes.

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This week Rune Bratland is welcomed by Daniel Schröer to Talking Pest Management. Rune is CEO and owner of pest control servicing company, Skadedyrservice AS, based in Bergen in the west of Norway. He is also chairman of SKABRA, the Norwegian Pest Control Association as well as being on the board of CEPA, the European pest management services trade association.
In general, familiarity and news of what is happening in the Norwegian pest control market is not great outside Norway, so it is very interesting to hear from Rune what is both similar, but also different.
Starting with what is similar, Covid-19 is a problem common to everyone and like elsewhere in Europe, after an initial shutdown period, pest controllers were deemed key workers. But what is unique across Scandinavia is the position regarding home insurance – whereby pest control is included as a service. A free home inspection is offered and then, if a problem arises, treatment is arranged. So arrangements between insurance and pest control company are mutually advantageous.
Asked how pest control has changed over the last 20 years, Rune explains how back in 2020 no formal training of technicians was required. Formal training was, however, introduced on 2004 since when there has been a gradual shift towards integrated pest management (IPM) and now the uptake of digital trapping and remote monitoring. Interestingly, he records how both first and second generation rodenticides are employed, because as yet, there is no evidence of resistance.
As part of his CEPA board remit, Rune has special responsibility for training and was involved in the development of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). This, Rune explains, is a self regulated standard that defines minimum training requirements which will differentiate, across Europe, trained professional pest controllers from just pest controllers.

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Once again Talking Pest Management catches up with Peter Trotman, based in the UK and managing director of pest control company, Pest Pulse.
Discussing the current Covid crisis, Peter says he was not surprised pest control was deemed an essential service and explains how the lockdown has actually been a benefit for practical pest controllers. With facilities closed down, this has provided the opportunity to spend extended periods of time in situations where access was previously highly restricted.
Covid has also raised the awareness of the benefits of pest control with customers along with the increasing professionalism of technicians – he congratulates CEPA on all they have done gaining recognition for the industry via the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding).
Regarding rodent behaviour, mice and run-through boxes had attracted his attention. Peter explains that as a company they extensively use run-through boxes with double traps at each end where mice are usually captured on the second, inner trap, indicating they are entering at some speed. Some four weeks into lockdown, with far less humans around, mice were no longer scurrying around at such velocity and were being caught, and in larger numbers, on the first trap. Mice activity had now reached the lowest level he had ever seen.
On the other hand, rat numbers had increased; their behaviour had become more aggressive, and with a lack of available street food they were gnawing into bins. “Mice down – rats up.”
As to the future use of smart technology, Peter explains how the use of the remote monitoring technology is now much easier, and also cheaper, so now equals the cost of traditional pest control. But on a practical level he is still learning how ‘smart’ and ‘traditional’ can work alongside each other. “Smart and traditional complement each other.”
As to the future, asked how Covid is likely to affect the pest control industry, Peter recounts a recent discussion he had had with a City investment analyst. Whilst several pest control clients are likely to suffer, they are still willing to spend money on pest control – so the industry as a whole is reasonably robust. With increased remote working, there will be more choice in the labour market and pest control may well become more attractive to the younger generation who can foresee a longer term career within this sector.

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Dr Robert (Bobby) Corrigan is one of the world’s most renowned urban rodent experts. He is president of RMC Pest Management Consulting based in New York City, USA and has more than 30 years experience working within the industry.  In this far reaching interview, Bobby begins by discussing the effects of the current Covid-19 pandemic on rodent behaviour, the role of Integrated Pest Management and the power of quality data. Looking to the future he shares his opinions on the rapidly increasing use of remote rodent monitoring technology and concludes by prophesying what pest control, and those working within it – who he refers to as „observational biologists“ – will be like in the future.  In the current situation, Bobby first comments on the effect Covid-19 has on rodent behaviour. He explains that it is hardly surprising their behaviour has changed – deprive them of food for several days, reduce the number of people on the streets and then we wonder why are we surprised to see disorientated and frightened rodents out in daylight.   Discussing Integrated Pest Management, Bobby says clients understand good housekeeping and proofing and are keen to be seen spraying and baiting but forget all about monitoring. „This is a service that will carry itself long into the future,“ says Bobby.  The new digital technology using remote sensors coupled with good database management will allow us to not only treat the pests but to profile their population – to prove how pest populations have reduced. He forecasts that remote monitoring won’t threaten technicians, it will enhance their role, it will make their activities more meaningful and so inspire them – to make them „observational biologists.“  He explains how pest control has basically followed the same work pattern for hundreds of years, but feels the tipping point of accepting this new technology is very nearly upon us – using the example of how the industry swung from spraying for cockroaches to baiting for cockroaches. Certainly interesting times ahead and thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us.   We look forward to catching up again with you in a few months time.

Talking Pest Management is a leading worldwide source of pest control news and opinion. It is designed for business leaders and opinion formers around the globe and explores current market situations and also innovative new technologies. Our videos feature interviews with prominent industry figures to bring you market-affecting insights, with the aim of helping people make informed business decisions in our industry and beyond.

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Richard Moseley is technical manager for the Bayer Pest Solutions team in the UK, having been involved within the professional pest control industry for more than two decades.

Richard shares his opinions and experiences of working in pest management in the current Covid-19 situation. Everyone has had to find new ways to operate and communicate, for example through online events and webinars. But Richard is quick to point out this information transfer is not „a one-way street. Information back from practical pest controllers is equally important.”

Throughout, the challenges posed by pests remain. In fact, in these difficult times, pest activity can make an already difficult situation even worse – for example the shutting down of a busy food factory or a stressed hospital ward. The correct choice and use of appropriate products and formulations is vital – „the right product in the right place“, he explains.

Access to some sites can be problematic so Richard views the increased use of remote technology as becoming even more important. Lessons can be learnt through limited access. This generates greater knowledge and more data – in fact it can „future-proof“ pest management by putting controls in place – a view we totally agree with him. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential service performed by pest managers – a role recognised by society by declaring them as key workers. This offers the industry at large the opportunity to elevate its status to one of competent and trained people using new technology. 

We will surely revisit Richard in the next months for another interview to see how Bayer is coping with the crisis and supporting its clients and distributors further. 

Thanks Richard for your time and insights, it’s been a pleasure.

Talking Pest Management is a leading worldwide source of pest control news and opinion. It is designed for business leaders and opinion formers around the globe and explores current market situations and also innovative new technologies. Our videos feature interviews with prominent industry figures to bring you market-affecting insights, with the aim of helping people make informed business decisions in our industry and beyond.

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Tony O’Donovan is one of the few people worldwide that really love Pest Control from the bottom of their hearts. With over 25 yrs experience in the field he is the Head of Pest Control Worldwide at Tesco, one of the world’s largest shopkeepers with close to 8.000 shops internationally.  Tony shares with Daniel exclusively that Tesco has signed a new contract for digital pest control with tens of thousands of digital traps in over 4.000 stores inside and outside all over the UK with their service provider. This is the world’s largest contract for digital products and surely marks the tipping point of digital in our industry.  For his group, data is gold as well as a large tool kit, which Tesco establishes with the digitization of traps they used and tested over years. So basically, nothing new, just digital helpers to increase pest protection for their shops, logistics, production and more.   Tony is unique in his role too, as he knows the client side as well as the pest management and prevention side. Sustainability is extremely important for him as well as independence from ever changing laws on pesticides available to professionals.  Digital is not a „silver bullet“ and it probably takes significantly more budget to his group, but „somebody had to take the leap of faith“ and we are glad to have had the opportunity to discuss with Tony on an early stage on this topic.  Rest assured that we will revisit this topic shortly and Tony will update us on the project, which probably is something the word looks up to and inspires many other companies around the globe to go digital.  Tony, thanks so much for your time. Definitely one of the leading figures in our industry and happy to have you aboard at CEPA as well. Speak soon.

Talking Pest Management is a leading worldwide source of pest control news and opinion. It is designed for business leaders and opinion formers around the globe and explores current market situations and also innovative new technologies. Our videos feature interviews with prominent industry figures to bring you market-affecting insights, with the aim of helping people make informed business decisions in our industry and beyond.

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Ian Andrew is chief executive of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) and is also on the board of the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA). Ian is therefore one of the key leaders in our industry’s associations.  Ian appreciates that pest managers have doubts and fears regarding the current risks concerning the Covid-19 situation and details how pest control managers can plan to overcome them. BPCA has recently launched a set of guidelines for those working in pest control which we discuss together.  Exclusively, Ian informs us about the new survey BPCA has just done with its members. Very insightful and shocking, this reveals that 44% of respondents claimed they were, or had, suffered from mental health issues. In the interview we discuss why this is and what people can do to overcome this problem. Ian has some positive thoughts on this topic and his suggestions and ideas should be heard.  Ian also discusses what the UK pest control sector might look like post Covid-19. A very likely result is surely the increased use of all sorts of „digital“ items of communication. Ian is a strong supporter of these, having introduced with his team webinars, video meetings, digital events, info hubs on the website, guidelines and much more – actually so much good and profound information that we would consider the BPCA as very go-ahead and hence maybe the best association for communications in the world.  Listen and learn for yourself.  Talking Pest Management is a leading worldwide source of pest control news and opinion. It is designed for business leaders and opinion formers around the globe and explores current market situations and also innovative new technologies. Our videos feature interviews with prominent industry figures to bring you market-affecting insights, with the aim of helping people make informed business decisions in our industry and beyond.

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