PPC115 | Opinion
Where should you begin in pest control? Do you need experience working on the tools to start a business? What are the barriers to entry? At PestEx 2024, we asked several members about how they started out.
We’ve summarised the conversation here.
PPC: Professional Pest Controller
LC Lewis Clarke
KG Karen Green
MS Malcolm Stowell
DW Dee Ward-Thompson
“We’ve had people go through the onboarding who then passed the RSPH with flying colours – it was obviously worthwhile and it saves us time in the end.”
PPC Can anyone get into pest control?
LC
If I can, anyone can. I learned my trade by working for bigger companies and then three years ago decided to go solo.
MS
I came from a completely different trade. I fell into it as many people do. The thing was, I absolutely loved it; the work, the experience and people you meet are unbelievable.
KG
I’d worked in retail and then started at John O’Conner in admin for the ground maintenance team. I just got the buzz for pest control, quite literally! You never know what the day is going to bring. I did my Level 2 and built on that – now we have a separate pest control division and I’m the manager.
DW
I worked in the food industry and I used to get this guy every six weeks with a pest control report for me to sign. I didn’t want to manage a contract I didn’t understand, so I did the BPCA eight-day course about pest control. I got qualified three months later.
I’d done quite well, got an award, then had a lot of approaches from pest control companies who wanted me to work for them. So yes – anybody can be a pest controller.
PPC If I set up my own company, how do I create a profile?
LC
I already had a name, but through other businesses, so we pushed to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. You are the product. You just have to find out what your market is – are you bird-proofing? Contract-based? Residential? Find your market and pursue it.
PPC What support is there for new businesses?
KG
We found that BPCA was a huge support for us. Finding a new technician is never easy.
We use BPCA’s onboarding programme to make sure that our technicians have a full understanding and awareness of what they need to do in the role. It supports new technicians and we all do the CPD to keep up with legislation and ensure we’re all continually learning.
BPCA has been a massive support and there’s so many functions from the templates and guides to support with tenders or if there are any problems. We use every function that BPCA has to offer. And there are lots of great people out there who will support you and give you advice.
MS
I was part of BPCA’s Professional Standards Committee, then the Servicing Committee, both of which were part of getting the onboarding and suchlike going.
If you’ve got young people coming in, the onboarding programme is absolutely fantastic. It takes the onus off businesses to create their own onboarding system and ensures new people coming into the industry are being taught the correct way.
We’ve had people go through the onboarding who then passed the RSPH with flying colours – it was obviously worthwhile and it saves us time in the end.
PPC How can I find a mentor?
MS
I’m an old dinosaur! When describing a mentor, I had to look it up in the dictionary. It’s defined as ‘an experienced and trusted adviser.’
That’s very relevant. It goes through the whole industry from top to bottom. Are older people experienced and trusted advisers? People who are mentoring others – are they really up to it? If you’re mentoring, always remember you are in a privileged and responsible position.
DW
Mentoring is a very difficult thing to do in our industry.
If you’re mentoring someone and you don’t understand the role, you can pass on bad habits. A mentor isn’t necessarily someone who’s been in the company since year dot, though those people can help with understanding contracts and paperwork.
But a mentor is an expert with experience who won’t put you wrong. I do a lot of mentoring for women and young people coming into the industry. I’m available!
Having a mentor is having someone to support you and who can set you right in what you’re trying to achieve in your business – and that could be someone you’ve met here today.
LC
Two years ago, I had been a BPCA member for one year. I had a question and shared it with BPCA’s President and a few of the older members that have a lot of input and say in the Association.
If you’re open to listening and asking questions, they are not scary. None of us are scary. If you’ve got a question and need an answer, message people! We are all out there to help each other. We all want to keep our customers and clients happy.
PPC Why should I get qualified if the law doesn’t require it?
MS
You don’t have to get qualified. But if you do anything wrong, you’re going to be in a court of law.
I did a five-year apprenticeship as an electrician – you wouldn’t want an unqualified electrician working on your home. Why shouldn’t we be called professional pest controllers?
We’re very qualified people dealing with dangerous stuff. Some of the work that technicians do can be extremely dangerous, so why shouldn’t we have a proper qualification to say we are indeed ‘professionals’?
BPCA is fighting to put this forward. If there’s ever a survey that comes out, please respond. It’s only by your input that we can make that professional recognition happen.
LC
I want to get rid of the window cleaner who’s got a bit of rat killer in the back of his shed and doesn’t worry about whether that’s going to kill a barn owl or a bird of prey next door.
It’s about reputation. We’re selling a product. You don’t want to sell pest control, you want to sell professional, clean, crisp, qualified services. We did a loft clearance last week – the electrician, the plumber and roofer wouldn’t go in because of rats.
We went in first with specialist equipment, making it safe for the other trades to do their work. We are out there providing a service that other people don’t want to do, and we’re doing it properly.
KG
I think everyone needs it – we need to show we are professionally trained. I wouldn’t want to have any of my technicians without it.
If you go for bigger contracts, they ask about training and qualifications. It’s like any career – you’ve got your ticket to show you’re fully trained and are doing things properly. We know what we’re doing and we’re doing it correctly.
DW
We insist that people are qualified before they join the Association. We’re the only Association that makes people prove they are qualified and have CPD, so our members can show that they’ve done their due diligence.
Your clients don’t have to check that you’re qualified, they know by seeing the BPCA logo.
PPC Which course should we be looking at?
DW
It depends on what you’re interested in.
Understand your public health pests, that’s your foundation. Once you’ve got that, think about what makes you tick. When I started, I was interested in rats and mice, but then got into insects really quickly. That was my area to specialise in.
We get very passionate about things we’re really interested in. In pest control you have to be a bit of a Jack-of-all trades, but don’t try to be an expert in all of them. If you love rats, then focus on that. Match your training to your business model so you’re in a position to do the best job you can.
KG
I agree. It’s important to specialise in what you want to do. Our technicians do the Level 2 Award in Pest Management which is your basic requirement.
I did my ‘steps to management’ training because I wanted to go that way. We’ve started doing more bed bugs and so we’re going deeper into that, which I’m really passionate about. Have a starting point and build on it.
MS
People come into this industry, take RSPH Level 2 and that’s where it stops and they don’t keep up with the times. You should always educate yourself to learn about insects, rodents and wildlife. If you want to be an expert, follow your dreams but keep your learning going.
LC
Keep learning is absolutely right. I failed at school completely; I had to re-sit all of my exams. I went down the work route because I can work out the practical things, but I can’t work out pen and paper.
It doesn’t matter though – if you work with BPCA, your suppliers, you’ll find out what you need. I’ve done courses on spraying, safe handling and storage of chemicals. Extra courses that I didn’t necessarily need to do, but I’ve learned something.
PPC Does being a BPCA member give you a better chance of winning tenders?
LC
Without the BPCA I wouldn’t get them. I enjoy agricultural pest control. As soon as they see BPCA, you sail through it. At one job, the auditor didn’t ask about a qualification certificate or insurance, they asked “have you got your BPCA registration certificate?”
DW
We work with suppliers, supermarkets and so on, to make sure BPCA is in those specifications. The bit we need you guys to do is help us change the ‘rat man/woman’ image – that’s the amateurs.
We want people to know that we are professionals - show them what you do. Show your qualifications, that you’re continuously learning. Changing that image is the only way we will get to a point where hopefully only professionals can use professional products.
MS
I joined BPCA because I wanted to help move it forward. They’ve got masses of documents that will help you no end. They know people; these people are immensely knowledgeable and will spend time talking to you.
Ian Andrew joined the BPCA around six years ago and has taken the Association forward in leaps and bounds. The BPCA Staff team does a great job so please use them, they are there for you. They’re here to work for and with all pest control companies – small, medium and large.
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