News | PPC107 June 2022

Our regular PPC magazine feature, taking a look at public relations and how BPCA works with the press to educate the public about pest awareness.

PestEx in the spotlight

PestEx was the main story for BPCA in the first quarter of the year, with work promoting the show starting in January and coverage of the event itself live from ExCel London.

The ‘National expo putting pest control in the spotlight’ story was picked up in regional and trade press targeted at pest control and related sectors - highlighting the event and raising awareness of the wider industry and BPCA.

Activity in winter and spring

The importance of professional pest management drove the news agenda in January in response to reports of fake pest controllers scamming people out of their hard-earned cash.

BPCA was quick to issue a press release urging householders and businesses to check the credentials of their pest controller and look for accreditations such as BPCA membership.

The press picked up the story in the tail end of January and ran it through into February, appearing in newspapers from Brighton and Romsey to Midlothian and Mearns.

Press activity around woodlice issued in December continued to reap results into the new year, and, as thoughts of spring cleaning started to creep into the national consciousness, BPCA reminded householders to check for bed bugs and encouraged hospitality businesses to tackle any issues before the start of the holiday season.

In February, ‘How clean is a rat?’ was the question posed and answered in a feature for Tomorrow’s Cleaning magazine, urging cleaning operatives to be aware of the signs that rodents are present and take steps to prevent an infestation.

Country Smallholding’s February edition featured ‘Ditching unwanted visitors’, the first in a series of articles for the magazine aimed at small farmers, about simple steps to deter pests.

This partnership is set to continue throughout 2022, offering pest advice and signposting to BPCA members for smallholders who may not have the know-how or confidence to deal with potential pest issues.

Other farming titles including Midland Farmer and Anglia Farmer ran with ‘Top tips to keep rodents out of your grain store’ highlighting the ‘prevention is better than cure’ approach advocated by BPCA.

As always, BPCA achieved a mix of regional and national press coverage to raise the profile of the Association among the general public, as well as tailored articles for specific sectors such as contract cleaning, facilities management, agriculture and hospitality.

Looking ahead to spring and summer

BPCA will highlight the importance of seeking professional help if birds are becoming a nuisance during nesting season, and urging householders to check for signs of cockroaches when spring cleaning.

And work will continue with farming titles, as BPCA and James Grundy MP discuss protecting the right to rodenticides by promoting responsible use, and Country Smallholding features a detailed look at rodent zoonosis in relation to avian flu.

Read all about it!

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