25 March 2020

Pest control critical to sustain public health during Covid-19 crisis

PRESS RELEASE 25 March 2020 The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is calling for urgent action to ensure pest control management can continue to be administered in the Covid-19 pandemic. According to BPCA, the activity remains a.... More

25 March 2020

BPCA key worker lobbying on BBC radio

BPCA got a big mention on BBC Radio yesterday, when hosts spoke to a caller about pest management during the Covid-19 lockdown.  The whole section is a phone-in segment and listeners are discussing whether pest control can c.... More

17 March 2020

Tetramethrin classification changes

Tetramethrin, the active ingredient in some insecticidal products, has been classified as a category 2 carcinogen. This will impact formulated products in which the level of tetramethrin is equal to or greater than 1%. Such produ.... More

13 March 2020

How to apply for gull licence as deadline approaches

BPCA is advising all members that they should apply for their individual licences for gull control in good time for breeding season. On 30 January Natural England released details of changes to the individual licences f.... More

12 March 2020

Pest photograph competition winner announced

BPCA were pleased to announce the winner of the #BestPestPic2020 competition at PPC Live in Harrogate this week. Mark Horrocks, a pest management technician from Gloucestershire, won the Association’s competition to find th.... More

06 March 2020

Rodenticide regime calls for no exceptions, bad apples or excuses

For the regime to be a success, "conscientious compliance" with stewardship principles by all rodenticide users is essential, according to Dr Alan Buckle, chairman of the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use, which co-ordinates the regime. .... More

05 March 2020

Scotland: three new general licences announced

Following a review of the general licensing system, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has released three new general licences for bird control, to come into force from 1 April 2020. What's changed?  From 1 April 2020 there ar.... More

04 March 2020

CRRU study appeals for tail tip samples

An appeal for pest control technicians, farmers and gamekeepers to collect tail samples from freshly killed rats and mice has been issued by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU). In the past two years, new hotspots of r.... More

03 March 2020

#BestPestPic2020 shortlist announced!

 The shortlist for the #BestPestPic2020 competition has been announced! There were an incredible amount of entries and our first set of judges found it so difficult to choose between them all.  As a result the shortlist.... More

28 February 2020

Storms will drive pests into homes says PelGar

BPCA member PelGar says that the back-to-back battering of the UK by storm fronts and widespread flooding is likely to drive pests into human areas. The storms will also have negative effects on other non-pest species of Bri.... More

26 February 2020

Spring Queening: On the trail of Asian hornets in Guernsey

Pest control | PPC98 March 2020 Elliott Rose-King, from BPCA Consultant Member Bounty Consultancy Services, talks to PPC about a recent fact-finding visit to The Agriculture, Countryside and Landscape Management Services (ACLMS) tea.... More

26 February 2020

PestWatch: What’s ticking off your dog?

Technical feature | PPC98 March 2020 Dee Ward-Thompson investigates a type of tick you might not have come across yet but is slowly becoming more prevalent in the UK. At the end of last year, I went along to the Leve.... More

13 February 2020

GENERAL LICENCES: six licences reissued for control of wild birds

Defra has announced that six general licences for the control of wild birds in England will be reissued on a temporary basis ahead of new licences coming into force on 1 August 2020. Following a legal challenge by Wild Justi.... More

06 February 2020

BIG BIRD WRAP-UP: General and individual licences for bird control in the UK

Since April 2019, we’ve had many updates on general licences for bird control in the UK. This quick view page will give you all the headline information and latest updates on general and individual licences in England, Northern Ireland, S.... More

30 January 2020

FAQ: Lesser black-backed and herring gull licensing

An FAQ regarding the Lesser Black-Backed Gull and Herring Gull bird control licensing changes. Why are there changes to the number of gulls that can be controlled? Herring gull and lesser black-backed gull have been excluded from the.... More

30 January 2020

Natural England releases details of new bird control licensing arrangements for herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls

Natural England has today [Thursday 30 January] set out changes to licences for the lethal control of herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls in England. Owing to their poor conservation status, herring gulls and lesser black.... More

29 January 2020

New licences for Lesser black-backed and Herring gull released tomorrow – England

Natural England (NE) has confirmed that new bird licences for the control of the Lesser black-backed gull and Herring gulls will be released tomorrow (30 January 2020). This is a breaking story, and BPCA will publish more details as they co.... More

28 January 2020

PestAware: Tips for attracting red squirrels

Red squirrels are native to the UK but, sadly, their numbers have been in decline since the early 20th century. Here, Millbry Hill's Kathryn Eccles gives her top tips for encouraging more red squirrels into your garden. It'.... More

08 January 2020

Are we going to lose more insecticides in 2020?

With several prominent changes to insecticides in 2019, BPCA's been asked what the future of insecticides will look like. While nothing is certain, we've tried to clarify what's going on. As with rodenticides, all insecticides ar.... More

07 January 2020

Pest advice for controlling Mice

Can you hear the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps behind the skirting? Does Tom keep bringing Jerry in from the garden? Mice are a part of British wildlife - but when they take up residence with you, they can be a cause for concern. Act.... More

07 January 2020

Human hair behind pigeon deformity

Pigeons with missing toes is a fairly common phenomenon in European cities like Paris and London. But what's the cause?  A team of scientists from France’s National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) and the Univers.... More

11 December 2019

Ficam W to be withdrawn from the market

BPCA member Bayer has announced that Ficam W is to be removed from the market, following a vote from the EU Biocide commission. Alan Morris, Bayer head of environmental science, explains that the industry can expec.... More

03 December 2019

VIDEO: Bed bug control for pest professionals

Watch back our webinar on professional bed bug control. In this first of a 2-part series, Natalie talks biology, lifecycles, public health and prevention. The one hour video covers five main topics: Bed bug identification Bed bug biol.... More

09 October 2019

Rat lungworm’s sluggish journey to Europe

Scientists are looking into the spread of rat lungworm to several popular European holiday destinations. First noted in China in the 1930s, rat lungworm is widespread in Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. However, in the last.... More

13 September 2019

CONSULTATION: Wild birds general licence survey launched by Defra

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has launched a public survey as part of a planned review of general licences to manage wild birds in England. Defra is leading this review in close partnership with Natural England. Take the.... More

23 August 2019

Flying insects in hospitals carry 'superbug' germs

Health and safety | PPC96 August 2019 More than 50% of bacteria recovered from flying insects in a group of English hospitals were resistant to one or more antibiotics, posing a potential infection risk to patients, according to a.... More

23 August 2019

Ask the technical team August 2019

Technical | PPC96 August 2019 Our technical team tackle bee nests, reporting and delusional parasitosis in this issue. When you’re a BPCA member you can get technical support whenever you need it via our experienced tec.... More

23 August 2019

A birds-eye view of general licences

Legislation| PPC96 August 2019 Since April this year, it’s been all hands on deck in the pest management world, getting to grips with changes in bird control licences and the way we manage pest birds. Now that we have s.... More

23 August 2019

INFOGRAPHIC: General licence decision tree 2019

Legislation | PPC96 August 2019 Need a hand figuring out whether you're covered by the new general licences or if you need to apply for an individual licence? Take a look at our infographic.  . More

23 August 2019

Best practice or Balderdash?

Best practice| PPC96 August 2019 You don’t need a contract for a wasps nest… or do you? While our tools and technology over the years have evolved and adapted, our practices haven’t necessarily changed at the sa.... More

23 August 2019

Developments in mosquito management

Technical| PPC96 August 2019 Traditionally mosquitoes have been treated with pesticides and insect growth regulators by pest controllers, but scientists have been looking at how we can fundamentally change our foe to make them less of.... More

22 August 2019

Proactive bee management experiments

Your association | PPC96 August 2019 It can’t be said enough - we love bees. Nobody would choose to treat bees and so as pest management professionals we should all be looking at ways to minimise the public health risks of bee in.... More

22 July 2019

VIDEO: Risk management assessments for pest management professionals

A health and safety risk assessment considers the hazards present in a task or activity. RAs looks at the likelihood of harm that might occur and the severity of that harm.  In this 1 hour webinar, Technical Officer Natalie Bungay.... More

09 July 2019

Asian hornet sighting confirmed in south Hampshire

Last Wednesday the National Bee Unit confirmed a sighting of an individual, female Asian hornet in New Milton, Hampshire, after it was reported by a member of the public.    The first confirmed sighting in the UK since O.... More

02 July 2019

Monty Python actor warns of Deathwatch Beetle threat to UK churches

British comedian and documentary filmmaker Michael Palin is supporting the future of the UK’s historic churches and chapels with a voiceover for a new animated film. The 80 second animation, produced for the National Church.... More

28 June 2019

'Watch out for wasps' says BPCA member Bayer

Signs of a second bumper wasp season in as many years are being seen across the country and BPCA member Bayer suggests the mild winter is to blame. In a press release published this week, Bayer national account and technical.... More

27 June 2019

VIDEO: General licences for bird control; update and next steps

An update on the current (June 2019) bird general licence situation in England. This webinar will have the most current advice for pest controllers who lethally control pest bird species. During the webinar, we looked at the benefits of thi.... More

13 June 2019

Defra release three new general licences for bird control

Three new general licences for the killing or taking of wild birds in England will be issued at 00:01 on Friday 14 June, says Defra.  The recent call for evidence demonstrated a range of impacts that individuals and groups experi.... More

06 June 2019

Bee removal and Glis glis added to Find a pest controller tool

The ever-popular BPCA Find a pest controller tool now includes options for ethical bee removal and Glis glis treatments. BPCA member companies that offer bee removal (rather than insecticide treatments) or specialist Gli.... More

04 June 2019

BPCA marks World Pest Day 2019 with message to local authorities

Today is World Pest Day and to celebrate we’re launching a targeted campaign to local authorities. We’re urging councils across the UK to put pest management firmly on their radar, highlighting the threat to society and the knoc.... More

29 May 2019

New general licences grind to a stop after Defra take over control from Natural England

New general licences for bird control, such as the all-important feral pigeon and gull control for the purpose of public health, are to be delayed. BPCA has confirmed that new licenses will not be published according to Natural England&rsqu.... More

29 May 2019

Updated advice on interim measures for bird control after new licences delayed

BPCA had originally advised members that if they could wait for the appropriate general licence to be released, they should. However, now it seems we could be experiencing a longer wait, we’re advising that anyone who needs to co.... More

28 May 2019

Creating excellence in cockroach baiting programmes

Pest control | PPC95 May 2019 Steve Broadbent from Ensystex is back in PPC for part two of his cockroach article. Steve’s talk went down a storm at PestEx 2019 with some people calling it the best seminar they’ve ever.... More

28 May 2019

Wax moths: communal pupal chambers and inquilines

Pest control | PPC95 May 2019 BPCA Consultant member John Lloyd of Independent Pest Management and Insect Consultancy is back in PPC, giving us advice on how to spot and treat for these rare pests. Signs of Aphomia sociella.... More

28 May 2019

Pest controller and customer relationships in flea treatments

Pest control | PPC95 May 2019 Richard Moseley, National Account and Technical Manager of Bayer CropScience investigates what a pest management professional can do to foster a strong customer relationship. Now is a key period.... More

22 May 2019

VIDEO: Direct bait application in burrows available to watch now

Watch back our webinar on direct bait application in burrows presented by BPCA Field Officer, Natalie Bungay. Burrow baiting is a technique used by professional pest controllers to reduce/eliminate neophobia to bait containers when controllin.... More

21 May 2019

Ask the technical team May 2019

Technical | PPC95 May 2019 Rodenticide confusion, open trays, resistance searches and invasive hornet questions are all in the BPCA Technical team inbox this issue. When you’re a BPCA member you can get technical suppor.... More

14 May 2019

Open letter to Secretary of State regarding call for evidence: Bird control licences

BPCA has written to Secretary of State Gove in regards to Defra's call for evidence on the impact of the revoking of three general licences for bird control. The letter is published in full here. You can download the letter as a PDF here.... More

08 May 2019

BPCA prepares to gather evidence for Defra on general licences

Defra has initiated a formal evidence gathering exercise to capture information from all concerned parties about the impact of the recent withdrawal of three general licences for bird control. BPCA is collecting the evidence of me.... More

08 May 2019

New general licences for controlling Canada geese and wood pigeon comes into force

On Friday 3 May Natural England published two new general licences for controlling birds. The licences, which allows people to kill or take Canada geese to preserve public health and safety and wood pigeon for preventing serious damage to c.... More