PPC114 | Meet the member

Sophie Thorogood joined Pelsis as a training and technical manager in May 2021. She works at the front end of pest control, working directly with customers in a range of settings.

Sophie faces challenging infestations that require technical expertise to solve a diverse set of real world problems.

PPC How did you get into a career in pest control? 

ST My route came from a love of science, especially insects, and at university I developed an interest in how they interact with humans.

This led me to complete a Masters degree, where I focused on diseases and transmission vectors, with a particular interest in parasites. One highlight was a trip to Cameroon to study the blackfly and onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease prevalent in West Africa. 

After this, I went on to work in an insect lab, where I was first exposed to the pest species I would make my career in, including moths, cockroaches, flies, bed bugs and beetles.

PPC What do you enjoy most working in pest control?

ST The moment when pest control formed the basis of a career was the realisation that it ticked all the boxes for me, and seeing the day-to-day satisfaction it provides.

This included working with animals and insects in an applied science environment to solve real-world problems and to the benefit of humans.

One of the other features that makes it such a rewarding career is being able to witness change directly happen as a result of your actions. If you are innovative with a new or improved product, it translates from concept to real-world applications relatively quickly.

PPC How do you see the interaction between training and product development?

ST When I’m out doing training with clients, I see first-hand the scenarios and unique challenges they face. This manifests through conducting a thorough site survey to assess and understand the pests, entry points and feeding locations to apply the appropriate tools.

This helps not just to trigger ideas in an industry where there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, but it also provides insights that feed directly into product development. For example, you can observe new species that are emerging and trends when it comes to pest distribution.

These insights mean that any innovation that goes into product development is more tailored directly to challenges that myself and trainer colleagues see at our customers’ infested sites.

PPC What do you see as the biggest challenges?

ST There’s a cocktail of current and future challenges facing the pest control industry right now. One overarching issue is how to deal with the challenges brought about by climate change. As average temperatures rise, a better environment is created for many pest species, including new invasive tropical ones that can survive and thrive outdoors.

An example is the occurrence of mosquitoes in Kent, potentially a significant pest and public health challenge.

In terms of urbanisation, if we continue to develop greenfield sites and destroy habitats, we will exacerbate the shift of pests to favourable urban environments.

Also, through globalisation, people will become more active pest spreading insects. An example is bed bugs, which during lockdown saw significantly reduced numbers. But infestations have soared since travel has opened up.

Compounding these challenges are the difficulties posed by the ‘pesticide gap’. Although, sensibly, available compounds are being restricted to mitigate wider biodiversity harm, given the timeframe to develop new ones, this is leaving the industry with a smaller pesticide toolkit.

On top of this, we are seeing growing levels of resistance for rodenticides and insecticides. As these are often based on compounds of similar classes, this is also driving cross-resistance, exacerbating the ‘pesticide gap’ challenge.

“The pace of change in the industry means it is ripe to attract the next generation of operatives.”

PPC How do you see the industry, and the skillsets of those in it evolving in response to these challenges?

ST These challenges will require a more innovative mindset to help identify and remain proactive against current and emerging threats, while exploring new tactics to support the pest manager’s toolkit.

On a current day-to-day level, this is already translating to managing species that weren’t previously considered, such as updating some pesticides to include silverfish.

Similarly, it also requires that all training resources are kept relevant and up-to-date and tailored to the latest trends and future challenges. For example, if we discuss resistance, our customers might have a limited understanding, yet it is a growing challenge and it is essential they recognise the issue.

I believe we will also see the applied science element involved with pest control increasingly come into its own and be a more externally visible side to our industry.

This means pest control will become more interdisciplinary. This will see practitioners having a greater knowledge and understanding of chemistry, biology and utilise the evolving technologies coming onto the scene.

And in terms of technology, this will become an increasingly complementary trend and help practitioners and customers to detect, identify and manage pests.

As part of this, data capture and exploitation will be essential to help the industry remain on the front foot with infestation characteristics and identifying risks and emerging challenges.

PPC What would you say to those considering a career in pest control?

ST Pest control is a great industry to work in if you enjoy science, studying animals and thrive in a multidisciplinary environment.

It is also an industry that is undergoing an exciting transition as it evolves rapidly to meet a spectrum of challenges.

This means that working with new and emerging pest control technologies and methods will increasingly be a fact of your professional life, making it a highly dynamic, enriching career.

The pace of change in the industry means it is ripe to attract the next generation of operatives. So it’s important that the wider benefits are also highly attractive, and this is certainly the case for pest control.

It provides a highly independent and flexible career option, which is especially beneficial for those looking at a better work/life balance.

As a career, it also comes with a defined progression ladder, bolstered by the strong opportunities to succeed and educate yourself alongside the chances to specialise (eg, in birds or bed bugs).

It is also becoming an increasingly diverse industry as it is attractive, and available, to anyone regardless of background as long as they are knowledgeable and committed to doing a good job.

Generally, there is little awareness of the industry amongst those considering their career plans, but it is one where the benefits are highly marketable.